The Team

Benjamin F. Merrifield, MD
​Co-founder

Dr. Merrifield is a Managing Partner and Medical Director of Gastroenterology Associates, a single specialty gastoenterology practice and endoscopy center employing over 75 individuals in Olympia, WA.  Dr. Merrifield is an experienced endoscopist and inventor.  He trained at Brigham and Women's/Harvard working with Dr. Christopher Thompson MD, MS, FACG, FASGE at the Developmental Endoscopy Lab and coauthored several peer reviewed research papers on GI bleeding, endoscopic clips, and novel endoscopic techniques.

Drew Schembre, MD
​Co-founder

Dr. Schembre currently serves as the Medical Director of Swedish Gastroenterology and Executive Director of the Swedish Digestive Health Network at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle WA.  Prior to this, he was Chief of Gastroenterology at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, from 2007-2010.  He also serves as Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and has served on multiple national committees including several FDA panels to evaluate novel gastrointestinal devices.  He performs advanced endoscopic procedures.  In addition, he lectures and teaches on new gastrointestinal technologies and has published several peer-reviewed articles on advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy.
​Our Team includes creative Engineers from Seattle's top design shop working with us to break new ground.  Designers who have built leading innovative products help us create devices that are unique, effective and intuitive.   We benefit from our deep network drawn from medical practices, medical device companies, and leading academics who providing expertise in medicine, manufacturing, marketing, regulation, and launch.  An experienced finance strategist and top tier intellectual property lawyer allows us to move confidently forward.  Our young talent learns fast and keeps us going.