WASHINGTON, D.C. — March 12, 2026
ColoWatch®, the leading virtual colonoscopy network dedicated to transforming colorectal cancer screening in America, is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Cecelia Brewington, M.D., FACR as a Founding Clinical Advisor. Dr. Brewington brings over three decades of distinguished leadership in academic diagnostic radiology, clinical program development, and national health policy advocacy — making her an extraordinary addition to ColoWatch's world-class clinical advisory team.
A Trailblazer in Radiology and Cancer Screening
Dr. Cecelia Brewington, M.D., FACR
Founding Clinical Advisor, ColoWatch® • System & Academic Chair of Radiology, Ochsner Health
Dr. Brewington is one of the nation's foremost leaders in diagnostic radiology, virtual colonoscopy, and cancer screening program development. Her advocacy was instrumental in securing Medicare coverage for virtual colonoscopy.
Dr. Brewington currently serves as System and Academic Chair of Radiology for Ochsner Health in New Orleans, one of the largest non-profit academic health systems in the Gulf South. She has also accepted an appointment as Professor and Chair of Radiology for the Xavier–Ochsner School of Medicine upon the school’s opening — a historic collaboration between Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health that will become the nation’s newest medical school.
Prior to joining Ochsner, Dr. Brewington spent nearly three decades at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where she rose to the rank of Professor and Vice Chair of Radiology. At UT Southwestern, she held a remarkable range of leadership positions, including:
- Vice Chair of Clinical Operations, Department of Radiology
- Medical Director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program
- Co-Director of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Program
- Chief Radiology Officer across multiple university hospitals
- Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Department of Radiology
Pivotal Role in Medicare Coverage for Virtual Colonoscopy
Perhaps most significant to ColoWatch’s mission, Dr. Brewington played a pivotal role in one of the most important policy victories in the history of virtual colonoscopy. As Vice President of the American College of Radiology Colon Cancer Committee and a member of the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, she participated in the successful petition to CMS that resulted in the National Coverage Determination approving Medicare coverage for CT Colonography for colorectal cancer screening, effective January 1, 2025.
A Landmark Decision
The Medicare coverage determination for CT Colonography removed one of the last major barriers to widespread adoption of virtual colonoscopy as a primary colorectal cancer screening tool in the United States. Dr. Brewington’s expertise and advocacy were instrumental in making this historic policy change a reality.
This appointment is deeply aligned with ColoWatch’s core mission. Dr. Brewington’s decades of hands-on experience building virtual colonoscopy programs from the ground up — combined with her policy advocacy at the highest levels of government — position her to accelerate ColoWatch’s efforts to make virtual colonoscopy the screening standard across America.
Clinical Expertise That Aligns with Our Mission
Dr. Brewington’s clinical expertise directly maps to the core of ColoWatch’s technology and mission:
- Virtual colonoscopy screening and diagnostics — the very technology ColoWatch delivers through its national network
- Imaging program building and operations — essential to ColoWatch’s growing network of facility partners
- Lung cancer screening program development — a model for the systematic, quality-driven approach ColoWatch applies to virtual colonoscopy
- Body CT, Ultrasound, and Women’s Imaging — broadening the clinical perspective she brings to ColoWatch’s advisory role
Dr. Brewington’s commitment to expanding screening access — particularly in underserved communities — and her leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion in radiology (she served as Director of DEI for the Department of Radiology at UT Southwestern) further reflect the values at the heart of ColoWatch’s mission. She was recognized on the Women in STEMM Wall of Recognition at UT Southwestern and received the UTSW Black History Month Recognition from the Office of Faculty Diversity and Development.
Research and Academic Contributions
Throughout her career, Dr. Brewington has made significant contributions to the medical literature and clinical research, including:
- Co-Principal Investigator on a cost-effectiveness study of virtual colonoscopy in colorectal cancer screening, in collaboration with the Neiman Health Institute and Siemens Healthineers
- Principal Investigator on research into CT perfusion as a noninvasive biomarker for characterizing pulmonary lesions, winning the Thoracic Paper Award from MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Co-author of the landmark JAMA multicenter comparison study of virtual colonoscopy versus standard colonoscopy for detection of colorectal neoplasia
She is a graduate of the University of Alabama and the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, completed her residency and postdoctoral fellowship in Diagnostic Radiology and Body Imaging at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and holds an executive leadership certificate from Cornell University. Her honors include the Service Commitment Award from the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (American Cancer Society), the Leaders in Clinical Excellence Award from UT Southwestern, the Jack Westcott Award from the Society of Thoracic Radiology, and a Certificate of Merit from the Radiological Society of North America.
“I bring over 30 years of experience in academic diagnostic radiology, clinical program development, and professional practice management. I led the establishment of both the Lung Cancer Screening Program and the CT Colonography Screening Program at UT Southwestern. I currently serve on the American College of Radiology Colon Cancer Committee and participated in the successful petition to CMS that resulted in the National Coverage Determination approving Medicare coverage for CT Colonography for colorectal cancer screening effective January 1, 2025.”
— Dr. Cecelia Brewington, M.D., FACR • From her NIH Biographical Sketch
Expanding the Advisory Team
Dr. Brewington joins an elite group of Founding Clinical Advisors at ColoWatch® alongside Dr. Matthew Barish (Professor of Radiology and Founder of the Symposia on Virtual Colonoscopy), Dr. Perry Pickhardt (Professor and Chief of Gastrointestinal Imaging at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, author of the landmark NEJM virtual colonoscopy study), and Dr. Michael Albert (Gastroenterologist and former Section Chief at Johns Hopkins Affiliate Sibley Memorial Hospital).
About ColoWatch®
ColoWatch® is a turnkey virtual colonoscopy network that brings together clinical, business, and technical leaders committed to delivering reliable, standardized performance and interpretation of virtual colonoscopy studies. A virtual colonoscopy study at any facility in the ColoWatch network is performed using the same protocol and quality-control tools developed by ColoWatch. Each study is delivered securely through the cloud to a network of board-certified radiologists expertly trained in ColoWatch’s advanced 3D visualization software. ColoWatch’s mission is to significantly expand the use of virtual colonoscopy for colorectal cancer prevention and screening. For more information, visit colowatch.com.
Media Contact:
ColoWatch® Communications
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