< + > Weekly Roundup – August 31, 2024

Welcome to our Healthcare IT Today Weekly Roundup. Each week, we’ll be providing a look back at the articles we posted and why they’re important to the healthcare IT community. We hope this gives you a chance to catch up on anything you may have missed during the week.

TEFCA’s Role in Facilitating Seamless Data Sharing. We asked the Healthcare IT Today community to discuss TEFCA’s role in interoperability. Highlights included the potential for standards-based data exchange at a national level and an expanded “universe” of healthcare entities that can send and receive information. Read more…

Bringing Engagement – and Also Privacy – to Mental Health. John Lynn connected with Zack Lamb at Bambu AI to discuss using patient data to improve mental health support without collecting data, enabling ongoing engagement in between visits with a clinician while maintaining privacy. Read more…

Charm Health Adding Features for Larger Practices, Encouraging Innovation. Colin Hung reported from the EHR vendor’s user conference, which emphasized integrations with Salesforce and other moves to help physicians growing beyond solo practices. Read more…

Bridging the Data Gap Between Acute and Post-Acute Care. John unpacked a case study from the Management in Healthcare Journal by Real Time Medical Systems on how readmissions rates drop when acute and post-acute care facilities share information. Read more…

CIO Podcast: The Current State of Nursing in Healthcare. Dr. Yolanda VanRiel at North Carolina Central University joined John to discuss whether virtual nursing and other technology is helping to address staffing ratios and other key challenges facing today’s nurses. Read more…

As Data Breach Costs Soar, Double Down on Security Non-Negotiables. With the price tag for mitigating a breach hovering at $10 million, organizations need to focus on vulnerability management, access management, and vendor security, according to Dylan Border at Hyland. Read more…

Why You Need to Consider Cybersecurity and Equity Before Deploying AI. Tim Boltz at Carahsoft outlined what the industry needs to do to keep data safe when it’s used in AI models, as well as how to use AI to make care more accessible. Read more…

Just the Facts on Fax in Healthcare Today. Fax isn’t going anywhere – but it’s taking the form of cloud fax that’s capable of sharing many documents at once and extracting relevant data as documents are received, according to Chris Larkin at Concord Technologies. Read more…

The Future of AI in Laboratory Payment Accuracy. The lab payment landscape is complex; there are 800 CPT codes to represent genetic tests, and one-third of tests are ordered in error. AI is positioned to review claims, detect anomalies, and identify patterns, noted Dr. Bernard Steinbacher at Lyric. Read more…

Embedding Light Therapy in Smart Sleep Wearables. This guest post from Australia-based retimer described how retimer 3 uses light therapy to adjust circadian rhythm – a valuable tool for shift workers, travelers overcoming jet lag, or insomnia. Read more…

This Week’s Health IT Jobs for August 28, 2024: Many roles looking for Epic expertise, along with listings seeking experienced engineers. Read more…

Bonus Features for August 25, 2924: More payers are using fax to accept prior authorization requests and return prior auth determinations. Read more…

Funding and M&A Activity:

• Value-based care service provider Guidehealth closed a $14 million seed round.
• Data analytics vendor Health Catalyst closed its acquisition of Lumeon, a care management company.
• Payment processing vendor HPS/PayMedix acquired TempoPay, which offers healthcare financing options to employer-sponsored health plans.
• Biotech software vendor Seqera acquired tinybio, maker of a ChatGPT tool for medical researchers.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out our latest Healthcare IT Today Weekly Roundups.

< + > As Data Breach Costs Soar, Healthcare Organizations Must Double Down on these Security Non-Negotiables

The following is a guest article by Dylan Border, Director of Cybersecurity at Hyland

Healthcare continues to be the most costly industry for data breaches, a distinction the sector has held for 14 consecutive years.

To be fair, the average cost of a healthcare data breach has fallen by roughly 11% since 2023, according to IBM’s latest Cost of a Data Breach report. But even so, the average price tag for a data breach in the healthcare industry sits at a staggering $9.8 million. That’s $3.7 million higher than the average fallout of a data breach in the financial industry, the sector with the next most costly breaches.

The frequency of attacks is equally alarming. In 2023, an average of 364,571 healthcare records were leaked every day in the U.S. In fact, one Hyland client reports their systems are attacked 1,500 times each hour. (Thankfully, their deep defenses have prevented the attackers from being successful.)

After more than a decade of astronomical payouts and ceaseless attacks, why are many healthcare organizations still struggling to lock down their systems? Healthcare’s unique combination of sensitive data, vulnerability to disruption, and overreliance on legacy infrastructure make it an attractive target for hackers. And the hefty ransom payouts they’re able to demand keep them coming back for more.

To break the cycle, healthcare organizations need an updated approach to vulnerability management and IT security hygiene that emphasizes proactive measures.

3 Non-Negotiables for Healthcare Information Management and Cybersecurity

Maintaining your cybersecurity posture is a 24/7 job. Threats will continue to evolve, and staying ahead of them requires constant vigilance and adaptation. However, you and your IT and cybersecurity teams will sleep better at night with these essentials in place.

Robust Vulnerability Management

Vulnerability management is an area where many healthcare organizations have room to improve. A comprehensive approach involves continuous identification, evaluation, and remediation of security vulnerabilities within your systems. Regular scanning and monitoring are essential to uncover and address potential security gaps before they can be exploited. You’ll also want to keep encrypted backups of your most essential systems stored offline. These backups should be regularly tested to verify their integrity and reliability, ensuring you can recover quickly if an attack occurs.

Comprehensive Access Management

Effective access management makes it far more difficult for bad actors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. Your access control strategy should include implementing strict controls that limit administrative rights to critical data and systems — the fewer people who have access to this information, the fewer entry points attackers can exploit. This approach, paired with access security features like multi-factor authentication and regular user education, significantly reduces both internal and external threats while simultaneously supporting data privacy and compliance goals.

Vendor Security Scrutiny

Partnering with third-party vendors is necessary to expand your tech stack and upgrade legacy IT infrastructure. However, it’s essential to evaluate a vendor’s security practices before you work with them. To make an informed decision, ask questions about their software development lifecycle, patching process, and ability to support you when attacks occur. Your partners should be transparent about their security practices and have a track record of taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity innovation.

Closing the Healthcare Data Breach Gap

Improving the healthcare industry’s data breach track record won’t be easy, but we can close the gap with a concerted effort to tighten defenses at every system endpoint. With proactive measures designed to stop attacks as soon as they start, your organization can keep patient data safe and bolster trust. It’s time to lead the way in setting a new standard for data protection in the healthcare industry.

< + > Health Catalyst Finalizes Acquisition of Leading Care Management Company, Lumeon

Health Catalyst, Inc. (Health Catalyst), a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, today announced it has successfully completed its acquisition of Lumeon Limited (Lumeon), a digital health company with operations in the U.S. and the United Kingdom dedicated to helping provider organizations mend broken care coordination processes through automated care orchestration.

Leading providers in the U.S. and the United Kingdom use Lumeon’s Care Orchestration technology to lower costs, optimize clinician and staff time, enhance revenue, and improve quality and patient safety. Together with Health Catalyst, this acquisition aims to leverage Lumeon’s robust and market-leading platform and make it more intelligent through the application of advanced analytics, AI, and Health Catalyst Ignite data processing capabilities. Health Catalyst expects this combination will further strengthen and differentiate its core focus on clinical improvement and ambulatory operations, in addition to supporting its current and future Tech-Enabled Managed Services (TEMS) partnerships.

Health Catalyst also anticipates that Lumeon’s presence in the United Kingdom will strengthen its ability to expand and more effectively pursue new opportunities in the region and potentially in other international markets.

Health Catalyst CEO, Dan Burton, said, “We are excited to welcome the Lumeon team and work alongside them in support of our shared mission – to enable massive, measurable, data-informed healthcare improvement. Effective care management is an essential part of a patient’s clinical care journey, and the addition of Lumeon’s Care Orchestration to Health Catalyst’s existing technology and services offering will further enhance the analytics insights made available to providers seeking to transform clinical care.”

Lumeon CEO, Robbie Hughes, said, “By combining the Health Catalyst Ignite AI platform with our Care Orchestration technology, we will enable healthcare organizations to not only access data-driven insights at scale but now also automate the clinical actions needed to ensure those insights are translated into personalized care processes for patients and care teams, closing the loop for data-driven transformation and accelerating our shared flywheel further and faster than ever before.”

Health Catalyst funded the transaction with a mix of stock and cash. Additional details regarding the acquisition were included in Health Catalyst’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter that ended June 30, 2024, and was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on August 7, 2024.

About Health Catalyst

Health Catalyst is a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations committed to being the catalyst for massive, measurable, data-informed healthcare improvement. Its clients leverage the cloud-based data platform—powered by data from more than 100 million patient records and encompassing trillions of facts—as well as its analytics software and professional services expertise to make data-informed decisions and realize measurable clinical, financial, and operational improvements. Health Catalyst envisions a future in which all healthcare decisions are data-informed.

Originally announced August 8th, 2024

< + > Exec appointments at HL7 Australia, ADHA and more briefs

Also, a new framework guides Australian home aged care providers in delivering technology-driven services.

< + > HHS to fund AI-enabled medical device maintenance tools

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health says new funding to advance capabilities that detect and auto-correct misalignments with training data could help users of medical devices integrated with artificial intelligence ensure peak performance.

< + > ATA urges CMS to boost telehealth, and get guidance issued ASAP

With just 125 days on the clock, the group is asking the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to extend telehealth flexibilities in the 2025 Physician Fee Schedule – and wants the White House and Congress to make it permanent.

< + > Deploying AI? Healthcare Leaders Must First Consider Cybersecurity and Equity

The following is a guest article by Tim Boltz, Healthcare Solutions Executive at Carahsoft

Artificial intelligence is the most disruptive technology since the widespread adoption of the internet. AI could permeate industries the same way, transforming their operations. Healthcare is not immune. 

Health institutions of all types are already exploring AI’s potential to refine patient treatments, relieve the burdens of workforce shortages, and accelerate new research discoveries. Some in the healthcare landscape are already running pilots to determine use case possibilities. 

Deploying AI solutions in this rightfully risk-averse industry will require addressing longstanding security issues and equity concerns before its full promise can be fulfilled.

Fortifying Health Networks

AI projects among healthcare institutions are attracting interest and funding, but the industry needs to overhaul its cybersecurity posture to prevent threats to patient safety and privacy. Healthcare institutions work with a treasure trove of data, harnessing all four data types—Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Payment Card Industry (PCI) data, Protected Health Information (PHI), and Intellectual Property (IP)—making these organizations prime targets for cybercriminals. 

Most healthcare facilities run networks composed of outdated legacy systems and a huge number of internet-connected devices, like imaging machines and monitors, that create an Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). The result is a highly vulnerable attack surface rich with valuable patient, financial, and research information. Highly organized hackers deploy ransomware, knowing the sensitivity and urgency of operations make healthcare organizations a high-value target. 

Healthcare organizations, however, often do not have the budget to replace outmoded equipment or invest in the latest cyber advancements. Many are still recovering from the lasting effects of the pandemic and a workforce shortage that extends to their IT departments. 

To dictate the standards for responsible protection of networks and deployment of new technologies, the Federal government must step in. In addition to helping providers find the funds to secure this critical sector, agencies should also lead efforts to create more cybersecurity standards and playbooks for responding to incidents. The Department of Health and Human Services’ release of a risk management framework is a good start. Still, the healthcare industry would benefit from the sector-specific security standards that the government’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is creating for the defense industrial base. 

Robust security practices would deter would-be attackers, and healthcare organizations could focus on providing patients with high-quality care, furthering research efforts, and embracing new technology.

Ensuring Equitable Access and Outcomes

AI in healthcare is still nascent, but equity must be a top consideration in building policies and projects. Emerging technologies like AI offer a chance to design systems for healthcare delivery and clinical research with equity principles built in.

Some worry that AI could exacerbate health disparities. For example, organizations could develop technology that is informed by large data sets that could breed inequality at the institutional level, especially when those datasets are unvetted.

However, many see the technology as a way to mitigate inequities. For patients, AI tools could more accurately spot and predict illness from images or create personalized treatment options. Even more simply, calling offices with AI tools that optimize schedules could decrease wait times and improve appointment availability. After all, getting access to a doctor is the first step of any treatment plan.

For medical providers, AI can help unburden overworked staff. Automation of administrative tasks can shift physicians and other frontline staff from paperwork to focusing on delivering excellent patient care. AI can also help overcome staffing challenges, bolstering recruitment and retention efforts with tools that screen job descriptions to remove biased language or enhance training programs. In back offices, AI could help refine grant proposals, detect fraud, and accelerate reimbursements.

Unlocking AI’s Potential

To embrace AI’s full potential, we need support from regulatory bodies, innovation from the private sector, and also participation from the public, as developing an AI tool without data is impossible. 

Data fuels projects that could predict the next big outbreak, giving medical professionals time to prepare and refine response plans. Key regulations like HIPAA have yet to be modernized to address potential AI uses. Regulatory bodies should take time to review that the rules address new technological developments. 

In December 2023, President Joe Biden issued an executive order for HHS to lead policy and regulatory efforts to pave the way for safe, secure, and trustworthy AI use in healthcare settings. However, health-focused agencies have the opportunity to do more to drive adoption, such as incentivizing with Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. 

What can be done with artificial intelligence is still being discovered. By working together to improve security and ensure equity, the federal government and healthcare organizations can pave the way for revolutionary new treatments and improved health outcomes.

< + > Seqera Acquires tinybio to Advance Science for Everyone – Now Through GenAI!

We are thrilled to announce that Seqera is joining forces with tinybio, a NYC-based tech-bio start-up known for its AI-integrated scientific tools focused on executing pipelines and analyses via natural language. We are happy to welcome the tinybio team and community into the Seqera family.

Empowering All Scientists with Advanced Data Tools

Scientists spend a significant proportion of their time transforming and structuring data for analysis. In fact, a lessons-learned piece on the COVID-19 pandemic underscored how issues in data analysis and study design can significantly impact scientific breakthroughs. As biological data continues to grow exponentially, there is an urgent need to manage large-scale data more rapidly for accelerated scientific breakthroughs. To achieve this, we are partnering with tinybio to harness the power of GenAI, lowering the barrier for scientists to fully leverage advanced computational tools to achieve their research goals.

tinybio: Specialized ChatGPT for Researchers

Motivated by challenges faced as researchers experimenting with different bioinformatics packages, Sasha and Vishal founded tinybio in 2022, convinced there had to be a better, easier way to get started with bioinformatics. The initial goal of tinybio was to remove the barrier to entry for running bioinformatics packages, a mission that gained significant momentum with the announcement of ChatGPT in November 2022. The tinybio co-founders recognized the potential of leveraging GenAI to empower all scientists to effectively utilize bioinformatics tools, regardless of their experience or research background. Ever since, tinybio has focused on applying GenAI to drive bioinformatics innovation.

“After seeing the amazing traction around our chat-based pipeline execution and analysis tool, Vishal and I knew that we needed to partner with the leader in bioinformatics pipelines to enable our vision for more open science and to onboard millions more to computational biology. We are truly excited to be joining the Seqera team and contributing to advancing science for everyone through their Nextflow, Wave, MultiQC, and Fusion products,” said Sasha Dagayev, Co-Founder at tinybio.

tinybio’s authentic and pragmatic approach to leveraging LLMs for bioinformatics is essential in bridging the gap between scientists and advanced computational capabilities to accelerate scientific discovery. By incorporating this technology, we aim to significantly enhance our existing pipelines, containers, and web resources, making high-quality, reproducible bioinformatics tools more accessible to researchers worldwide. Our goal is to empower the global scientific community with the resources they need to drive innovation and advance our understanding of complex biological systems.

A New Era for AI-Enabled Bioinformatics

The biotech and bioinformatics landscape is rapidly evolving, driven in part by technological advances in AI. The ability to analyze massive datasets, identify patterns, and generate predictive models is revolutionizing scientific research. We also believe that AI is a powerful tool to democratize and amplify access to the most sophisticated bioinformatics tools out there. By leveraging human-centric AI, we can enable the 10x scientist to translate complex biological data into actionable insights, thereby expediting scientific discovery and innovation.

Our partnership with tinybio represents a significant milestone in our journey to advance science for everyone through software. This collaboration will lower the barrier of entry for a broader range of researchers to utilize bioinformatics tools effectively, facilitating groundbreaking innovations, and transforming the future of genomics.

“New interaction models with powerful computational platforms are transforming not just how scientists work but also what they discover. By empowering scientists with modern software engineering practices, we are enabling the next generation of innovations in personalized therapeutics, sustainable materials, better drug delivery methodologies, and green chemical and agricultural production. This acquisition marks a significant step towards accelerating scientific discoveries and enabling researchers with better software,” said Evan Floden, CEO at Seqera.

Enhancing our Open Science Core

Our mission at Seqera is to make science accessible to everyone through software. As research becomes increasingly digitized, there is a critical need to access all available scientific research to make informed R&D decisions and ultimately accelerate the impact on patients. Central to achieving this is Open Science, which ensures reproducibility, validation, and transparency across the scientific community. With AI, we want to further enhance our Open Science core, by lowering the barrier of adoption of bioinformatics tools for millions more researchers worldwide, driving more rapid advancements in science and medicine.

What’s Next for Seqera and tinybio?

Seqera is excited to collaborate closely with tinybio’s founders Sasha Dagayev and Vishal Patel to further its mission of advancing science for everyone through software. Their expertise will be instrumental in driving the development of community-centric tools on Seqera.io, empowering scientists worldwide to leverage modern software capabilities on demand.

We will first focus on leveraging AI to solve the cold start problem for the next generation of scientists and removing barriers to entry to bioinformatics. Existing powerful frameworks and resources, such as Nextflow, nf-core, and Seqera Pipelines and Containers, have been significantly enhancing the research productivity of bioinformaticians, but come with a steep learning curve that prevents newcomers from getting started fast.

We want to free the next generation of scientists from wasting time in the nitty-gritty of setting up various bioinformatics packages and infrastructure. We believe future scientists should be able to focus on understanding the “what” and “why” of their analysis, while the “how” is generated for them in an understandable and verifiable way. Our tools and resources provide already powerful building blocks to enable this, and we cannot wait to bring these new updates to users in the coming months. Stay tuned!

About Seqera

Seqera is the driving force behind Nextflow, MultiQC, and the Seqera Platform – the modern biotech stack. Seqera empowers scientists to solve today’s most complex and essential challenges; from pioneering innovative therapeutics to unveiling the secrets of our universe.

Across personalized immunogenic vaccines and new diagnostics, our customers are performing the most critical work on this planet. We believe in a future in which scientific tools and open datasets combine to deliver incredible outcomes.

About tinybio

tinybio is a New York City-based startup focused on the application of generally available generative AI technologies to help bioinformaticians and researchers. It was started by Sasha Dagayev and Vishal Patel in 2022. To date, the company has helped thousands of researchers to resolve hundreds of thousands of bioinformatics issues.

Originally announced August 6th, 2024

< + > Slow down AI adoption, one tech CEO cautions

Healthcare leaders must demand ethical artificial intelligence and ensure their RFPs list requirements for safeguards, says Sarah M. Worthy of DoorSpace. This will take time, which would mean pulling back from investing in the majority of AI tools.

< + > Charm Health Adding Features for Larger Practices & Encouraging Innovation

At their recent user conference, Charm Health, unveiled plans to add more features to address the needs of larger practices. This reflects a growth and evolution in the company’s existing customers and the desire to pursue new markets. The company also held an innovation challenge at their conference.

The Healthcare IT Today team was invited to attend the Charm Health user conference, cutely named #Charmalot2024, in Washington DC. The conference was well attended by customers from as far away as Chile.

The company made a slew of announcements, including:

• More features for larger practices
• New AI capabilities
• Continued investment in integration with other platforms

Charm Health Integration with Salesforce

Telemynd is a mental health provider that serves patients from coast to coast. They use Charm Health as their EHR and Salesforce for all patient-facing activities. Telemynd has been collaborating closely with Charm Health for the past year to achieve a tighter integration.

“The combination of these two platforms allows us to deliver care at scale and maintain the level of user experience for patients and providers that we want,” said Roger Murray, Vice President of Product & Marketing at Telemynd. “This is really important to us.”

Charamalot 2024 Innovation Challenge

One of the unique aspects of #Charmalot2024 was the inclusion of an Innovation Challenge during the conference. Eighteen startups participated in this year’s challenge. There digital health companies, companies with medical devices, wellness applications, marketplaces, and even a social media platform.

Six finalists were chosen from the group of 18 to present to the attendees at #Charmalot2024. All gave passionate and enlightening presentations. A panel of judges crowded Veera, a company that makes an innovative breast pump (still in stealth mode), the 2024 challenge winner.

Keynote Speakers

The conference featured several interesting keynote speakers including:

• Robert Pearl, MD (Author & Speaker) who spoke about AI and how it will fundamentally change medicine…once we figure out the liability and reliability issues;
• Andrew Lundquist, MD (Clinical Director at Nabla) who spoke about the need for more positive peer examples for new health technologies and more sharing of best practices; and
• Parmila Srinivasan (CEO of Charm Health) who spoke about continuous innovation

Overall Impression of Charmalot 2024

The company’s facial recognition module, which was featured at Charmalot 2024,  was most interesting. When patients register, they include a selfie which becomes part of their record. That selfie is then used to verify the patient’s identity during a telehealth visit – to ensure the person at the visit is the correct patient.

Overall, Charm Health’s user conference was well organized. It had a good mix of general interest sessions and deep dives into product functionality. It was clear from the announcements that the company is evolving its EHR platform in lockstep with their customers who are growing into larger providers having started as single-doc practices.

It will be fun to track the continued evolution of the EHR over the next year.

Learn more about Charm Health at https://www.charmhealth.com/

< + > This Week’s Health IT Jobs – August 28, 2024

It can be very overwhelming scrolling though job board after job board in search of a position that fits your wants and needs. Let us take that stress away by finding a mix of great health IT jobs for you! We hope you enjoy this look at some of the health IT jobs we saw healthcare organizations trying to fill this week.

Here’s a quick look at some of the health IT jobs we found:

• Analytics Data Integration Developer – Senior (Remote) – UPMC
• Health Informatics Coordinator I – Huntington Beach Hospital
• Lead Engineer – Architect Health
• Epic EHR Application Analyst – Anumana
• Senior Product Manager, Data Governance – Verily
• Epic End User Device/TDR Resources – Healthcare IT Leaders
• Patient Access Rep – CommonSpirit Health
• Healthcare Interoperability/Clinical Data Integration Lead – PDS SOFT INC.
• Epic Principal Trainer I – Samaritan Health Services
• Patient Access Representative – Sutter Health
• Medical Insurance Specialist (UICOMP-Medical Billing) – University of Illinois Chicago
• Health Unit Coordinator – MultiCare Health System
• Manager, Data Sharing & Disclosure – Pfizer
• Edison Engineering Development Program – GE HealthCare
• Epic Support Specialist – Hummingbird Healthcare
• Technical Analyst II -Women’s Hosp of TX- Houston – HCA Healthcare
• HealthTech Data Engineer – Carex Consulting Group
• IT Applications FHIR Developer – ZOLL Cardiac Management Solutions
• Lead Pharmacy Application Analyst – Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Manager Healthcare Technology Management – Rutland Regional Medical Center

If none of these jobs fit your needs, be sure to check out our previous health IT job listings.

Do you have an open health IT position that you are looking to fill? Contact us here with a link to the open position and we’ll be happy to feature it in next week’s article at no charge!

*Note: These jobs are listed by Healthcare IT Today as a free service to the community. Healthcare IT Today does not endorse or vouch for the company or the job posting. We encourage anyone applying to these jobs to do their own due diligence.

< + > New cancer patients check EHRs twice as often

Using National Cancer Institute data, researchers at HHS looked at how recently diagnosed individuals and those in survivorship accessed electronic health information and also compared frequency against those never diagnosed with malignancies.

< + > Australian Company Launches retimer 3 – A Smart Sleep Wearable

The following is a guest article by the retimer media desk.

The significance of sleep for physical, mental, and emotional health is well-established. In our daily lives, we often encounter examples of sleep disruptions, with 1 in 3 people globally experiencing issues related to sleep quality or quantity.

Shift work (or working till late at night) is a prime example, with research showing a significantly higher proportion of fatal accidents among those with insufficient sleep due to night shifts.

Jet lag is another common issue, where crossing multiple time zones leads to moderate to severe disruptions in our ability to function optimally. The severity of these disruptions is directly proportional to the number of time zones crossed, as our circadian rhythms and body clocks struggle to adjust.

More and more people are realizing that sleep is just as crucial for good health and longevity as nutrition and exercise. Sleep is increasingly being recognized as a fundamental pillar of overall well-being. Over the past decade, numerous research studies have shown the negative impact that disrupted sleep has on athletic and sports performance.  The International Olympic Committee’s mental health guidelines emphasize the importance of sleep for both mental and physical health, highlighting sufficiency, proper circadian alignment, sleep quality, and the absence of sleep disorders as key factors.

As awareness of the importance of sleep continues to grow, we are seeing a proliferation of wearables like smartwatches, smart rings, and apps designed to monitor and track sleep behavior. While improvements in sensor technology and AI have made these wearables increasingly sophisticated, they primarily serve as monitoring tools. Similar to the smart bracelets of the past that counted our daily steps, these devices only track sleep without providing any solutions.

An Australian company, Re-Time Pty Ltd, borne out of research from Flinders University and Industry collaboration with the Motherson group, has been providing solutions for sleep disruptions since 2012. Using light therapy, they introduced their first product for Seasonal Affective Disorder and Circadian Rhythm Disorders.

Recognizing the growing demand for effective sleep solutions, they are now launching the retimer 3, a smart wearable for millions of people suffering from poor circadian rhythm and the resulting impact on their overall quality of life. The product is the culmination of more than 25 years of research conducted at Flinders University in South Australia under the guidance of Dr. Leon Lack, focusing on the effects of light on the human sleep cycle. The retimer 3 is designed for comfort and style while providing functional excellence.

Whether dealing with onset insomnia, struggling to adjust to new time zones, or facing the challenges of shift work, retimer 3 offers a practical method to regain control over sleep patterns. The retimer 3, comes with its mobile app, which provides consumers with a simple method to create, manage, and monitor the usage schedule to effectively address sleep issues – whether arising from travel, odd-hour work, or misaligned body clock. Based on published research, the blue-green light used in retimer 3 is the safest and most effective in adjusting the circadian rhythm.

Compatible with both Android and iOS devices, the app seamlessly integrates with popular health and fitness platforms like Apple Health and Android Health Connect.

Following its debut at the World Sleep Congress 2023, retimer 3 received positive feedback from attending sleep experts. It was subsequently showcased at prominent events, including Arab Health in Dubai 2024 and the Health Optimization Summit in London 2024.

retimer 3 is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter. Early backers can access a special introductory price of USD 109, which offers savings of up to 45% off the retail price. The first shipments of Kickstarter orders are expected to be dispatched in early October, with the product set to be available for commercial purchase by Christmas this year.

For the latest updates and more information, visit www.re-timer.com

retimer is a proud sponsor of Healthcare Scene

< + > Guidehealth Closes $14 Million Seed Round With Strategic Investment from Memorial Hermann Health System

Southeast Texas Health System’s Support Joins Other Seed Investments from a Venture Fund, Entrepreneurs, and Healthcare Leaders

Guidehealth, a nationally acclaimed, AI-enabled healthcare services provider, today announced it successfully closed $14 million in seed funding. The round included an investment from leading nonprofit health system Memorial Hermann Health System and additional participation from healthcare entrepreneur Sidd Pagadipati and other healthcare investors and industry leaders.

Founded last year, Guidehealth has grown significantly and now works with more than a dozen customers nationwide including top health systems and clinically integrated networks (CINs) that collectively provide care to more than 500,000 lives. Previously acquiring the value-based care managed services division from Arcadia, the company has since doubled its covered lives and revenue.

Guidehealth helps health systems and CINs increase access to care and improve health outcomes under value-based care (VBC) models for all patients, across all lines of business. Its technology platform includes access to many of the leading AI solutions and proprietary AI that builds a unified care plan with predictions on modifiable risk. It also includes clinical support services that integrate directly into provider workflows, empowering them to better coordinate care, reduce administrative burden and close care gaps at lower overall costs.

Guidehealth’s team of Healthguides extend the reach of a practice by working with a health system’s clinical team to better care for all patients and their families, including the uninsured. This approach puts its customers on a glidepath to two-sided risk, without giving up contract control with its partners.

“Memorial Hermann is an internationally acclaimed clinical leader whose brand is synonymous with patient-centered, community-based healthcare excellence. Receiving this financial support is an honor, and the strategic expertise its leaders bring to the table is invaluable,” said Dr. Sanjay Doddamani, Founder and CEO at Guidehealth. “As we transform care delivery for health systems and affiliated physician networks, we will continue to enhance our datasets and clinical services that power our award-winning value-based managed services platform.”

Memorial Hermann Health System is one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in Texas. With a commitment to the highest standards of safe, evidence-based, high-quality care, the system’s 6,600 affiliated physicians and more than 34,000 employees provide personalized, outcome-oriented experiences across more than 250 care delivery sites throughout the Southeast Texas area.

The health system has a long history of investing in innovative digital health platforms and has previously supported multiple leading primary care and specialty care value-based solutions.

“Succeeding in the current era is challenging for today’s providers and requires working with best-in-class partners who can seamlessly integrate within workflows. We invested in Guidehealth because we believe in their vision to improve health outcomes while lowering overall costs and alleviating the administrative burdens that physicians experience when managing their patient panels,” said Feby Abraham, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Memorial Hermann. “At Memorial Hermann, we strive to provide every member of the community with high-quality, convenient, and affordable care. This is what drives us as we redefine health care for the many diverse populations we serve across Greater Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city. We are proud to support like-minded organizations that share our mission and have the potential to positively impact care delivery more broadly across the industry.”

Guidehealth works across commercial and government-funded lines of business, supporting quality-gap closure, complex-care management and delegated payer services. The company was recently recognized as Best in KLAS for the sixth year in a row, achieving the number-one ranking for Value-Based Care Managed Services in 2024.

About Memorial Hermann Health System

Charting a better future. A future that’s built upon the HEALTH of our community. This is the driving force for Memorial Hermann, redefining health care for the individuals and many diverse populations we serve. Our 6,600 affiliated physicians and more than 34,000 employees practice the highest standards of safe, evidence-based, quality care to provide a personalized and outcome-oriented experience across our more than 250 care delivery sites. As one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in Southeast Texas, Memorial Hermann has an award-winning and nationally acclaimed Accountable Care Organization, 17* hospitals and numerous specialty programs and services conveniently located throughout the Greater Houston area. Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center is one of the nation’s busiest Level I trauma centers and serves as the primary teaching hospital for McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. For 117 years, our focus has been the best interest of our community, contributing nearly $500 million annually through school-based health centers and other community benefit programs. Now and for generations to come, the health of our community will be at the center of what we do – charting a better future for all.

*Memorial Hermann Health System owns and operates 14 hospitals and has joint ventures with three other hospital facilities, including Memorial Hermann Surgical Hospital First Colony, Memorial Hermann Surgical Hospital Kingwood, and Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital-Katy.

About Guidehealth

Guidehealth is an advanced technology-driven health services platform that partners with health systems and clinical networks to bring scale and predictable performance to value-based care across all lines of business. The physician-led company augments existing primary care capacity using innovative AI-based protocols, remotely embedded Healthguides, and a meticulously designed framework to predict those patients most in need of support in and beyond the exam room. For more information, please visit guidehealth.com.

Originally announced August 6th, 2024

< + > Roundup: New private cloud and AI tools for data-driven healthcare

A new private WMware cloud aims to address healthcare's data proliferation while Sanford Health taps Infor for modernization and Qventus launches perioperative artificial intelligence to enhance OR efficiencies.

< + > Nebraska pilots EMS telemedicine in ambulances, and solo EMTs are happy

With a shortage of emergency medical service workers in the state, one telehealth service brings a virtual EMT into the ambulance to help the technician who is alone. That offers a wealth of medical expertise from physicians while en route to the hospital.

< + > CIO Podcast – Episode 78: The Current State of Nursing in Healthcare with Yolanda VanRiel

For the 78th episode of the CIO podcast hosted by Healthcare IT Today, we are joined by Yolanda VanRiel, PhD, RN, MEDSURG-BC, OCN, CNE, ANEF, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Nursing at North Carolina Central University (Also available at NCCU Online) to talk about the state of nursing in healthcare today! We kick this episode off by discussing the major challenges nursing faces today. Then we take a look at the number of nurses striking and talk about what is causing this and what leaders can be doing to avoid this. Next, we examine the current state of the nurse staffing ratio and discuss what can go wrong with the incorrect ratios. We then move our discussion to the topic of virtual nursing. We debate how we see virtual nursing impacting some of the issues we’ve discussed and we question why it hasn’t been more broadly embraced in healthcare. Then, we share the ways that we are seeing technology impact nurses, for better and for worse. Lastly, we end this episode with VanRiel giving advice to all of the nurses in the industry today.

Here’s a look at the questions and topics we discuss in this episode:

• What are some of the major challenges that face nursing today?
• Why are we seeing a number of nurses striking and what can be done by leaders to avoid this?
• What’s the state of nurse staffing ratios today, what can be done about it, and what are some of the impacts of the wrong ratios?
• How do you see virtual nursing impacting some of these issues? Why hasn’t this been embraced more broadly in healthcare?
• In what ways are you seeing nurses being impacted, for good and bad, by technology?
• What advice would you give a nurse in the industry today?

Now, without further ado, we’re excited to share with you the next episode of the CIO Podcast by Healthcare IT Today.

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Listen to the Latest Episodes

< + > From Complexity to Clarity: The Future of AI in Laboratory Payment Accuracy

The following is a guest article by Bernard Steinbacher, CPC, MS, MD, and Senior Medical Director at Lyric

The landscape of laboratory payments in healthcare is complex and evolving, presenting both significant challenges and opportunities for improvement. With approximately 26,519 diagnostic and medical laboratory companies operating in the United States as of 2024, the industry is diverse and expansive, encompassing independent labs, hospital-based facilities, and mammoth national chains like LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics.

The top 30 companies represent only about 25% of the overall market share​. This distribution highlights the competitive nature of the field, with many players contributing to the diagnostic testing landscape. For health plans, the potential for overpayment is considerable. 

Reviews of payer data reveal large gaps in payment accuracy. The sources of confusion and inefficiency are many. For example, there are around 800 CPT codes to represent genetic tests alone, which are used in nearly 2.2 million unique code combinations for billing. In fact, studies show one-third of genetic tests are ordered in error, which can impact treatment and outcome.  Health plans may be paying for services that they should not –– particularly in the areas of genetic and diagnostic laboratory testing. 

Despite comprising less than 1% of healthcare claims, genetic tests often account for 15-20% of medical services reviewed by health plans –– reflecting their high cost and inordinate impact on utilization. And until recently, there was no ID system to differentiate the more than 175k genetic tests currently available.

Today, there is a growing opportunity to address the complexity and associated challenges of laboratory payment integrity with emerging technologies related to and including artificial intelligence. 

Current State and Challenges

The current state of laboratory payment accuracy is difficult to assess comprehensively due to a lack of transparency in the industry. There are significant gaps in payment accuracy, particularly in the areas of genetic and diagnostic laboratory services, and the total annual spending on clinical laboratory services in the U.S. is estimated to be over $102 billion. This includes all settings such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, and independent laboratories –– with outpatient testing accounting for 30% of this expenditure.

Considering the scope and complexity of the market, it’s no wonder health plans face multiple challenges in managing laboratory payments. The industry’s fragmented nature, with thousands of labs offering various tests, makes it difficult to establish standardized pricing, leading to significant variations in costs for similar services. Today, managing contracts with participating providers and being educated on pricing for non-participating providers remains the biggest challenge for payers. This lack of transparency complicates efforts to assess payment accuracy comprehensively. 

The increasing complexity of tests, especially in genetics and molecular diagnostics, complicates accurate billing and payment, as coding systems struggle to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology. As these tests become more sophisticated (and common), ensuring correct coding and reimbursement becomes even more challenging.

High-profile cases have highlighted the vulnerability of the system to fraudulent practices, such as unnecessary testing and kickback schemes, which can result in high dollar losses for health plans and taxpayers. Additionally, it is important to consider incorrect coding or bundling of tests that can lead to overpayments and inefficiencies, causing financial strain on health plans and potentially increasing costs for patients.

These payment discrepancies can also strain relationships between health plans, providers, and patients –– potentially affecting the quality of care and patient/member satisfaction.

The Importance of Payment Accuracy

Ensuring payment accuracy in laboratory testing is crucial for several reasons. Overpayments due to errors or fraud can significantly impact health plan finances, potentially leading to increased premiums for members.

Inaccurate payments lead to increased administrative burdens, including clinical reviews and prior authorizations, which can slow down the healthcare delivery process.

Payment issues can potentially delay care and lead to unexpected costs for patients, causing financial stress and potentially deterring individuals from seeking necessary medical attention.

Accurate payments are essential for compliance with healthcare regulations, helping providers and payers avoid legal issues and maintain trust in the healthcare system.

Technological Solutions and Opportunities

Advancements in technology, particularly solutions rooted in and related to artificial intelligence (AI) offer promising opportunities to address these challenges. AI is proving to be an essential technology in this space because it has multiple modalities and capabilities to identify fraud, waste, and abuse schemes in a very quick and efficient manner. Such technologies include:

• Machine Learning (ML) algorithms that analyze historical billing data to detect anomalies and predict potentially fraudulent activities, allowing for proactive prevention of improper payments
• Natural Language Processing (NLP) processes unstructured data in medical records and billing documentation to verify the accuracy and necessity of laboratory tests, ensuring that only appropriate tests are billed and paid for
• Robotic Process Automation (RPA) automates the review of large volumes of claims, checking for compliance with billing rules and flagging suspicious claims –– significantly reducing the time and resources needed for manual review
• Advanced Neural Networks analyze complex data patterns to identify subtle fraudulent behaviors and build more accurate predictive models, catching sophisticated schemes that might escape traditional detection methods
• Data Mining techniques provide valuable insights for improving payment accuracy and detecting anomalies; for example, uncovering hidden patterns in billing data that may indicate potential fraud or unusual ordering patterns, helping to identify systemic issues or emerging trends in laboratory billing

The emergence of integrated solutions combines these AI technologies with proprietary market data and clinical expertise. These solutions can help in recognizing incorrect coding or services that don’t match billed procedures; support diagnostic test ordering, coding, coverage, claim editing, and payment integrity; and provide a seamless and transparent claims processing experience.

For example, these solutions can identify when individual codes are billed instead of a single panel code for multiple tests, preventing unnecessary costs to both insurers and patients.

The Future of Laboratory Payment Accuracy

Looking ahead, the field of laboratory payment accuracy is likely to see continued innovation:

• Enhanced AI Capabilities: As AI technologies advance, their ability to detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse will improve; continued innovation in AI will lead to more sophisticated and effective solutions for laboratory payment accuracy
• Increased Automation: More aspects of the claims review and payment process will likely become automated, reducing human error and increasing efficiency; automation will streamline operations and enhance the overall payment system
• Greater Transparency: There may be industry-wide efforts to create more standardized pricing and identification systems for laboratory tests; increased transparency will facilitate better payment accuracy and fairness in the industry
• Focus on Genetic Testing: With the rapid growth in genetic and molecular testing, solutions specifically tailored to these complex tests will likely emerge; specialized technologies and approaches will address the unique challenges of genetic testing payments
• Integration with Electronic Health Records (EHRs): Closer integration between payment systems and EHRs could further improve accuracy and efficiency; seamless data exchange between these systems will enhance the overall payment process and patient care

While these technological solutions offer significant promise, it’s important to note that they are tools to bolster human decision-making –– not to replace it entirely. The complexity of healthcare and the potential impact on patient care necessitates careful oversight and continuous refinement of these systems.

The current state of laboratory payment accuracy remains complex and fraught with challenges. Emerging technologies offer powerful tools to help improve cost, administrative efficiency, and accuracy in this fundamental and rapidly growing corner of healthcare finance. As these solutions evolve, they can significantly reduce overpayments, improve patient care, reduce fraud, waste, and abuse, and create a more transparent and efficient laboratory payment ecosystem.

About Bernard Steinbacher

Bernard Steinbacher, CPC, M.S., M.D., Senior Medical Director at Lyric, expertly navigates the complex intersection of healthcare, IT, and health insurance. With a solid foundation in claims, claims adjudication, and medical policy edits, Dr. Steinbacher collaborates to create appropriate prepay edits and medical policies, enhancing payment accuracy using content from the AMA, CMS, and other industry sources. His dual role as a practicing physician enriches his understanding and management of medical policies, ensuring they are both technically sound and practically applicable.

< + > HPS/PayMedix Acquires TempoPay to Further Expand and Simplify Healthcare Payments for All

The Addition of TempoPay to the HPS/PayMedix Portfolio Creates a Comprehensive End-to-End Payments Solution for Employees

HPS/PayMedix today announced the acquisition of TempoPay, an innovative payments solution created at Redesign Health that helps employees access medical, dental, pharmacy, and other expenses not paid by their insurance. Together, HPS/PayMedix and TempoPay now offer a comprehensive healthcare financing and payments solution, addressing the issues of health equity, affordability, and the need to simplify the healthcare payment experience.

According to the PayMedix Healthcare Payments and Financial Disparities Study, one-third of Americans say out-of-pocket costs (33%) and deductibles (31%) are unaffordable. This figure increases to four in ten for those with a credit score of 669 or less. Further, more than half (52%) of insured Americans said that paying for medical bills has been stressful, with nearly all of them (92%) claiming the stress has affected their physical and mental health.

“Healthcare costs are increasingly becoming a disproportionate share of the American household wallet, and we need better solutions to manage the stress this puts on family budgets,” said Tom Policelli, CEO at HPS/PayMedix. “The acquisition of TempoPay underscores our mission to simplify healthcare and create greater health equity by removing the financial barriers that stand in the way of employees getting access to the care they need when they need it; not just when they feel that they can afford it.”

TempoPay offers all an employer’s employees’ interest-free financing for health and wellbeing care that overlays their current plans. Once activated by the employee, TempoPay VISA cards can be used to pay for everything from medical care and prescriptions to vision and dental bills; even vet bills for their pet and other approved health and wellness-related costs not covered by their plans. The employer sets the dollar amount and charge types that will be processed, and employees can repay their bills over time interest-free via payroll or bank account.

“TempoPay is the lifeline employees need today so they can access care and maintain their health without fearing high-interest bills or avoiding needed care,” Erika Davison-Aviles, Co-Founder and CEO at TempoPay said. “We are excited to become a part of HPS/PayMedix’s innovative healthcare payment solution and further our mission to alleviate consumers’ financial pressure. For employers, we help maximize the value of their benefits plans, pre-tax accounts, and other well-being programs.”

With TempoPay and PayMedix combined, all employees can access interest-free financing for all their healthcare needs. While TempoPay offers immediate financing of everyday healthcare expenses, PayMedix provides complete, uncapped financing for all in-network allowed charges that any employee may owe to providers. All employees are automatically enrolled and PayMedix then pays all participating providers in full. The employees each get a simplified consolidated statement (a SuperEOB) each month and can arrange to pay it on terms that fit their budgets. Participating providers, in turn, are simply paid the full employee balance due automatically and therefore have no bill to collect.

Because PayMedix and TempoPay are ‘credit-blind’, all employees, regardless of their credit histories, can make their healthcare expenses more manageable. “It’s a fact that 1 in 4 PayMedix members would be unable to get financing for their healthcare based on their credit scores. With TempoPay, we can reach even more members to help them get and stay healthy,” said Brian Marsella, President at HPS/PayMedix. “The powerful combination of PayMedix and TempoPay provides employers with a valuable solution to support their workforce. We have proven that improving access to care drives better outcomes – particularly for lower-income employees. This in turn saves employers money.”

About PayMedix

PayMedix, which began as the financing arm of Wisconsin-based HPS over a decade ago, is the only company solving the problem of high out-of-pocket costs for everyone — providers, patients, employers, and TPAs. PayMedix is changing how people access, use, and pay for healthcare by guaranteeing payments to providers and financing for all patients. PayMedix has processed more than $5 billion in medical payments for hospital systems and physician practices and can be implemented in conjunction with any PPO or HMO network.

About TempoPay

TempoPay partners with employers to help their employees manage their medical costs with interest-free financing and flexible repayment options. With the TempoPay Visa card employees can take control of how they pay for healthcare without added stress, providing simple access to the financial security needed for happier, healthier lives.

About HPS

Health Payment Systems (HPS) is a privately held healthcare technology and services organization with solutions that reduce the cost and complexity of the healthcare payments process to benefit providers, employers, patients, and TPAs. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, HPS has an independent network of 100+ hospital facilities and 29,200+ individual providers.

Originally announced August 6th, 2024

< + > Bonus Features – August 25, 2024 – A Larger Percentage of Payors Accept Fax Submissions for Prior Authorization and Use Faxes to Return Prior Authorization Determinations in 2024 Than Did in 2023

Welcome to the weekly edition of Healthcare IT Today Bonus Features. This article will be a weekly roundup of interesting stories, product announcements, new hires, partnerships, research studies, awards, sales, and more. Because there’s so much happening out there in healthcare IT we aren’t able to cover in our full articles, we still want to make sure you’re informed of all the latest news, announcements, and stories happening to help you better do your job.

Studies

•  Last November, Xtract One partnered with Community Health Network in collaboration with CK2 Technologies to upgrade security across key hospital locations. The case study from this partnership found there was a need to address the concern of 70% of Americans not feeling safe while at work and the rising issue of weapons (their system identified 281 guns, 2393 knives, and other prohibited items over six and a half months and thousands of people walking through nine points) and workplace violence in healthcare settings.
• Redgate Software released a study examining the current state of the database landscape where they found 46% of the healthcare sector now host their databases all or mostly in the cloud, compared with 36% across other sectors.
• LeanTaaS, Inc. conducted a study on inpatient capacity optimization, where 90% cited staffing as a severe or moderate pain point and nearly 84% stated the discharge process as one of the biggest bottlenecks impacting patient throughput.
• The 2025 Top of Mind Report by the Center for Connected Medicine, in partnership with KLAS Research, surveyed leaders who said they are excited about AI and hoping to expand AI use cases over the next year and identified patient care as the challenge in health care that can best be addressed with technology.
• Infinitus Systems released a report studying trends in prior authorization, finding a larger percentage of payors accepted fax submissions in 2024 than did in 2023 and 15% more payors returned prior auth determinations via fax in 2024 than did in 2023.
• Sheba Medical Center published a study that found hospital-at-home (HAH) care delivered through telehealth led to better outcomes than a hospital stay for acutely ill patients.

Partnerships

• CodaMetrix’s AI platform is now included in Epic Toolbox for the fully autonomous coding category.
• Looking to enhance health outcomes through advanced digital care, OneStep has integrated with Epic’s EHR system.
• Talkdesk’s AI-powered assistant, Copilot, is now embedded in Epic Cheers Customer Relationship Management Suite providing more personalized support to patients and caregivers.
• Solventum’s autonomous coding solution is now available in the Fully Autonomous Coding Category of Epic’s Toolbox.
• Microsoft selected Amenities Health to be a part of their Startups Pegasus Program.
• Corti, an EU-based AI company, announced three new partnerships with Northland & Companies, Voice Products Inc., and RelyMD, furthering their expansion into the US.
• RevSpring and Oracle partnered together to make RevSpring’s Arrived solution and PersonaPay solution available on Oracle Healthcare Marketplace.

Products

• Qualtrics, through its ongoing collaboration with Epic, has announced new patient and provider care solutions that allow healthcare providers to capture nuanced and specific feedback about patients’ experiences.
• Bluesight simplifies their operations and reaches new levels of efficiency with a major upgrade to their B2B integration strategy and consolidation of their previously fragmented systems with the Cleo Integration Cloud platform.
• TeleVox expands the functionality of their service, Agent Chat, to increase staff efficiency and reduce inbound call volumes.
• CitiusTech launched a GenAI version of their Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) solution.
• Thrive, a data-powered customizable disease prevention platform, was launched by Ciba Health to help people with their chronic conditions.
• Wolters Kluwer introduced Lippincott Client Cases for Clinical Judgment, a tool to enhance nursing education through realistic, brief, and complex patient scenarios.
• Dash Self, a self-scheduling tool, has been enhanced by Relatient to redefine the patient experience and offer advanced configuration options for provider organizations.
• Mammolink expands their work in making women’s health more accessible and convenient with the launch of their 5th mobile mammography bus, powered by RamSoft.
• Lindus Health completed two clinical trials with Woebot Health to analyze Woebot’s digital mental health support tools designed for patients with depression and anxiety symptoms.
• Qure.ai received their 5th FDA clearance at AABIP 2024, this time for qCT-LN Quant, an AI-powered chest CT solution.

Sales

• Pediatric Associates has upgraded their practice from using Greenway Health’s Greenway Revenue Services’ a la carte Selection Solution to the Comprehensive Solution Suite.
• West Tennessee Healthcare has expanded their use of Xsolis’ AI platform with the adoption of Xsolis’ Dragonfly Navigate.
• Shriners Children’s Healthcare System brings together 6 of their locations by adding pediatric orthopedic surgery services to Tendo’s MDsave marketplace.
• Atlantic Health System builds on their use of WellSky’s CarePort Insight by now also implementing CarePort Connect in their organization.

Awards

• Premier awards Delphinus Medical Technologies with a Technology Breakthrough designation and a national group purchasing agreement for their SoftVue Breast Ultrasound Tomography.

People

• Marin Hoffman has been appointed as the new Chief Experience and Engagement Officer at Wondr Health.
• EZDERM hires new Chief Technology Officer, Vijay Malik.
• OM1 appoints Catherine Richards as their first President.

If you have news that you’d like us to consider for a future edition of Healthcare IT Today Bonus Features, please submit them on this page. Please include any relevant links and let us know if news is under embargo. Note that submissions received after the close of business on Thursday may not be included in Bonus Features until the following week.

< + > Weekly Roundup – August 24, 2024

Welcome to our Healthcare IT Today Weekly Roundup. Each week, we’ll be providing a look back at the articles we posted and why they’re important to the healthcare IT community. We hope this gives you a chance to catch up on anything you may have missed during the week.

A Plethora of Announcements at Epic UGM 2024…and a Few Weren’t Even AI: A lot of exciting announcements were made at Epic UGM 2024, so many, in fact, that we can’t write about all of them! Instead, John Lynn composites a list of some of the many announcements he found worth noting. Read more…

RingConn 2 Review: Earlier this year, John Lynn did a full review of the RingConn Smart Ring. With a Kickstarter going for the RingConn 2, they reached out to John so he and his wife could try out and review the 2nd edition. Read more…

What Healthcare Can Learn from Financial Services about Digital Experiences: Online resources published by health systems and payers are often out of date, leaving only 32% of respondents satisfied with their experience. On the flip side, 58% of respondents are satisfied with the digital experience of banks and insurers. What can healthcare learn from financial services to better the patient’s digital experience? Read more…

The Sensible, Business-Driven Approach to Cloud and Multicloud Deployments: Jason Jones, Executive in residence at Rackspace Technology, and Michael Fredericks, Global APEX and Multicloud Healthcare Lead at Dell Technologies, believe adopting multiple cloud, on premise, and hybrid cloud requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. Read more…

Advancing Healthcare Language Services and Leveraging Responsible AI: You can’t replace all clinical interactions with AI, nor can you ignore AI and only rely on clinical interactions. Adam Rademacher, Director of Operations at AMN Healthcare Language Services, says “The integration of AI presents a delicate balance between the use of human oversight and the integration of AI technology.” Read more…

PatientIQ Automates and Improves the Collection of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures: Patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) are a very important tool in expanding our patient-centered care models. PatientIQ is at the forefront of automating and improving the data collection and analysis of these standardized and industry-validated surveys. Read more…

Healthcare IT Today Podcast: Ripped from the Headlines: CrowdStrike, ONC, Biden/Trump, and the Olympics: Taking inspiration from recent headlines, John Lynn and Colin Hung discuss big headline items like the CrowdStrike outage, ONC, and more! Read more…

Carle Health Chooses Nabla for Its Workflow Focus: Carle Health chose Nabla for their Ambient AI Assistant solutions, after testing many different ambient voice products. John Lynn sat down with Dr. Ed Lee, Chief Medical Officer at Nabla, and Dr. David Lovinger, MD, FHM, FACP, Associate Chief Medical Officer, and Chief Informatics Officer at Carle Health, to learn more about this decision. Read more…

How Healthcare Organizations Can Deploy Data Security More Holistically to Prevent Third-Party Breaches: As we continue to adopt more technological solutions from third-parties, keeping track of where sensitive data lies and who can access it becomes increasingly complicated – even more so in our recent push to share data. Asaf Kochan, Co-Founder and President at Sentra describes how to deploy data security in all areas of our organizations to prevent third-party breaches. Read more…

Beat Ransomware: Privacy Protection as Corporate Strategy: As cyberattacks are on the rise, so does the need for cybersecurity. Ron Zayas, Founder and CEO at Ironwall360, an Incogni company, details how to work together as a company to ensure that all areas of your organization are protected from all different forms of security breaches. Read more…

This Week’s Health IT Jobs for August 21, 2024: Multiple roles revolving around data as well as informatics and analysis. Read more…

Bonus Features for August 18, 2024: 19% of physicians say generative AI undermines the patient-clinician relationship, Press Ganey surveys now integrated with MyChart, plus 23 more stories. Read more…

Funding and M&A Activity:

• Leading curator of regulatory-grade real-world data, OneMedNet Corporation, announces a $4.6 million private placement.
• Flo Health secures more than $200 million in investment from General Atlantic and becomes the first purely digital consumer women’s health app to reach unicorn status.
• AvaSure has acquired Ouva’s smart room solutions to accelerate their innovation with AI-powered virtual care solutions for hospitals.
• Led by Integrity Growth Partners (IGP), CoachCare announces a $48 million investment.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out our latest Healthcare IT Today Weekly Roundups.