< + > AI-powered surgery technology at UW Harborview shows big returns

"This is truly a revolutionary system, allowing us to take operative navigation to a new level, tracking implants and change in alignment in real time with no radiation with a relatively straightforward camera," says a top spine surgeon.

< + > Big Deal, Little Deal, No Deal – Healthcare IT Today Podcast Episode 150

For the 150th episode of the Healthcare IT Today Podcast we are deciding if different topics in healthcare are a big deal, a little deal, or no deal at all! First up, we are making that decision on Epic having 190 million patients use MyChart with 5 billion logins each year. Next, we take a look at how 46% of healthcare organizations are now hosting their databases all or mostly in the cloud compared to 36% of other sectors doing the same to decide if that’s a big deal, little deal, or no deal. Then we talk about whether or not it is a big deal that a larger percentage of payors accepted fax submissions in 2024 than in 2023 and 15% more payors returned prior auth determinations via fax in 2024 than in 2023. Our last topic of discussion for big deal, little deal, or no deal is this podcast reaching 150 episodes.

Here’s a preview of the topics and questions we discuss in this episode:

• Big Deal, Little Deal, No Deal that Epic had 190 Million patients use MyChart with 5 Billion logins each year?
• Big Deal, Little Deal, No Deal that 46% of healthcare organizations now host their databases all or mostly in the cloud vs 36% for other sectors according to a study by Redgate?
• Big Deal, Little Deal, No Deal that 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 according to an Infinitus Systems report studying trends in prior authorization?
• Big Deal, Little Deal, No Deal that we are on our 150th episode?

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

We publish a new Healthcare IT Today podcast every ~2 weeks. Thanks to our friends at Healthcare Now Radio, you’ll be able to listen to the latest episodes of Healthcare IT Today on their radio station for the first two weeks. Then, we’ll be publishing each episode as a podcast and YouTube video here after it finishes on the radio.

You can also subscribe to the Healthcare IT Today podcast on any of the following platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Stitcher Podcast Radio
• TuneIn
• Spotify
• iHeartRadio
• Pandora

Thanks for listening to Healthcare IT Today and if you enjoy the content we’re sharing, please rate the podcast on your favorite podcasting platform.

Along with the popular podcasting platforms above, you can Subscribe to Healthcare IT Today on YouTube.  Plus, all of the audio and video versions will be made available to stream on HealthcareITToday.com.

If you work in Healthcare IT, we’d love to hear where you agree and/or disagree with the perspectives we shared. Feel free to share your thoughts and perspectives in the comments of this post, in the YouTube comments, with @Colin_Hung or @techguy on Twitter, or privately on our Contact Us page. Let us know what you think of the podcast and if you have any ideas for future episodes.

Thanks so much for listening!

Listen to Our Latest Episodes:

< + > The Importance of Vulnerability Assessment to Healthcare Cloud Security

The following is a guest article by Boris Dzhingarov.

As an increasing number of healthcare institutions undergo digital transformation, they have to deal with the accompanying security risks. These risks vary from business to business because healthcare institutions set up their IT infrastructure differently. A major part of digital transformation is the adoption of cloud computing, which helps companies increase productivity, communicate better,  and run more efficiently.

Cloud computing platforms are complex and can have several attack vectors that cybercriminals can exploit to gain unauthorized access to them. If these malicious actors successfully gain access to the system, they will launch different types of cyber attacks like data breaches, malware injections, and DDoS attacks. To prevent these security incidents, cloud security professionals should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and patch the loopholes that can be exploited.

What is Vulnerability Assessment?

This is the process through which cybersecurity professionals scan the components of a healthcare organization’s IT systems to find and classify the vulnerabilities that exist in the system. The vulnerabilities are then prioritized in order of severity and the level of damage they can cause to the organization if exploited. This vulnerability prioritization helps healthcare companies wisely allocate resources to address the detected vulnerabilities.

Everything found during the vulnerability assessment process will be compiled into a report and presented to the healthcare company’s management so they can make informed decisions on how to best protect themselves. It is essential that this process is repeated often so any vulnerability undetected in one assessment can be found in another.

Types of Vulnerability Assessment

There are five types of vulnerability assessment scans, and each is targeted at a different part of the IT infrastructure. They are as listed below:

Network-based scan

This scan is done to find the vulnerabilities that exist on the wired and wireless networks in an organization and prevent network security attacks.

Wireless network scan

Wireless network scans are focused on the components of an IT infrastructure that provides wireless internet access. Cybersecurity professionals perform this scan to find rogue access points and ensure that the network has a secure configuration.

Application scan

This scan is done to find vulnerabilities in the software healthcare companies use for their operations. These can be vulnerabilities in the code and unsecure configurations.

Host-based scan

This type of scan is used to identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in network hosts, like servers and workstations.

Database scan

Cybersecurity professionals use this type of scan to find the weak points in a database so they can prevent SQL injections and other attacks.

Benefits of Vulnerability Assessments

Vulnerability assessments allow cybersecurity professionals to proactively find the security gaps in a healthcare organization’s IT infrastructure, preventing the damage cyber attacks can cause. It also helps companies smartly allocate resources and make informed decisions that will effectively protect them from cyber threats.

Endnote

For a vulnerability assessment process to be effective and successful, cybersecurity professionals should carefully follow all the necessary steps. They should also carefully prioritize all the vulnerabilities they detect and adequately allocate resources so they can be patched quickly. This is essential because it is almost impossible to fix all the vulnerabilities at the same time.

About Boris Dzhingarov

Boris Dzhingarov is a marketer and a journalist. He graduated from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in Sofia with a major in marketing. He contributes to multiple websites and portals.

Dzhingarov is a proud sponsor of Healthcare Scene.

< + > Revelstoke Capital Partners Announces Significant Growth Investment in MediQuant

Revelstoke Capital Partners, a healthcare-focused private equity firm, today announced a significant growth investment in MediQuant, LLC, a leader in cloud-based data archiving and interoperability solutions for hospitals and health systems. MediQuant is the seventh investment from Revelstoke Capital Partners Fund III. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

MediQuant’s flagship product, DataArk, allows health systems to maintain access to relevant clinical, financial, and administrative data, ensuring that valuable data required for patient care and compliance is secure and within reach. MediQuant’s platform applications are secure, intuitive, and scalable, providing an active view of patient records from within existing systems. This allows customers to reduce security risks and costs by eliminating redundant software applications. MediQuant has successfully rationalized more than 3,300 clinical, financial, and administrative applications since inception.

“MediQuant was founded by pioneers in the data management industry 25 years ago, and the work we do to preserve critical healthcare data has never been more important. As a result, demand for our solutions has grown significantly, and our enterprise-grade, HITRUST r2-certified offering continues to resonate with health system customers,” said Jim Jacobs, CEO at MediQuant. “We are thrilled to partner with Revelstoke to accelerate MediQuant’s growth.”

“Provider data management has been an active investment theme for Revelstoke. MediQuant has built a differentiated platform that helps healthcare providers better manage data while achieving a tangible return on investment through reducing application spend, maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements, and increasing physician satisfaction,” said Andrew Welch, Partner at Revelstoke.

“We are excited to build on MediQuant’s leading platform and expand its scope of customers and capabilities,” added Michael Temple, Vice President at Revelstoke.

MediQuant was advised by Harris Williams and Ropes & Gray LLP. Revelstoke was advised by OM Partners, LLC and McGuireWoods LLP.

About MediQuant

Founded in 1999, MediQuant is a leader in enterprise active archiving and interoperability solutions for hospitals and health systems. The Company’s flagship product, DataArk, allows health systems to maintain access to relevant clinical, financial, and administrative data, ensuring that valuable data required for patient care and compliance is within reach. With decades of experience successfully executing data conversions and archives across virtually all major EMR, EHR, ERP, and Patient Accounting software vendors, MediQuant serves 250+ individual health systems, which represent more than 1,100 hospital and physician practice customers. For more information, visit mediquant.com.

About Revelstoke Capital Partners

Revelstoke is a private equity firm formed by experienced investors who focus on building industry-leading companies in the healthcare services, healthcare technology, and health and wellness sectors. Revelstoke partners with entrepreneurs and management teams to execute a disciplined organic and acquisition growth strategy as it strives to build exceptional companies. Revelstoke is based in Denver, Colorado and has approximately $5.1 billion of assets under management. Since the firm’s inception in 2013, Revelstoke has completed 191 acquisitions, which include 28 platform companies and 163 add-on acquisitions.

Originally announced September 4th, 2024

< + > India-specific big cancer database goes live

Cancer treatment research can now rely less on Western datasets.

< + > Bonus Features – September 29, 2024 – 50% of health systems say data quality hinders care quality improvement efforts, 60% of patients would be comfortable with AI supporting their doctor in a cancer diagnosis, plus 22 other stories

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.

News

Particle Health filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against Epic (summarized in this statement), and Epic responded a few days later with a short statement of its own. Not surprisingly, this story has gotten a lot of coverage; both Fierce Healthcare and MedCity News did a good job summarizing the months-long dispute between the two companies, while Becker’s Health IT offered a deep dive into the lawsuit.

Studies

• Only 25% of patients prefer in-person care for minor but urgent issues, according to a KeyCare survey, with 75% saying they prefer telehealth or whatever option is first available.
• Sixty percent of patients would be comfortable with AI supporting their doctor in making a cancer diagnosis, according to a survey from Ibex Medical Analytics.
• Two-thirds of health systems were hit with a ransomware attack in 2023, according to a Sophos report.
• Research from chronic condition medical supply vendor CCS found patients diabetes have better outcomes and 35% lower care costs when CGMs are provided as a medical benefit instead of a pharmacy benefit.
• A survey from Talkdesk found 91% of individuals consider customer service when choosing a health plan. In addition, the company announced the release of Talkdesk Healthcare Experience Cloud for Payers, its latest contact center offering.
• While 75% of organizations rely on registry data for quality and process improvement, 50% say registry data inaccuracies hinder care quality improvement, according to the latest report from Carta Healthcare.
• Roughly 75% of providers said claims denials are increasing, according to an Experian survey, with missing or inaccurate data the most common cause of a denial.

Partnerships

• Surescripts is adopting CLEAR identity proofing technology for the Surescripts Network Alliance.
• Komodo Health is integrating Cornerstone AI into its MapEnhance lab insights tool.
• Wolters Kluwer is integrating UpToDate with Wellsheet, a predictive clinical workflow platform.
• Patient portal vendor InteliChart expanded its partnership with Office Practicum, a pediatric EHR vendor, to now cover support and training.
• Edifecs is integrating its EDI Gateway offerings with HealthEdge’s HealthRules Payer claims adjudication system.
• Clinical workflow vendor Shearwater Health is partnering with Laguna Health, which builds conversational AI tools for care management.
• Microsoft, CHIME, and the consultancy Nordic are launching a national Rural Health IT Community at next month’s CHIME Fall Forum.

Products

• Data network Atropos Health announced the availability of Data Quality ScoreCards to help members benchmark their data quality.
• Unlock Health launched 19 Health Risk Assessments to help healthcare marketers create customized marketing campaigns.

Sales

• Five health systems implemented Oracle Health CommunityWorks.
• Mount Sinai Health System chose Noom for its on-demand digital health and wellness platform.
• WellSpan Health chose Hippocratic AI as the technology behind its generative AI healthcare agent.
• Novant Health chose CitiusTech for decision support.
• Care management service provider Adobe Population Health found SDoH interventions reduced the annual cost of care by $4,000 among a set group of Medicare beneficiaries.

People

• Clinical workforce intelligence vendor Axuall appointed Mark Dorman as Chief Financial Officer.
• Symptom analysis and patient triage vendor Infermedica named Dr. Saurabh Johri as Chief AI Advisor.

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 – September 28, 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.

Revolutionizing Healthcare With RTLS. Dr. Mohammed Smadi at Penguin Location Services updated John on how standardization is streamlining real-time location services and pushing it beyond asset tracking into broader IoT strategy. Read more…

Patients, Regulations, and Cybersecurity at the DirectTrust Conference. John made the trek to St. Louis and covered DirectTrust’s work with the Digital Therapeutics Alliance as well as why organizations need to build resiliency in a challenging cybersecurity environment. Read more…

Epic EHR Hosting and Resiliency in the Cloud With Rackspace. Rackspace is the largest third-party hosting provider of Epic. The company’s Jason Jones and Jack Crowley sat down with John to discuss what it takes to host Epic properly and how organizations can operate with a more resilient mindset. Read more…

CIO Podcast: Security and Awareness Culture. Brian Shea at MedOne Healthcare Partners joined John to discuss what organizations may be missing if they chase too many shiny objects. Brian also described what transitioning to the cloud has meant for security. Read more…

Data’s Role in Shaping the Future of Member Engagement and Health Equity. The combination of data analysis and digital engagement is critical to helping health plans build trust with members, said Jordan Armstrong at ResultsCX. Read more…

Better Vendor Management and Data Security Can Strengthen Your Weakest Link. Third parties account for the biggest data breaches in healthcare. Matt Murren at True North noted the importance of negotiating liability as contracts are being written – and continuously reviewing contracts. Read more…

Homecare Is Built on the Compassion and Dedication of Caregivers. Stephen Vaccaro at HHAeXchange highlighted the company’s recent survey, which found making a difference motivates caregivers to do their job. That’s something that can’t be taught. Read more…

Why Traditional Healthcare Institutions Should Act More Like Startups. Noah Waxman at Cactus outlined why embracing consumer-centric design and prioritizing providers’ needs can help health systems make the most of their innovation efforts. Read more…

How Community Hospitals Benefit From Payment Innovation. Patient collection rates have fallen below 50%. That makes it imperative for rural and community hospitals to leverage technologies that drive faster self-pay payments, according to Tom Furr at PatientPay. Read more…

This Week’s Health IT Jobs for September 25, 2024: Systems analyst roles with multiple hospitals and health plans, along with numerous other positions. Read more…

Bonus Features for September 22, 2024: 80% of orgs have at least one cloud misconfiguration in place, plus Suki-MEDITECH integration is live at 12 health systems. Read more…

Funding and M&A Activity:

• Human Longevity completed an oversubscribed $39.8 million Series B financing round.
• AI-powered health companion Rejoy Health completed a funding round that secured a $125 million valuation.
• Samsung received approval to complete its acquisition of Sonio, maker of software for prenatal care.
• Billing solution providers PatientPay and ClearGage closed their merger.

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

< + > Reaching for health equity by combatting bias with responsible AI

The ethics provider organizations must consider when building out responsible AI and equitable healthcare experiences, according to Oneil Rego and Ilana Golbin Blumenfeld, two responsible AI experts at consulting giant PwC.

< + > CIOs must understand change management theories, frameworks and practices

Robert Slepin, emeritus CIO advisor at Epic, explains why with the story of JCL Connect, a complex business, clinical, and IT infrastructure transformation program at John C. Lincoln Health Network in Phoenix.

< + > Sens. Warner & Wyden seek healthcare cybersecurity mandates in new bill

To prevent healthcare cyberattacks and their damage to the American public, lawmakers propose mandatory cybersecurity requirements and penalties, which include jail time for executives who lie about cyber hygiene. 

< + > FCC set to require georouting for 988 Lifeline calls, enhancing access to local services

The commission is expected to codify a rule next month that requires cellular carriers to georoute wireless 988 calls to the closest national service provider, better connecting callers in crisis to local suicide prevention and care services, HHS said.

< + > Rejoy Health Secures $125 Million Valuation, Plans AI Expansion in Healthcare

Rejoy Health Secures $125 Million Valuation to Expand AI Capabilities and Enhance Healthcare Solutions

Rejoy Health announces the successful completion of a significant funding round, resulting in a company valuation of $125 million. This capital will be strategically allocated to expanding the company’s AI capabilities, with a focus on hiring additional AI engineers and expanding GPU clusters. The primary objective remains the enhancement of Rejoy Health’s large language models (LLMs), which are specifically designed for healthcare applications.

Since its founding in 2021, Rejoy Health has emerged as a key player in the development of AI-driven solutions tailored to the healthcare industry. The company’s proprietary LLMs have been developed to process and deliver medical information with accuracy and speed. By continuously scanning and analyzing vast amounts of medical research, including the latest research papers and extensive medical texts, these models ensure that healthcare professionals have access to the most current and reliable information available.

The recent funding round represents a pivotal milestone in Rejoy Health’s journey. With this new capital, the company is poised to make significant advancements in its AI technology. The planned expansion of GPU clusters is a crucial step in enhancing the computational power needed to train and deploy these models effectively. This expansion will allow Rejoy Health to improve the accuracy, speed, and reliability of its AI models, further supporting healthcare professionals in delivering timely and informed care.

Rejoy Health’s LLMs have already been widely adopted by healthcare professionals across a diverse range of organizations. The technology is particularly valued for its ability to streamline the workflow of healthcare providers, reducing the time spent searching for information by up to 14 hours per month. This time savings translates into increased efficiency and significant cost savings for clinics and healthcare systems, allowing them to allocate resources more effectively.

The company’s decision to focus on expanding its AI capabilities reflects a commitment to scaling its technology in response to the growing demands of the healthcare industry. By hiring additional AI engineers, Rejoy Health aims to accelerate the development and refinement of its LLMs, ensuring that these tools continue to meet the evolving needs of healthcare professionals. The ultimate goal is to provide a more robust and reliable platform that can deliver precise and actionable medical information.

Rejoy Health’s success has attracted the attention and support of a diverse group of investors who recognize the transformative potential of the company’s technology. These investors see Rejoy Health as a leader in the intersection of AI and healthcare, with the ability to revolutionize the way medical information is accessed and utilized. The ongoing investment in Rejoy Health underscores the confidence in the company’s vision and its role in shaping the future of healthcare.

With the new funding secured, Rejoy Health remains focused on its mission to make healthcare information more accessible and accurate. The company will continue to push the boundaries of AI in healthcare, ensuring that its LLMs provide healthcare professionals with the tools they need to deliver the best possible care to their patients.

Originally announced August 31st, 2024

< + > GPs cry My Health Record 'overhaul' and more briefs

Also, Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand is set to launch a national programme ensuring cancer therapy adherence.

< + > Visible, active leadership is vital to change management, says Epic emeritus CIO advisor

Robert Slepin, who has decades of experience as a health IT leader, offers his considered insights about the art and science of change management – helping health system C-suite and IT execs manage the demands of a fast-changing future.

< + > CrowdStrike all but assures Capitol Hill: Never again

The global IT outage on July 19 was a catastrophe of cinematic proportions, said the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, but the cybersecurity giant insists new and revised procedures would now catch any similar mistake before it's pushed out. 

< + > Revolutionizing Healthcare with RTLS: Insights from Dr. Mohammed Smadi from Penguin Location Services

In our latest interview on Healthcare IT Today, I sit down with Mohammed Smadi, PhD, CEO at Penguin Location Services, to explore the potential of Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) in healthcare. Here’s a glimpse into the key takeaways from our conversation.

Traditionally, RTLS has been too costly for widespread adoption in healthcare. Dr. Smadi addresses this challenge head-on, emphasizing that Penguin Location Services is making RTLS accessible for all healthcare organizations. “Every aspiring healthcare enterprise that wants RTLS should be able to afford it,” he asserts. By leveraging standard Bluetooth technology, Penguin is dramatically reducing costs and expanding accessibility.

Dr. Smadi discusses how standardization, particularly with Bluetooth 5.1, is set to revolutionize RTLS. “The move away from proprietary Wi-Fi protocols toward standardized ones enabled industry growth. Penguin sees a similar opportunity with standardized Bluetooth for RTLS,” he notes.

A standout feature of Penguin’s RTLS is its use of AI to achieve room-level and even bed-level accuracy. “The AI is an all-encompassing platform,” Dr. Smadi explains, highlighting how it integrates Bluetooth signals, environmental factors, and user behavior for precise location data.

Rather than just tracking assets, Penguin views RTLS as foundational infrastructure for a broad range of IoT applications. “RTLS is the Trojan Horse,” Dr. Smadi says, hinting at its potential to support diverse uses such as patient flow analysis, hand hygiene monitoring, and staff safety.  The Penguin platform can easily layer on things like sensors to make this enhanced tracking possible. Dr. Smadi shares a compelling success story from a private healthcare system in the MENA region, where Penguin’s RTLS expanded from asset tracking to include patient tracking and workflow optimization.

For a deeper dive into these topics and more, watch the full interview below.

Learn more about Penguin Location Services: https://penguinin.com/

Listen and subscribe to the Healthcare IT Today Interviews Podcast to hear all the latest insights from experts in healthcare IT.

And for an exclusive look at our top stories, subscribe to our newsletter and YouTube.

Tell us what you think. Contact us here or on Twitter at @hcitoday. And if you’re interested in advertising with us, check out our various advertising packages and request our Media Kit.

< + > Closing Care Gaps: How AI, SDOH, and DDOH are Shaping the Future of Health Plans for Better Member Engagement and Health Equity

The following is a guest article by Jordan Armstrong, Chief Revenue Officer at ResultsCX

Today’s consumers expect their health plans to be active partners in their healthcare journey, offering affordable options, easy access to care, and robust support for managing chronic conditions. This shift places health plans at the core of the healthcare experience, requiring them to adapt to the evolving member expectations. The rollout of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Equity Index (HEI) further underscores this shift by integrating several Star measures and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) into its evaluation criteria. Studies show that clinical care only accounts for about 20% of health outcomes at the county level, while social factors like housing, food security, education, and employment can influence up to 50% of outcomes. By 2027, the full integration of HEI will impact Star Ratings, pushing health plans to address health disparities more aggressively.

In addition to the focus on SDOH, there is a growing recognition of the importance of Digital Determinants of Health (DDOH). DDOH includes digital factors—such as ease of use, digital literacy, and internet access—that affect people’s interactions with healthcare services. They illustrate that a person’s ability to use digital tools can significantly impact their health outcomes. For example, in areas with limited internet access, adopting low-bandwidth digital solutions tailored to common mobile devices could enhance member engagement and improve health outcomes. This new focus on DDOH highlights the need for health plans to integrate digital inclusivity into their strategies.

These shifts present a valuable opportunity for health plans to harness AI and data analytics to gain deeper insights, understand the impact of SDOH and DDOH, and incorporate this knowledge into their care strategies. For members, insight-driven interventions—such as encouraging wellness visits and essential screenings—enhance risk assessment, prevention, and care, leading to better health outcomes and greater satisfaction. For health plans, leveraging these strategies supports the development of well-structured programs that improve member acquisition, retention, and overall financial performance.

Blending Intention with Action

To align with changing member expectations and uncover new opportunities, many health plans are already employing AI and analytics. For instance, Highmark Health uses AI to combine SDOH data from its network, public sources, and proprietary information to create comprehensive SDOH assessments. These assessments are integrated with area-level data through machine learning to estimate SDOH risks for members who are not actively engaged, effectively identifying needs and closing care gaps. Similarly, Kaiser Permanente has expanded its screening processes to cover the entire member population, not just vulnerable Medicare and Medicaid groups, using an AI-based tool to better identify and address member needs.

Investing in AI and analytics gives health plans insights beyond traditional claims and medical data. By analyzing SDOH and HEDIS data, health plans can identify individuals at risk for chronic conditions like diabetes and address challenges such as readmissions and social barriers. This enables more proactive engagement and optimized support for all members, enhancing care quality and closing gaps. Cigna, for example, has utilized HEI metrics with SDOH data to enhance outreach to high-risk populations, achieving a 40% improvement in care access for minority groups.

Building Trust-Based Communities

In a time when healthcare consumers want to feel heard and valued, omnichannel engagement does more than boost member satisfaction—it builds trust-based communities. These communities thrive when members’ questions and concerns are addressed with empathy and proactive support, fostering stronger engagement and better outcomes. Digital-first engagement is key to building these communities; recent reports indicate that one in six adults, including a quarter of young adults, now use AI chatbots for health information and advice, opening new avenues for deeper relationships with members.

Omnichannel engagement also plays a critical role in managing acquisition costs, improving retention, and meeting CMS’s updated Medicare Advantage (MA) quality scores, which emphasize member experiences. Health plans can connect with members via chat, SMS, or email and provide empathetic voice support to ensure comprehensive care. For example, a health plan client experienced a 300% increase in scheduled appointments and over 100,000 member-initiated calls after launching an omnichannel outreach strategy for members with chronic conditions. Combining AI-driven workflows with empathy training for support agents can further enhance the member experience. AI provides real-time guidance, offering suggestions and insights to resolve issues quickly, while empathy training ensures that support resonates with members across their preferred channels.

Shaping Tomorrow’s Ecosystems of Care

Addressing SDOH barriers and supporting members’ health throughout their lives requires innovative thinking from health plans. This means adopting a holistic approach that combines digital tools, AI, and analytics with a focus on human-centered design and user experience. To achieve this, health plans must effectively aggregate SDOH data, understand the impact of DDOH on their digital engagement strategies, and embrace a systems-thinking approach. By creating products and services that cater to diverse member needs—including those from historically marginalized communities—health plans can build a more connected, responsive, and equitable healthcare ecosystem, ultimately driving better health outcomes for everyone.

By integrating these elements and adopting a more holistic approach, health plans can become proactive partners in their members’ health journeys, providing the right support at the right time and place. This comprehensive, inclusive approach not only aligns with regulatory requirements like the HEI but also enhances overall member satisfaction and trust, further cementing health plans’ central role in the healthcare experience.

About Jordan Armstrong

Jordan Armstrong serves as the Chief Revenue Officer of ResultsCX, spearheading the expansion of the organization’s revenue streams and advancing its market strategies. With a robust background as a seasoned executive, Jordan brings a wealth of leadership expertise gained from guiding top-tier teams in new business development, strategic account management, market strategy formulation, and solution development within the industry. Her career includes pivotal leadership roles at Sutherland Global Solutions and EXL, where she achieved significant milestones in delivering revenue growth, enhancing client retention, and leading transformative go-to-market initiatives.

< + > Sonio Announces Official Acquisition By Samsung After French Ministry of the Economy and Finance Approval

Sonio, the MedTech company specializing in women’s and children’s health, today announces the official approval by the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance of the acquisition of 100% of shares by Samsung.

The deal closes following the company’s second wave of FDA clearance in 2024 and with Sonio reporting and workflow solutions operating in multiple sites across the US.

“Alongside Samsung Medison, we are excited to make significant strides in the maternal care industry. In addition, Sonio plans to continue to advance medical reporting technology and diagnostic software globally, including for underserved areas in healthcare” says Cécile Brosset, Co-Founder and CEO at Sonio.

Established in 2020 to enhance women’s and children’s health globally through medical advancements, and supported by its early investors Elaia, BpiFrance, OneRagtime, Cross Border Impact Ventures, and the EIC Fund, Sonio has developed a reporting and workflow solution powered by AI for obstetrics and gynecology ultrasound that assists clinicians in the evaluation and documentation of ultrasound exams.

Samsung Medison CEO, Kyu Tae Yoo, said, “With the workforce shortages affecting the global healthcare industry, the real-time ultrasound exam guidance and quality assurance developed by Sonio is becoming more relevant to ensure high-quality care. We look forward to combining Sonio’s and Samsung’s advanced engineering to enhance our ultrasound roadmap and introduce next-generation AI technologies to the market. We will focus on innovations designed to enhance exam quality, efficiency, and ultimately improve patient care.”

Sonio will continue its commercial growth independently while developing products and services compatible with all ultrasound device manufacturers. “We are committed to support all healthcare providers and patients as we pursue our mission of providing equal access to high-end technology and quality maternal healthcare globally,” commented Brosset.

About Sonio

Sonio is a highly customizable workflow and practice management solution powered by AI for automation, efficiency, and quality control. Sonio AI-enhanced software empowers ultrasound practitioners and readers. Sonio assists them in performing every prenatal examination to their highest quality standards, ensuring the completeness of each examination, streamlining their workflow, and in prenatal diagnosis. Sonio is based on over five years of research and collaboration between leading experts in fetal medicine and AI.

To learn more about Sonio, visit our website sonio.ai

About Samsung Medison

Samsung Medison is a leading global medical device company, specializing in diagnostic imaging devices. With a mission to bring health and well-being to people’s lives, the company is committed to creating a new future for medical professionals and patients around the world across various medical fields. In 2011, Samsung Medison became an affiliate company of Samsung Electronics, integrating the world’s best IT, image processing, semiconductor and communication technologies into medical devices.

For more information, please visit samsungmedison.com

Originally announced September 2nd, 2024

< + > This Week’s Health IT Jobs – September 25, 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:

• Director Informatics – The Doctors Company
• Clinical Systems Specialist-HIMS (Remote) – ChristianaCare
• IT Applications FHIR Developer – ZOLL Cardiac Management Solutions
• Analyst III, Epic – DaVita Kidney Care
• Experienced Healthcare Business Analyst – Wellnecity
• Systems Support and Development Specialist – Venture Medical
• Interoperability Engineer – Innovaccer
• Data Analyst Population Health – CommonSpirit Health
• HL7/FHIR Integration Developer – Tekskills Inc.
• IT Business Systems Analyst III – IEHP
• Director, Data Platform Solutions – Interwell Health
• Systems Analyst, Consultant – Blue Shield of California
• Clinical Informatician (Contract) – Truveta
• Configuration Analyst I – Partnership HealthPlan of California
• MEDITECH Front Office Ambulatory Builder – Healthcare IT Leaders
• Health Information Systems Manager – Aurora Mental Health & Recovery
• Electronic Health Records Support Analyst – Communicare+OLE
• Pathology Labs Systems Manager – NYU Langone Health
• Healthcare Implementation Analyst – Fidelity Investments
• Sr Systems Analyst – Willow Pharmacy Applications – The MetroHealth System

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.

< + > India to harness ABDM data to develop public AI

This includes a benchmarking platform for validating healthcare AI models.

< + > PatientPay Emerges as a Powerhouse in Healthcare Billing and Payments through a Strategic Merger with ClearGage

Together They Will Support 1,600 Healthcare Organizations Representing Thousands of Locations and 1.2 Million Digital Patient Wallets with Solutions Designed to Improve Financial Outcomes

PatientPay, the leading patient billing and payments partner for acute, ambulatory, and specialty care, and ClearGage, a leading provider of healthcare estimate and payment solutions, today announced the close of their merger to deliver the industry-leading digital billing and payment platform for medical groups, specialty practices, and community hospitals as PatientPay.

This collaboration aims to set a new standard in payment technology and patient convenience by connecting patients and providers through an advanced digital infrastructure. PatientPay enables providers to reduce administrative costs, accelerate patient payments, and increase revenue with a configurable payment platform. Patients enjoy a seamless, intuitive payment experience, making understanding their bills and managing liability easier throughout their healthcare journey.

A poll from MGMA found that 92% of medical group leaders reported higher operating expenses in 2024 compared to 2023. Yet on average, providers collected less than half of what patients owed for services rendered in 2022 and 2023. Optimizing patient billing operations and delivering affordable payment options are critical to increasing the speed and volume of patient payments in 2024 and beyond.

As part of the merger, PatientPay will create an even more comprehensive billing and payments platform, combining the strengths of both organizations to deliver unparalleled value in the market. The next iteration of this solution will build from a successful foundation to drive more payments across the continuum of the patient journey with:

• An Embedded Estimation and Eligibility Solution
• Simplified Integration Capabilities to More Billing Systems
• Expanded Payment Technology for Virtual Card Straight-Through Processing
• Overall Enhancement to the User Experience for Patients and Practices Alike

As a registered PayFac, PatientPay will be able to streamline and accelerate the onboarding process, providing healthcare practices greater control and flexibility over their payment solutions. Healthcare providers and revenue cycle management (RCM) companies using the system should expect best-in-class results which will increase collection rates, decrease the cost-to-collect by reducing paper usage and staff time, and enrich the patient payment experience.

“Our shared ability to remove friction from the patient financial experience and collect payments quickly is why our clients continue to rely on us to protect and grow the financial health of their organization,” said Tom Furr, CEO at PatientPay.

“We’re thrilled to join forces with PatientPay to continue developing innovative technology that aligns the consumer experience with the financial goals and needs of healthcare organizations,” said Ryan Zemmin, CEO at ClearGage.

The partnership comes after a two-year period of explosive growth for PatientPay. From December 2021 to December 2023, the company increased the number of medical groups it supports with financial services and digital billing strategies by 527%. In that same period across clients, PatientPay:

• Increased Digital Wallets to 1.2M
• Increased Click-to-Pay Rates from 38% to 44%
• Increased Payments via Mobile Devices from 56% to 71%
• Increased Collection Rates by 50%-100%

PatientPay has helped many specialty groups improve their financial standing. Janet Carbary, CFO at Integrated Rehab Group, explained, “We essentially doubled our daily collections by using PatientPay. And our cash collections have stayed at that level since we went live with them at the end of 2022. We are still seeing patients pay sooner and with fewer questions. It really has enhanced our cash collections.”

Similarly, ClearGage achieved an impressive 473% growth in its referral partner business from 2021 to 2023, highlighting the company’s rapid expansion and strong industry partnerships. In that same period across clients, ClearGage:

• Averaged a 40% Reduction in Bad Debt
• Processed 198% More Digital Payments
• Increased Held Appointments by 10% Through Price Transparency
• Reduced Staff Time by 50 Hours a Week with Upfront Estimates and Eligibility

Practices leveraging ClearGage’s treatment estimate solution have experienced savings and efficiency across practice operations. Keleah Jefcoat of Colorado Spine Institute spoke of their results, “[ClearGage] Treatment estimates absolutely helped our practice. It saved our authorization and scheduling teams further work when patients choose not to proceed with the treatment due to the estimated liability. We also decreased the number of accounts that result at an outside collections agency because we are having a conversation with patients ahead of time and setting up payment arrangements.”

D.A. Davidson & Co. served as the exclusive financial advisor to ClearGage. To learn more about the merger and the future of digital payment strategies, visit patientpay.com or cleargage.com.

About PatientPay

PatientPay partners with specialty care medical groups and facilities to drive patient payments at each stage of the patient journey. As patient financial responsibility grows, community hospitals and specialty services such as long-term care, physical therapy, radiology, and anesthesiology rely on PatientPay for quick and complete payments. Ultimately, PatientPay aims to enhance overall patient satisfaction by improving the patient experience through digital wallets, matching bills with EOBs, offering flexible payment options, and providing custom communications. To learn more about how PatientPay guarantees results for its clients, contact info@patientpay.com.

About ClearGage

ClearGage is a leading healthcare payment technology company dedicated to making patient responsibility more transparent and affordable for everyone. Founded in 2009 by a team of experts from healthcare, employee benefits, and payment processing industries, ClearGage was created to address the growing need for healthcare payment solutions with a consumer-driven experience.

The company has remained committed to aligning its solutions with the latest technologies and evolving patient expectations. By leveraging industry-leading technology and talent, ClearGage helps healthcare providers improve their financial health and patient outcomes.

Originally announced August 27th, 2024

< + > Choosing a managed IT service for aged care

There are risks to consider when choosing a single provider, says Homestyle CIO Peter Gunn.

< + > Particle Health files antitrust suit against Epic

The high-stakes lawsuit alleges that the EHR giant violated federal law prohibiting unfair business practices. Epic, meanwhile, says that Particle has violated HIPAA.

< + > What Loper Bright and the end of Chevron deference mean for HHS

Despite a greater ability for healthcare entities to challenge regulatory decrees in court, increased litigation could result in unfavorable court decisions that are harder to fix, healthcare attorneys say.

< + > CIO Podcast – Episode 80: Security and Awareness Culture with Brian Shea

For the 80th episode of the CIO podcast hosted by Healthcare IT Today, we are joined by Brian Shea, Chief Information Officer at MedOne Healthcare Partners to talk about security! We kick this episode off by discussing the “bricks and mortars” things that are often neglected in favor of shiny objects. Next, we look into how much security is enough security and how you can tell if you’ve done enough for your organization. Then we talk about what it takes to create a culture of security and awareness in your organization. And in the spirit of that culture, Shea shares how he approaches communication with employees who have fallen for phishing campaigns. MedOne Healthcare Partners is 100% in the cloud, Shea shares how that feels for his organization, what it took to get there, and the pros and cons. Finally, we end this episode with Shea passing along the best piece of advice he’s received in his career.

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

• What are the “bricks and mortars” things that not enough people are doing since they’re chasing shiny objects?
• How much security is enough? Everyone has limited resources, so how do you know when you’ve done enough?
• What does it take to create a security and awareness culture in a healthcare organization?
• How do you approach communication with employees who fall for phishing campaigns?
• How is it to be 100% in the cloud? What did it take to get there and what are the pros and cons?
• What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given in your career?

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

We release a new CIO Podcast every ~2 weeks. You can also subscribe to the Healthcare IT Today podcast on any of the following platforms:

NOTE: We’ll be updating the links below as the various podcasting platforms approve the new podcast.  Check back soon to be able to subscribe on your favorite podcast application.

• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Stitcher Podcast Radio
• TuneIn
• Spotify
• iHeartRadio

Thanks for listening to the CIO Podcast on Healthcare IT Today and if you enjoy the content we’re sharing, please rate the podcast on your favorite podcasting platform.

Along with the popular podcasting platforms above, you can Subscribe to Healthcare IT Today on YouTube.  Plus, all of the audio and video versions will be made available to stream on HealthcareITToday.com.

We’d love to hear what you think of the podcast and if there are other healthcare CIO you’d like to see us have on the program. Feel free to share your thoughts and perspectives in the comments of this post with @techguy on Twitter, or privately on our Contact Us page.

We appreciate you listening!

Listen to the Latest Episodes

< + > Community Hospitals Are Severely Challenged Financially, It’s Time for a Payment Rx

The following is a guest article by Tom Furr, CEO at PatientPay

Forty percent of U.S. hospitals are losing money, a Kaufman Hall analysis shows, even at a time when overall hospital margins are growing. Among them, community and rural hospitals are taking the worst hit. This begs the question: What more should community hospitals be doing to protect their financial health?

It’s an important topic given that a hospital’s financial health ultimately sustains its ability to deliver services to the communities it serves. As community hospital leaders explore opportunities to protect cash flow, innovations in patient payment collection—including digital tools—deserve attention in particular based on the continued challenges with the USPS either not delivering or taking a long time to deliver letters.

The Business Case for Payment Innovation

At first glance, the numbers from the Kaufman Hall analysis appear encouraging: Overall, hospitals’ financial performance improved from March to April, with outpatient revenue, operating room minutes, and emergency department visits increasing. But a closer look at the numbers shows the gap between high performers and low performers is widening. Low performers must reverse this trend if they are to reinvest in their ability to provide community care, leaders note.

These insights are backed by other recent trends that point to a need to turn up the focus on payment:

• Hospital revenue cycle departments faced a sharp decline in out-of-pocket collections this year as the patient collection rate fell to nearly 48%, a Kodiak Solutions analysis shows 
• Over half (53%) of the write-offs last year came from patients with some form of insurance, including commercial insurance
• Even community hospitals with a reputation for excellent care quality are struggling to capture enough revenue from reimbursement and out-of-pocket collections to stay afloat

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that nearly 70% of community hospital leaders rate their financial health as “average” or “poor.”

These are signs that the current financial models and processes aren’t working anymore for community hospitals. At a time when every dollar counts, community hospital leaders must double down on closing gaps in payment. 

Digital payment innovation offers an effective way to strengthen patient collection rates by eliminating one of the biggest barriers to payment: payment confusion. Text-based payment, for example, provides a seamless avenue for alerting patients when their out-of-pocket balance is ready. It connects patients with the resources they need to understand what is owed and why in the moment, such as their explanation of benefits. It also empowers patients to take action using the device they rely on most: their mobile phone.

Text-to-payment technologies drive faster self-pay payments. In our experience, payment capture rates increase 15% to 43% when text-based payment is introduced, with 43% of patients who log into their bill making a payment. Payment is received within 14 days, on average, with some payments received within seconds of delivering a secure text. 

However, success in digital payment innovation involves more than simply sending payment notifications via text with a link for payment. It also necessitates a thoughtful—and consumer science-based, data-driven approach to patient financial communications, with careful attention to timing, messaging, and ease of use.

Developing a Patient-Centric Approach

At a time when every dollar counts, community hospital leaders must double down on closing gaps in payment—but they also must protect the patient’s financial experience. Here are four considerations in designing a digital payment approach that speeds up self-pay collections while leaving patients feeling empowered and more informed.

Engage Your Revenue Cycle Team in Determining which Solution to Invest In

One out of three revenue cycle leaders struggle with having the right skillsets in place to improve cash flow, a Knowtion Health survey found. This makes it doubly important that a digital payment solution is as easy for staff to explain and navigate as it is for consumers to use. By involving staff in the digital payment selection process, staff are more likely to become ambassadors for this approach, strengthening use rates.

Go Beyond Your EHR

While an EHR might offer traditional methods for digital communications with a “portal,” community hospitals need more than a standard, “good enough” approach. They need a solution that is grounded in data science which guarantees an increase in collections. Look for a best-of-breed solution that leverages predictive analytics to guide decisions such as when to send electronic payment messages, down to the time of day when consumers are most likely to engage. The impact on revenue will be far greater for community hospitals rather than the revenue made by an EHR with their “We can do it all!” approach because it is designed specifically with consumer payment behavior and best practices in digital payment in mind.

Lean into a Data-Based Approach to Digital Payment Delivery

For instance, what is the patient’s past history of medical payment—and how quickly do they tend to pay? Which patients still prefer paper statements over web-based communications, and which ones are open to an electronic approach? Data points such as these will help shape decisions around whether to incur the expense of sending a text-to-pay message and to whom.

Give Digital Communications Time to Breathe

This is an important step for reducing the risk of digital fatigue. Some providers wait seven days after the first message is delivered to send an electronic reminder. Others might send a paper statement at that point to get a feel for patient preferences, or they may choose to send one more text and wait seven days to take a paper-based approach. Listen to feedback from community members in the first months after making the switch to a text-to-pay solution. Then, adjust the approach based on community-specific feedback.

By taking an all-angles approach to digital payment innovation, community hospitals can boost engagement and cash flow while protecting consumer trust and the patient financial experience.

< + > Human Longevity, Inc. Completes an Upsized $39.8M Series B Financing to Expand its Precision 100+ Longevity Care Program

Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI), with over 10 years as a longevity-focused technology company, today announced the completion of an oversubscribed $39.8M Series B round led by TVM Capital Healthcare with participation from new and existing investors, including Panacea Venture and Emerging Technology Partners. The funding will be used to invest in HLI’s artificial intelligence health risk and recommendation platform, new longevity-focused technologies and services, and new expansion sites globally.

Founded in 2013, with a group of pioneers in the precision medicine field, HLI has made significant research and development progress in the longevity field. In 2020, the company published groundbreaking research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrating the integration of whole-genome sequencing, comprehensive metabolomics, and advanced imaging to identify significant health risks. As a result of our research, we have created a 100+ Longevity care membership program to identify early stages of the major age-related health diseases, with the goal of increasing health span and extending lifespan through the company’s clinical care team and data platform.

The 100+ Longevity Care program leverages precision medicine health data, clinical care, and targeted interventions, and the program also focuses on reducing biological age. Key components include whole genome sequencing, whole-body and brain MRI, comprehensive cardiac evaluation, body composition analysis, advanced blood biomarkers, and wearables. Accurate and proven personalized health data will be the primary driver for science-backed precision medicine.

Early detection of health risks is a cornerstone of proactive healthcare and will not only save millions of lives but will also significantly reduce healthcare costs in the future. By identifying potential issues at their inception, individuals can take timely steps to prevent or manage serious conditions. HLI’s clinical care team has successfully diagnosed early-stage conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic diseases. Guided by these findings, personalized programs are created for our members to optimize health and mitigate chronic disease risks.

Year-round membership in HLI’s 100+ Longevity Care program is the foundational platform for the practice of empowering individuals to achieve peak living and extend their longevity. With advanced health assessment centers in San Francisco and San Diego, and future planned locations, including in Europe, Asia, Saudi Arabia, and the surrounding GCC countries, HLI is poised to lead the industry in longevity care.

About Human Longevity, Inc.

Built by the pioneers of the human genome sequencing effort since 2013, Human Longevity is the global leader in advancing the Human Longevity Care movement, on a mission to discover and harness the technological and biological interventions that amplify the span of life, health, & high performance. Human Longevity, Inc. is committed to accelerating living to 100+ by revolutionizing the landscape of the current system of “sick care” to true “healthcare”. By continually adding and analyzing our client’s health data, we are transforming treatment from a reactive practice to one that is proactive, preventative, and personalized.

Originally announced August 20th, 2024

< + > HMIS integration with other public HIS sought and more India briefs

Also, the University of Mumbai has embarked on an AI project focused on diagnosing women's diseases.

< + > Bonus Features – September 22, 2024 – 80% of orgs have at least one cloud misconfiguration in place, Suki-MEDITECH integration love at 12 health systems, plus 29 more stories

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.

News and Studies

• NCQC unveiled its 2024 health plan ratings, and only five plans – out of more than 1,000 – received a 5-star rating. Two of the five are Kaiser plans.
• In a survey from cybersecurity vendor ClearDATA, 80% of healthcare organizations reported at least one cloud misconfiguration in the past year.
• A Phreesia study found 65% of patients who received information about vaccines at the point of care were likely to discuss vaccines with their doctor. Additionally, CDC awarded a grant to Phreesia, along with the National Association For Continence and Health.Equity.Outcomes., to raise awareness of urinary incontinence in women.

Partnerships

• Ambient AI vendor Suki integrated with MEDITECH and deployed across 12 health systems.
• Vizient and Qualtrics are partnering to develop predictive metrics and benchmarks for care quality.
• Decision support vendor Zynx Health integrated with Innovaccer‘s care management solution.
• Duke Health and SAS are collaborating to create AI tools for care delivery process improvement.
• Acute and ambulatory payment vendor PatientPay is leveraging Azalea Health’s API infrastructure.
• Data archiving vendor Olah Healthcare Technology is partnering with Consensus Cloud Solutions to migrate its customers to cloud fax.
• Dental patient engagement software Intiveo integrated with Open Dental practice management software.
• LG Electronics launched the LG NOVA Partner Alliance Program, and the Mayo Clinic Innovation Exchange is one of its inaugural partners.

Products

• Oracle launched RFID for Replenishment in Oracle Fusion Cloud Inventory Management. In addition, Oracle Health committed to quarterly updates and signed the Veteran Interoperability Pledge.
• Xsolis launched Dragonfly, an AI tool for operational and clinical efficiency, and announced MultiCare Health System as an early adopter.
• Telemental health service provider Brightside Health now offers services to teens aged 13 to 17.
• Consumer engagement analytics platform RadiantGraph now integrates data from AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Snowflake, and Databricks.
• Workday announced Workday Wellness, which helps HR teams see which benefits and wellness offerings employees want and use.
• Labcorp subsidiary Ovia Health launched Postpartum Experience, a personalized 12-month program for new mothers. Also, Labcorp is the newest member of the CommonWell Health Alliance.
• Komodo Health launched MapAI and MapExplorer, which add generative AI to its MapLab platform of deidentified patient data.
• Healthcare career marketplace Incredible Heath launched Healthcare Policy Navigator for Nurses.
• On-demand workforce technology vendor ShiftMed now includes allied health positions.
• Mentavi Health launched the Mentavi Mental Wellness Snapshot, available directly to consumers or through employer-sponsored health plans.
• QR code platform Uniqode updated its Enterprise platform with data encryption, access controls, and secure storage to address HIPAA requirements.

Sales and Implementations

• Tennessee-based Baptist Memorial Health Care selected Referral MD for referral management.
• Radiology Associates of North Texas implemented Sirona Medical for business continuity.

Awards

• The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Program awarded $9.9 million to Southwest Minnesota EMS, which will be implementing Avel eCare’s EMS services in 18 counties.
• HHS announced two recipients of its Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health IT: The Trustees of Columbia University (New York City) and Oregon Health & Science University.

People

• Digital twin vendor Unlearn named Steve Herne as Chief Executive Officer; he steps into the role as former CEO Charles Fisher transitions to the role of Chief Scientist.
• Medication adherence vendor AdhereHealth appointed Dr. Chandra Osborn as its Chief Behavioral Officer.
• Healthcare workforce optimization software vendor Prolucent appointed Jason Phibbs as Vice President of Growth and Darryl Green as Senior Director of Sales.
• Healthcare workforce management vendor QGenda appointed Courtney Green as Vice President of Nurse and Staff Solutions.
• Patient scheduling platform Relatient appointed four members to its Customer Advisory Board.

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 – September 21, 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.

Healthcare Data Wars: Exploring the Implications of Real Time v. PointClickCare. In his latest series, Andy Oram explored hoe data is shaking up healthcare. He began with an in-depth look at the lawsuit about the use of automated bots to scrape EHR data in response to failed talks about data access. Read more…

Healthcare Data Wars: Stretching the Information Blocking Rules. Next, Andy unpacked whether denying a vendor access to data can be considered information blocking, particularly in the context of screen-scraping bots, data security, and the growing data demands of AI models. Read more…

Review: Redrick ErgoHome Workstation. Colin Hung took a closer look at the Redrick’ workstation for radiologists transitioning to hybrid working or full-time work-at-home arrangements. ErgoHome blended lots of workspace with minimal clutter. Read more…

Unpacking CharmHealth’s Expansion Into the Enterprise Market. Colin sat down with Venky Chellappa to discuss why CharmHealth believes a lack of legacy tech positions the EHR vendor to meet the needs of larger healthcare organizations. Read more…

Healthcare IT Today Podcast: More Update from Epic’s UGM. John and Colin evaluated the many areas of health IT where the company is having an impact – and debated areas where Epic may actually not disrupt the market. Read more…

FDA FHIR Pilot Automates Adverse Events Reporting and Validation. Jay Nakashima at eHealth Exchange detailed how California’s Cedars-Sinai used FHIR to send adverse events related to COVID-19 vaccines to the FDA – a process that replaced manual data entry and faxing. Read more…

Technology Is Accelerating Hospital-at-Home Adoption. Aaron Timm at Vivalink explained how telehealth and remote monitoring combined with government support, value-based models, and care coordination are working together to make acute-level care more accessible at home. Read more… 

Intelligent Internal Communications Can Help Healthcare Save Billions. Real-time communication keeps staff informed about everything from scheduling changes to patient hazards. The savings add up, and the efficiencies improve patient care, said Dr. Brittany Barhite at Firstup. Read more…

As You Navigate Regulatory Changes, Evaluate Your Tech Stack. Organizations should emphasize medical record review, prior authorization, patient engagement, and data-driven decision-making as they apply technology to compliance, according to Kayt Leonard at SAS. Read more…

This Week’s Health IT Jobs for September 18, 2024: Roles with many health systems, plus positions at vendors such as GE HealthCare and Microsoft. Read more…

Bonus Features for September 15, 2024: 63% of HIE entities plan to participate in TEFCA; meanwhile, 19% of customer interactions with healthcare orgs get disrupted. Read more…

Funding and M&A Activity:

• Medical grade wearable vendor Hexoskin announced a $4.2 million funding round.
• Sounder Benefits launched to provide tailored employee benefits offerings to growing companies.
• RCM vendor EnableComp acquired ANI Healthcare Solutions, provider of denial management software.
• RCM vendor Knack Global acquired Merrick Management, which provides RCM and practice management software to anesthesia providers.

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