News 1/15/25

Top News

Maternal healthcare-focused digital health company Metronomic acquires Iron Health, which offers Ob/Gyn practices add-on services including virtual visits, messaging, and care coordination and outcomes tracking. Iron Health launched in early 2023 with $4.5 million in seed funding.

Webinars

January 23 (Thursday) 11 ET. “Maximizing Revenue With Minimal Resources: Work Smarter, Not Harder in Claims Management.” Sponsor: Inovalon. Presenter: Travis Fawver, senior sales engineer, Inovalon. Navigating the challenge of hitting revenue goals is daunting, but billing doesn’t have to be. The presenter will explore how strategic adoption of new technology can transform claims management processes from reactive to proactive. Learn how to reduce denials while empowering staff to focus on high-value activities, and gain proven strategies to simplify workflows, automate routine tasks, and build a more efficient RCM operation to maximize reimbursement.

Stream on demand. “Healthcare Data Security: Aligning Processes with Evolving Threats & Regulations.” Sponsor: Inovalon. Presenters: Anthony Houston, MBA, senior director of security, risk, and compliance, Inovalon; Paul Wilder, MBA, executive director, CommonWell Health Alliance; Luke McNamara, MPA, deputy chief analyst, Google Cloud; Michael Quinn, VP of strategic partner development, Inovalon. Hear leaders in healthcare data security discuss some of the top recent threat evolutions and how organizations can proactively respond by making ongoing improvements to security protocols.

Previous webinars are on our YouTube channel. Contact Lorre to present or promote your own.

Announcements and Implementations

Duke University Health System’s Connected Care ACO implements Counterpart Health’s AI-powered physician insights and enablement software.

Utah Cancer Specialists will offer patients wrap-around primary care services from telehealth clinic Survivor Healthcare.

DrOwl Health Technology develops the WisePatientAI app to help consumers securely aggregate, access, and share their health records.

Government and Politics

HHS will allocate $60 million to 125 community health centers so that they can offer patients greater access via expanded hours.

Research and Innovation

A survey on the impact of prior authorizations on patient care conducted in Vermont ahead of the state’s implementation of prior authorization reform finds that passage of the act can’t come soon enough:

• 77% of the 241 clinicians surveyed say PAs for medications have increased within the last year, while 64% say they’ve also seen PAs for medical services increase during that same timeframe.
• Clinicians spend 15 hours completing 21 PAs each week; nearly 100% say dealing with PAs increases burnout.
• 95% of respondents report PAs increasing patient use of healthcare resources; conversely, 81% report PAs delaying access to necessary care.
• 32% report that PAs have led to serious adverse events.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 1/13/25

Top News

SuperDial, which offers end-to-end phone call automation for healthcare, acquires competitor MajorBoost.

Webinars

January 23 (Thursday) 11 ET. “Maximizing Revenue With Minimal Resources: Work Smarter, Not Harder in Claims Management.” Sponsor: Inovalon. Presenter: Travis Fawver, senior sales engineer, Inovalon. Navigating the challenge of hitting revenue goals is daunting, but billing doesn’t have to be. The presenter will explore how strategic adoption of new technology can transform claims management processes from reactive to proactive. Learn how to reduce denials while empowering staff to focus on high-value activities, and gain proven strategies to simplify workflows, automate routine tasks, and build a more efficient RCM operation to maximize reimbursement.

Previous webinars are on our YouTube channel. Contact Lorre to present or promote your own.

People

John Carter (CDI) joins Medicus IT as COO.

Announcements and Implementations

Switchboard, MD announces GA of ThreatAware, its new infectious disease-focused predictive analytics, identification, and management solution.

Clinica Medica Primaria de Rising Sun (MD) adopts Sunoh.ai’s automated medical scribe technology.

Core Solutions adds ambient documentation capabilities to its Cx360 Go app for providers of mental and behavioral healthcare, and intellectual and developmental disabilities services.

Veradigm adds social determinants of health and mortality data to its ambulatory EHR database.

Sponsor Updates

• PerfectServe releases a new case study, “How Optimized Provider Scheduling Improves Patient and Room Scheduling.”

Blog Posts

• MIPS Changes for 2025 (AdvancedMD)
• Ransomware attacks the California Health System with claims of 17 million patient records stolen (AdvancedMD)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 1/8/25

Top News

Value-based, tech-enabled kidney care company Evergreen Nephrology announces $130 million in new funding.

Webinars

None scheduled soon. Previous webinars are on our YouTube channel. Contact Lorre to present or promote your own.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Digital women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare company Twentyeight Health raises $10 million in a Series A funding round, bringing its total raised to $25 million.

Konfidi Healthcare IT Consulting rebrands to Konfidi Health and adds radiology practice management and imaging IT managed services to its offerings.

People

Gregg Kimmer (Atrio Health Plans) joins Circadian Health as CEO.

Athenahealth promotes Chris Kondrat to chief customer officer and Michael Palantoni to chief strategy and corporate development officer.

Announcements and Implementations

Virginia Care Partners selects primary care practice optimization and management software and services from Pearl Health.

Research and Innovation

For the quantified-selfer who has everything: Withings unveils its Omnia smart mirror at CES. The mirror, which is not yet on the market, features data-gathering sensors for weight and metabolism monitoring. Withings expects to enable future device integrations so that users can also see displayed data related to sleep and exercise. An AI-powered virtual assistant is also included, as is the ability to connect to virtual care services.

Other

Black Book Research publishes a free 60-page technical guide to practice management technology.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 1/6/25

Top News

Majority shareholder New Enterprise Associates will take clinic operating company NeueHealth private in a $1.3 billion deal. NeueHealth manages clinics under the AssociatesMD, Centrum Health, and Premier Medical Associates brands.

Formerly known as Bright Health Group, NeueHealth pivoted in early 2024 from a Medicare Advantage insurer valued, at one time, at $11 billion, to a provider and practice management company after selling its MA California business to Molina Healthcare for $500 million.

Webinars

None scheduled soon. Previous webinars are on our YouTube channel. Contact Lorre to present or promote your own.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Behavioral health IT vendor Qualifacts consolidates and relocates its two offices in Tampa, FL to one larger facility.

Peregrine Health, which offers virtual behavioral healthcare provider and supportive technologies to rural clinics and FQHCs, raises $5 million.

People

Elation Health names Nikolaus Trotta (R1) president and COO.

Announcements and Implementations

In an effort to streamline data reporting for FQHCs, Greenway Health adds UDS+ reporting capabilities to its Intergy EHR.

Nao Medical, which operates 11 clinics in New York City, selects AI medical coding and business intelligence software from XpertDox.

Research and Innovation

The FDA approves the use of startup Singletto’s virus-killing face masks, which have demonstrated the ability to inactivate nearly 100% of certain viral strains within five minutes of contact with a treated mask.

Other

Merritt Dunlap, MD and his MDVIP family practice in Carson City, NV raise $15,000 in support of the local Department of Child and Family Services’ Angel Tree Project for foster children. The practice held a special gift-giving event in early December featuring Santa Claus and Miss Nevada Karrina Ferris.

Sponsor Updates

• EClinicalWorks announces that Indiana University Student Health Center has integrated Sunoh.ai’s AI-powered ambient listening solution with its EHR.

Blog Posts

• Nearly 70% of the Private Practices We Surveyed Lack a Comprehensive Patient Engagement Strategy (AdvancedMD)
• The Unbeatable eClinicalWorks Experience (EClinicalWorks)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

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News 12/18/24

Top News

Amae Health announces a $6 million investment from Cedars-Sinai Health Ventures and plans to share the health system’s Epic EHR. Based in California, Amae offers care for serious mental illness at several clinics in California, New York, and North Carolina. It raised $15 million in a Series A funding round earlier this year.

Webinars

None scheduled soon. Previous webinars are on our YouTube channel. Contact Lorre to present or promote your own.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Billing workflow software company Anatomy Financial raises $19 million in a Series A funding led by Canapi Ventures. Co-founder Sasha King was formerly a chief marketing and commercial officer at CareDx.

Announcements and Implementations

Eye Care Associates in Ohio selects Nextech’s EHR and practice management technology.

Oregon Oncology Specialists will streamline its disparate patient access and engagement systems by implementing Unified Digital Patient Experience software from Willowglade Technologies.

Western Washington Medical Group implements IKS Health’s care enablement software and services.

Research and Innovation

An MGMA poll of 283 respondents finds that just over half do not have clear procedures in place to assess and select new technologies. Respondents noted they especially struggle when looking for new AI, business intelligence, and payroll system solutions. One respondent also noted that the lack of procedural selection and decision-making often results in  “analysis paralysis,” leaving potentially game-changing technologies on the shelf.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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