News 4/10/23

Top News

A survey of opioid use disorder virtual care patients finds that 46% believe seeking in-person treatment would be challenging, due either to the fact that they don’t have a regular primary care doctor or would not feel comfortable discussing OUD treatment with their current physician. The survey of 460 patients was conducted in light of the DEA’s proposed rules that would limit the prescription of certain medications via telemedicine.

The findings bolster a more recent, rigorous NIH study that found that Medicare patients who took advantage of virtual care services for OUD during the pandemic had a 33% lower risk of fatal drug overdose.

Virtual care companies that prescribe controlled substances are facing the very real possibility that the DEA will reinstate a pre-pandemic rule requiring patients to undergo an in-person visit before having such medications prescribed virtually.

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Webinars

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

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People

Eitan Shay (Vynca) joins DarioHealth as chief product officer.

Tia names Stacey Irving (DaVita) COO.

Cano Health hires Mark Kent (Care Management Resources) as chief strategy officer.

 

Ophelia names Alexandra Minarik (Babylon) chief commercial officer and Chris Sharon (Omada Health) COO.

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Announcements and Implementations

The Palm Plastic Surgery & Medspa (FL) implements EClinicalWorks.

Advanced Orthopedics New England goes live on Athenahealth.

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Other

Only in Alaska(?): A young moose wanders into the lobby of Providence Health Park in Anchorage, momentarily sidetracked by scrumptious potted plants before being carefully shooed out of the building. The moose then plopped down outside of the oncology wing for an after-meal nap in the snow.

Amazon Clinic General Manager and Chief Medical Officer Nworah Ayogu, MD shares a few thoughts with CNBC on the company’s plans for changing the healthcare status quo:

• Amazon thinks of people as customers rather than patients: “It kind of shifts the power dynamic where the customer is the one who is deciding what happens, they are directing things, and the rest of us are going to serve the customer. It’s a frame that I like because it puts us in kind of a servant mentality and mindset.”
• Regarding the company’s Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh grocery businesses, “We know that care and medication are two important pillars but there’s more – there’s food, there’s nutrition, there’s products. We have some unique assets to bring to bear to also connect patients to those things that they need for their care as well.”
• He believes Amazon can stand out amongst retail clinics run by the likes of CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens: “I think we’re … becoming more of that as a marketplace where you can find your providers and producer groups for your issue. So right now, that focuses on connecting people rapidly to common conditions.”

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Sponsor Updates

• Clark Health (FL) sees a 200% growth in services since investing in EClinicalWorks technology over a decade ago.

Blog Posts

• Healthcare Call Center Trends: What Leaders Need to Know (PerfectServe)
• Focusing on Public Health: Staying Connected with the Community (EClinicalWorks)

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Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

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