News 8/21/24

Top News

Independent oncology practice network and management company OneOncology will acquire urology-focused managed services organization United Urology Group.

Webinars

September 10 (Tuesday) noon ET. “Overcoming Hurdles in Specialty Med Access Under Medical Benefits.” Sponsor: DrFirst. Presenters: Drew Hunsinger, VP of corporate business development, DrFirst; Tyler Wince, MEd, VP of product and technology specialty solutions, DrFirst. More specialty medications, which made up 80% of FDA’s new drug approvals last year, are falling under medical benefits, which challenges the patient care processes and efficiency of providers. Medication access experts will discuss how automation and unified medication management solutions can ensure better outcomes for patients and providers by addressing patient access hurdles and enhancing the ‘stickiness’ of EHRs. They will also provide insights into how regulatory changes such as interoperability and prior authorization mandates will affect healthcare stakeholders.

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Hybrid maternal healthcare provider Partum Health will expand to Dallas in the coming months. The startup raised $3.1 million in seed funding last year.

Announcements and Implementations

Helping People Succeed (FL) will implement Arize care management software from Cantata Health Solutions.

Optimis Services will add Synergetics.ai’s agentic AI technology to its EHR for physical therapists.

Pediatric Associates in Ohio implements Greenway Health’s Comprehensive RCM technology.

Sponsor Updates

• Waystar wins multiple Stevie Awards in the categories of best company of the year, best payment solution, digital automation, and AI and machine learning healthcare applications.

Blog Posts

• The Health Equity Breach: What We Can Learn (AdvancedMD)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 8/19/24

Top News

Well Health will spin off and publicly list its Well Provider Solutions software business in the first half of next year, according to the Canadian company’s latest earnings report. Well Health currently provides care via its network of clinics and, through WPS, offers EHR, RCM, virtual consult, and practice engagement and management software.

The company is also looking at strategic alternatives for provider Circle Medical and online sexual healthcare company Wisp, US-based businesses acquired by Well Health several years ago.

Webinars

September 10 (Tuesday) noon ET. “Overcoming Hurdles in Specialty Med Access Under Medical Benefits.” Sponsor: DrFirst. Presenters: Drew Hunsinger, VP of corporate business development, DrFirst; Tyler Wince, MEd, VP of product and technology specialty solutions, DrFirst. More specialty medications, which made up 80% of FDA’s new drug approvals last year, are falling under medical benefits, which challenges the patient care processes and efficiency of providers. Medication access experts will discuss how automation and unified medication management solutions can ensure better outcomes for patients and providers by addressing patient access hurdles and enhancing the ‘stickiness’ of EHRs. They will also provide insights into how regulatory changes such as interoperability and prior authorization mandates will affect healthcare stakeholders.

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

Announcements and Implementations

Douglas County Family Practice implements Sunoh.ai’s AI medical scribe software across its five locations in Georgia.

Other

Palomar Health Medical Group (CA) announces that it has fully restored its computer systems after a cyberattack discovered in early May forced them offline.

Fabletics taps licensed physician, actor, and comedian Ken Jeong, MD to rep its latest line of scrubs. Check out this hilarious promo video.

Sponsor Updates

• Waystar will exhibit at the MedInformatix Summit August 20-22 in New Orleans.

Blog Posts

• How Christus Health processed significant backlogged revenue with Nordic (Nordic)
• Revolutionizing Patient Care with ECW AI and Cloud-Based Solutions (EClinicalWorks)
• More practices are hiring APPs, physician burnout rates are down & nursing salaries are up (AdvancedMD)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 8/14/24

Top News

Elevance Health (the former Anthem) partners with PE firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice to launch Mosaic Healthcare. The new company will offer clinical care and digital innovations via community-based care models delivered through business units Millenium Physician Group and tech-enabled primary care company Apree Health.

Webinars

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Access Medical Clinic will open a new clinic in a former Walmart Health facility in Palestine, TX, later this year. The company, which already operates 61 practices in eight states, plans on expanding into more Walmart stores.

Announcements and Implementations

Commons Clinic, an orthopedic care provider with multiple locations in California, will adopt DeepScribe’s AI-based medical documentation software.

Symplas announces GA of its new AI-powered CRM for aesthetic practices.

Care network company Astrana Health will integrate Awell’s CareOps automated clinical workflow development platform with its in-house technology.

Occupational healthcare provider Concentra adds behavioral healthcare to its telehealth services.

Research and Innovation

A telehealth utilization survey of 800 adults in seven rural Colorado counties finds that the most popular methods of virtual care are phone calls, followed by chat-based messaging and email. While the majority of those surveyed feel that telehealth visits save time and money, and are as good as in-person visits, patients are still concerned about data privacy, quality of care, and making sure health issues are adequately addressed.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 8/12/24

Top News

Modern Health, which offers employers digital mental healthcare tools and care coordination services, acquires AI-powered provider workflow management software vendor Anvil Health.

Anvil Health co-founder and former CTO Paul Clark will join Modern Health as head of AI strategy.

Webinars

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

People

Mark Flakne (Optum) joins Included Health as CFO.

Announcements and Implementations

MedPeds (MD) implements automated clinical scribe technology from Sunoh.ai.

Research and Innovation

Researchers determine that a text message-based vaping cessation program has helped middle and high schoolers quit the habit at a higher rate than students that did not opt in to text messages. Participants were recruited for the two-year study through social media ads, which very well may have been where students were exposed to vaping “influencers” in the first place.

Other

DataBreaches.net reports that hackers have added data stolen from Betances Health Center (NY) to their leak site.

Alabama Cardiovascular Group notifies patients of a data breach that began on June 6 and was discovered on July 2.

Sponsor Updates

• Waystar staff visit Family Health Centers of Louisville to distribute 250 bags of school supplies and care items to patients.
• Everest Group recognizes Nordic Consulting as a Major Contender in its Healthcare Industry Services PEAK Matrix Assessment 2024.
• EClinicalWorks releases a new podcast, “Know Your No-Shows and Optimize Your Schedule.”
• Nordic releases a new “Designing for Health” podcast, “Interview with David Berger, MD.”

Blog Posts

• Transparency and trust: Leveraging patient portals for better healthcare relationships (Nordic)
• Nurses of Note 2024: The Labor and Delivery Director (PerfectServe)
• ECW Users Excited to Implement AI at Their Practices (EClinicalWorks)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 8/7/24

Top News

CVS Health shares drop on the news of disappointing Q2 results largely stemming from its lackluster Aetna health benefits business. CEO Karen Lynch will take over management of Aetna from EVP and President Brian Kane, who’d been in that role for less than a year. 

The company reported a 2.6% increase in overall Q2 revenue to $91.2 billion. Revenue of its health services segment decreased 8.8%, which the company attributes in part to the loss of a unnamed large customer (presumably Target). The segment, which the company rebranded to CVS Healthspire last year, includes Oak Street Health, Signify Health, and MinuteClinic; as well as PBM and provider enablement solutions.

Webinars

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

People

April Gill (Tabula Rasa HealthCare) joins Smart Data Solutions as chief commercial officer.

Announcements and Implementations

Ensoftek incorporates Blueprint’s AI-powered clinical documentation capabilities into its DrCloudEHR.

Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services (NY) will use $25,000 in state grant funding for facility improvements and to expand its telehealth capabilities.

Opkit develops AI-powered software that automates routine, back-office phone calls to payers, pharmacies, and patients for the collection of medical records.

Alchemy Vein Specialists will implement practice management software and services from Medmio.

Other

Delta County Libraries will use a $125,000 grant from the Colorado Lt. Governor’s Office of EHealth Innovations to launch the Connect to Your Health at Your Library! initiative, which will enable patrons to access virtual care from the comfort of their homes using equipment and hot spots checked out at one of the system’s five libraries.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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