News 8/10/20

Top News

Oak Street Health’s IPO raises $328 million, well above its hoped-for $250 million. Shares initially priced at $21 rose to over $43 before settling down to $40 by end-of-day trading. The Chicago-based primary care company for Medicare patients now carries a $5 billion valuation.

Webinars

August 19 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “A New Approach to Normalizing Data.” Sponsor: Intelligent Medical Objects. Presenters: Rajiv Haravu, senior product manager, IMO; Denise Stoermer, product manager, IMO. Healthcare organizations manage an ever-increasing abundance of information from multiple systems, but problems with quality, accuracy, and completeness can make analysis unreliable for quality improvement and population health initiatives. The presenters will describe how IMO Precision Normalize improves clinical, quality, and financial decision-making by standardizing inconsistent diagnosis, procedure, medication, and lab data from diverse systems into common, clinically validated terminology.

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Ginger raises $50 million, which it will use to scale its virtual therapy and psychiatry services to payers. The company, which has traditionally marketed its technology to employers, has raised $120.7 million since launching in 2011.

Canadian telemedicine company CloudMD sets up shop in the US through the purchase of a clinic that will rely on its software and services to care for its chronically ill patients. Healthcare Networks of America co-founder Fred Roh will oversee the new facility and help to develop a stateside-network of satellite telemedicine clinics.

Announcements and Implementations

Tiffany Griffiths, Psy.D. & Associates selects the SmartCare EHR from Streamline Healthcare Solutions.

Golden Valley Health Centers in California will implement the CareVention HealthCare Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly technology and services from Tabula Rasa HealthCare for its new PACE program in Modesto.

Public and behavioral health-focused EHR vendor Patagonia Health adds telemedicine capabilities to its EHR for public and behavioral healthcare providers.

The Oregon Clinic rolls out InteliChart’s Healthy Outcomes patient engagement software across its 60 locations in and around Portland.

Government and Politics

Governors from Washington, Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon announce they will work together to identify and share best practices for telemedicine to better support state residents. While their telemedicine policies will reflect individual state needs, they will be based on shared principles related to access, privacy, standards of care, equity, payment/reimbursement, and patient choice.

Research and Innovation

A survey of 2,400 people finds that nearly half prefer providers who offer telemedicine, though only 28% have taken advantage of virtual visits. Top reasons for using telemedicine include renewing prescriptions, getting regular check-ups, and discussing new symptoms and lab results.

Other

Practice management software vendor MedEvolve notifies patients of a former customer that a data breach at her practice may have compromised patient information, though none has been misused thus far. The May 2018 data breach involved an FTP server left open on the Internet.

CNBC’s Chrissy Farr shares the results of an informal poll.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

Get HIStalk Practice updates.
Contact us online.
Become a sponsor.

News 8/5/20

Top News

EHR Integration Services merges with health IT development company Byte Sized Solutions to form Keena Healthcare Technology. The new company will focus on clinical workflow and interface development, as well as EHR conversions and data archiving.

Founding partner Craig Luce began his career with IDX Systems, moving to Allscripts when it acquired IDX in 2000. He founded EHR Integration Services in 2006.

Webinars

August 19 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “A New Approach to Normalizing Data.” Sponsor: Intelligent Medical Objects. Presenters: Rajiv Haravu, senior product manager, IMO; Denise Stoermer, product manager, IMO. Healthcare organizations manage an ever-increasing abundance of information from multiple systems, but problems with quality, accuracy, and completeness can make analysis unreliable for quality improvement and population health initiatives. The presenters will describe how IMO Precision Normalize improves clinical, quality, and financial decision-making by standardizing inconsistent diagnosis, procedure, medication, and lab data from diverse systems into common, clinically validated terminology.

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Radiation Business Solutions acquires MBR Medical Billing for an undisclosed sum.

MedCoShare launches in Philadelphia to offer physicians co-working office space. Membership plans include reserved office space, medical equipment, and cleaning and disposal services. The company’s initial space includes eight exam rooms and two offices that could accommodate 10 full-time physicians.

Primary care development company Tandigm Health and Gateway Medical Associates (PA) launch Tandigm Physician Services, which will offer independent practices technologies and services for value-based care.

Announcements and Implementations

ReferWell adds virtual visit scheduling capabilities from Bluestream Health to its care coordination and transition software.

Other

Physician education company Knowledge to Practice announces GA of CurrentMD COVID, a series of subscription-based microlearning modules designed to help physicians diagnose, treat, and manage COVID-19 patients.

Sponsor Updates

Blog Posts

• Preparing your stakeholders for new information blocking rules (Nordic)
• Where to Find COVID-19 Reimbursement Rates & Billing Change Information (AdvancedMD)
• Hire the Best! Tips for Finding Office Talent (EClinicalWorks)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

Get HIStalk Practice updates.
Contact us online.
Become a sponsor.

News 8/3/20

Top News

Reuters reports that Web-based prescription savings company GoodRx is preparing to file for an IPO.

It added telemedicine services last year through its acquisition of HeyDoctor, and has had a busy 2020 with the addition of a labs marketplace with COVID-19 testing options, the hiring of new executives, and national expansion of its virtual visit capabilities.

Webinars

August 19 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “A New Approach to Normalizing Data.” Sponsor: Intelligent Medical Objects. Presenters: Rajiv Haravu, senior product manager, IMO; Denise Stoermer, product manager, IMO. Healthcare organizations manage an ever-increasing abundance of information from multiple systems, but problems with quality, accuracy, and completeness can make analysis unreliable for quality improvement and population health initiatives. The presenters will describe how IMO Precision Normalize improves clinical, quality, and financial decision-making by standardizing inconsistent diagnosis, procedure, medication, and lab data from diverse systems into common, clinically validated terminology.

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Colorado-based virtual scribe company Skywriter MD announces plans to expand operations into Lubbock, Texas, including hiring 100 additional employees.

Medicare-focused primary care company Oak Street Health amends its regulatory statement to reflect its goal of raising $250 million in an IPO expected later this week. It has raised nearly $550 million and now operates 54 medical centers in eight states.

NextGen reports a slight drop in Q1 revenue to $130.9 million, a result CEO Rusty Frantz attributes to a decrease in patient volume across the vendor’s ambulatory sites.

Announcements and Implementations

The Center for Reproductive Medicine implements Meditab’s FertilityEHR at its three clinics in Alabama.

Greenway Health will leverage Amazon Web Services to build a cloud-based data services platform for regulatory analytics.

Virginia Cardiovascular Specialists adds virtual visit capabilities to its NextGen Enterprise system.

Chesapeake Medical Imaging (MD) goes live on ERad’s RIS, PACS, speech recognition, and patient and physician portals through a virtual implementation at six of its 13 facilities.

ARC Fertility (CA) selects patient payment technology from Rectangle Health.

Idaho Health Data Exchange implements social services search and referral capabilities from Aunt Bertha.

Other

The California Medical Association and Orange County Medical Association host several dozen drive-by PPE distribution events for qualifying healthcare workers that work in smaller practices. Each pre-registered recipient receives a box filled with 350 N95 masks, 2,000 surgical masks, 2,000 pairs of gloves, 100 gowns, and 50 face shields.

Sponsor Updates

Blog Posts

• How Virtual Waiting Rooms Protect Patients, Staff, and Productivity (PerfectServe)
• Are quality metrics becoming MacGuffins of healthcare? (Nordic)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

Get HIStalk Practice updates.
Contact us online.
Become a sponsor.

News 7/29/20

Top News

App-based house call and virtual primary care company Heal announces a $100 million investment from Humana. The financing, which will help it to expand into Chicago, Houston, and Charlotte, NC, is part of a partnership that will make Heal’s primary care services available to Humana members.

Webinars

August 19 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “A New Approach to Normalizing Data.” Sponsor: Intelligent Medical Objects. Presenters: Rajiv Haravu, senior product manager, IMO; Denise Stoermer, product manager, IMO. Healthcare organizations manage an ever-increasing abundance of information from multiple systems, but problems with quality, accuracy, and completeness can make analysis unreliable for quality improvement and population health initiatives. The presenters will describe how IMO Precision Normalize improves clinical, quality, and financial decision-making by standardizing inconsistent diagnosis, procedure, medication, and lab data from diverse systems into common, clinically validated terminology.

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

People

Ronald Dixon, MD (Onduo) joins Remedy as CMO.

Kindbody names Patty Stull (Shady Grove Fertility) COO, Taryn Branca (Mercer) SVP of Enterprise Sales, and Boon Chen (IntegraMed Fertility) as VP of engineering.

Announcements and Implementations

E-consult software vendor RubiconMD announces GA of RubiconRX, a service that loops in pharmacists to the virtual consultation process for optimal medication management.

FQHCs including Carevide (TX), Palms Medical Group (FL), and Fresno American Indian Health Project (CA) implement I2I’s population health management technology.

Research and Innovation

A DocASAP survey of 1,000 consumers finds that 40% have scheduled a telemedicine appointment over the last several months, with nearly all expressing satisfaction with their visits due to ease, efficiency, and convenience. Nearly 100% of those who’ve had a virtual visit say they’d prefer them over future in-person encounters.

Other

Hundreds of medical files, syringes, and and blood samples have been discovered in a dumpster behind the now closed Southcare Community Service building in Wilmington, NC. Government health officials are assessing HIPAA violations and resulting fines.

Sponsor Updates

Blog Posts

• 6 Tech Tips to Quench the Burnout (AdvancedMD)
• Reflections on healthcare IT consulting in the midst of COVID-19 (Nordic)
• Pushing Boundaries, Reaching New Horizons (EClinicalWorks)
• Overview of Nordic’s Provider Experience Solution (Nordic)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

Get HIStalk Practice updates.
Contact us online.
Become a sponsor.

News 7/27/20

Top News

The online healthcare company war heats up: Health, wellness, prescription delivery, and telemedicine company Ro raises $200 million, bringing its total raised to $376 million while achieving a $1.5 billion valuation.

The company, which offers several gender-specific healthcare products and services, plus a smoking cessation program, is working on building out its telemedicine software so that physicians can more easily see and triage waiting patients. It also plans to develop an at-home diagnostic testing service.

Competitor Hims, which is valued at $1 billion, let it be known last week that it hopes to go public through acquisition.

Webinars

August 19 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “A New Approach to Normalizing Data.” Sponsor: Intelligent Medical Objects. Presenters: Rajiv Haravu, senior product manager, IMO; Denise Stoermer, product manager, IMO. Healthcare organizations manage an ever-increasing abundance of information from multiple systems, but problems with quality, accuracy, and completeness can make analysis unreliable for quality improvement and population health initiatives. The presenters will describe how IMO Precision Normalize improves clinical, quality, and financial decision-making by standardizing inconsistent diagnosis, procedure, medication, and lab data from diverse systems into common, clinically validated terminology.

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Well Health Technologies forms a new subsidiary dedicated to investing in and marketing digital health apps. The Canadian company, which recently launched a cybersecurity division, also has a network of clinics and an EHR business unit.

Walmart Health will open six more clinics in the Atlanta area by the end of this year, bringing its total to at least 13 by the end of 2021. The company already has clinics or plans to open them in Georgia, Arkansas, Illinois, and Florida. Reports suggest that Walmart may incorporate its healthcare services into its forthcoming subscription service, Walmart+, or offer access to telemedicine services from partners Doctor on Demand or 98point6. The program’s annual $98 fee will include same-day grocery deliveries, fuel discounts, and other unnamed perks.

Announcements and Implementations

Birmingham Heart Clinic (AL) will implement EHR, practice management, patient engagement, and financial analytics software from TSI Healthcare.

Northeast Valley Health deploys InteliChart’s Healthy Outcomes patient engagement software across its 16 community health centers in California.

DrChrono adds ClearGage’s patient estimator and financing software to its practice management system.

Office Practicum will add telemedicine capabilities from Anytime Pediatrics to its specialty EHR.

Government and Politics

The HHS Office for Civil Rights fines Metropolitan Community Health Services $25,000 for failing to adopt a corrective action plan to settle potential HIPAA violations from a 2011 data breach. The North Carolina-based FQHC has also agreed to two years of corrective monitoring.

Other

GeekWire profiles Remmie Health, a Seattle-based startup that has developed an otoscope-like device for use at home. Biomedical engineer Jane Zhang developed the device after struggling through several years of ENT visits with her young son for ear infections. She and her team are developing symptom assessment and telemedicine capabilities to help parents cut down on office visits.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

Get HIStalk Practice updates.
Contact us online.
Become a sponsor.