News 3/6/19

Top News

CVS promotes Roshan Navagamuwa to CIO. He has served as interim CIO since the Aetna deal was announced in late 2017. He’ll be responsible for IT and data integration between Aetna and CVS Health systems. CVS MinuteClinics have used Epic for some time, and began offering virtual care through Teladoc last year. The pharmacy side of the business developed its own ScriptPath prescription management software last spring.

Webinars

March 27 (Wednesday) 2:00 ET. “Waiting on interoperability: What can payers and providers do to collaborate?” Sponsored by Casenet. Presenter: Amy Simpson, RN, director of clinical solutions, Casenet. A wealth of data exists to identify at-risk patients and to analyze populations, allowing every payer and provider to operate readmissions intervention and care management programs. Still, payer and provider care managers are challenged to coordinate and collaborate to improve outcomes because of the long road ahead to interoperability. Attend this webinar to learn what payers and providers can do now to share information and to coordinate their efforts to create the best healthcare journey for members and patients.

Previous webinars are on our YouTube channel. Contact Lorre for information.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Women’s health app Tia opens its first membership-based brick-and-mortar practice in New York City. Crowdsourced suggestions have led the company to offer primary and gynecological care, acupuncture, and naturopathic medicine, with plans for fertility and mental health services at a later date.

Shared medical office company WeShareMD closes a seed round of funding it will use to expand beyond its five Southern California locations. The startup caters its shared office spaces to solo and independent physicians looking to set up shop with flexible leasing arrangements that avoid expensive overhead.

People

EHR, practice management, and e-prescribing vendor RxNT names Heather McLarney (Change Healthcare) its first CMO and promotes Brad Estes to EVP of operations.

Announcements and Implementations

Partners Behavioral Health Management (NC) selects Casenet’s population health management software and services.

McKesson adds Navigating Cancer’s patient relationship management software to its IKnowMed EHR for oncology clinics.

Telemedicine

Texas-based urgent care chain Urgent Care for Kids launches a statewide telemedicine service.

Research and Innovation

A Solutionreach analysis of 20 million automated appointment reminders finds that:

• Weekly messaging sent within a month of a patient’s appointment increased confirmations by 126 percent.
• Daily messaging sent within a week increased confirmations by another 24 percent.
• Hourly messaging sent the same day increased confirmations by an additional 4 percent.
• Scheduling reminders sent just after an appointment had no impact on confirmations for appointments more than a month out.

Other

PCP and Society for Participatory Medicine co-founder @DrDannySands tweets his frustrations with IT systems that don’t talk to each other: “As I’ve often said, the paperless medical office is as likely as the paperless bathroom. This photo from my practice yesterday shows the volume of new documents (most clinical notes/records) we send for scanning—every week! We need better #interoperability.”

Not to worry Dr. Sands: CMS Administrator Seema Verma, along with Trump Administration colleagues Jared Kushner and Chris Liddell take to Fortune to assure the American public that its latest proposed rule will, if enacted, ensure that health data will start flowing freely between providers, patients, and government-funded or approved health plans come 2020.

Physicians who left Novant Health (NC) to work as independent MDs at Holston Medical Group in Charlotte say technology will be a key part of their mission to offer patients more affordable healthcare and reduce burnout amongst their staff. Giving patients easier access to their EHRs will be part of that effort. The Tennessee-based medical group uses Allscripts, while ex-Novant physicians have come from an Epic environment.

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Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

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News 3/4/19

Top News

San Francisco-based mental healthcare company Two Chairs raises $7 million in a Series A financing round led by Maveron. The company plans to expand beyond its four brick-and-mortar practices and enhance its app, which helps patients find therapists that best fit their needs. It also offers virtual consults.

The company has struggled with funding, as VC firms tend to shy away from businesses with high overhead like real estate and ultra-modern interior decor meant to put millenials at ease. Founder Alex Katz says, “I think Silicon Valley venture has had a preference for models that don’t involve brick-and-mortar and minimize the use of people; they prefer software businesses. The reason we are taking this approach is we know from the research that really well-matched in-person therapy is really effective.”

HIStalk Practice Announcements and Requests

Thanks to the following companies that recently supported HIStalk Practice. Click a logo for more information.

Webinars

March 6 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “Pairing a High-Tech Clinical Logistics Center with a Communication Platform for Quick Patient Response.” Sponsored by Voalte. Presenters: James Schnatterer, MBA, clinical applications manager, Nemours Children’s Health; Mark Chamberlain, clinical applications analyst, Nemours Children’s Health. Medics at Nemours Children’s Health track vital signs of patients in Florida and Delaware from one central hub, acting as eyes and ears when a nurse is away from the bedside. Close monitoring 24 hours a day integrates data from the electronic health record, such as critical lab results, and routes physiological monitor and nurse call alerts directly to the appropriate caregiver’s smartphone. This session explores how the Clinical Logistics Center and more than 1,600 Zebra TC51-HC Touch Computers running Voalte Platform connect care teams at two geographically dispersed sites for better patient safety and the best possible outcomes.

Previous webinars are on our YouTube channel. Contact Lorre for information.

Announcements and Implementations

CentralReach adds analytics and business intelligence features to its EHR and practice management software for behavioral healthcare providers.

Direct primary care company Parsley Health adds pediatrics to services at its New York City-based clinic. The service line addition comes nearly a year after its last fundraising round of $10 million.

Modernizing Medicine adds a GoodRx interface to its EMA EHR, giving dermatologists access to prescription pricing at the point of care.

Nextech Systems adds RxPhoto’s mobile medical photography app to its EHR for dermatology and plastic surgery.

People

The American Academy of Dermatology elects George J. Hruza, MD (Laser & Dermatologic Surgery Center) president.

Telemedicine

Nurx expands its telemedicine, and prescription and home-screening kit delivery services to South Carolina.

Boca Raton, FL-based HRT Providers Group launches a hormone therapy replacement telemedicine practice serving patients in 45 states.

Other

Pro-Care Medical Center becomes the first chain of clinics in Texas to accept Bitcoin. “Being an independent practice based in Austin, Texas means we have to test and adapt to meet the digital demands of our patient base,” says CEO Brent Boecking. “We know our patients are techies and early adopters and we strive to be on the forefront ourselves.”

Reading at bedtime certainly is magical. Health Central (NY) staff donate pjs and books to an Early Start classroom of two year-olds at the local Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency. The donation was facilitated by the nonprofit Pajama Program, which seeks to create “caring bedtime rituals” for underprivileged children through the gifts of pajamas and books. “It’s just nice to have a comforting ritual at bed time,” affirms Heather Wasileski, MD who runs the practice with her husband. “Having an adult read to them at night is just kind of a magical time.”

Sponsor Updates

• Black Book recognizes Nordic for top EHR implementation consulting, and Epic consulting and advisory services.
• PerfectServe discusses product and bolsters client relationships at its fifth annual customer advisory board meeting.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

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News 2/27/19

Top News

An AdvancedMD survey of physician practices already using telemedicine finds convenience for patients to be a top benefit, with one respondent noting that, “All our centers are in rural areas so this is a huge benefit for second opinions and surgical consults for our patients so they don’t have to drive 2+ hours.”

Top frustrations with the technology include reimbursement issues, credentialing and licensure, and staff adoption, which tied with privacy and security concerns. Respondents believe that improved reimbursement and parity laws, followed by easier-to-use software, and better EHR integration will drive telemedicine’s growth.

HIStalk Practice Announcements and Requests

I’m shopping around for braces and visited the first of three orthodontics practices yesterday. I was struck by how much this particular practice focused on customer service, and thought I’d share some of the highlights.

• The new patient intake process was easy thanks to the practice’s portal. I was emailed a link to the forms several days before my appointment. One of the questions asked about my hobbies and interests – a nice touch that I presume will help staff kick off future small talk.
• The portal seemed to be part of the practice’s billing system, as it also took me through steps to determine potential payment options based on my credit history.
• The check-in desk had a welcome sign with my first name on it, plus those of other patients.
• Every staff member smiled when we made eye contact.
• A Girl Scout troop toured the facility while I was there, which tells me the practice’s owners invest in their local community (and love Girl Scout cookies).
• I was offered a tour of the facility, something that’s never been offered to me before by any other type of provider.
• After speaking to the orthodontist for 20 minutes or so about treatment options, I was smoothly handed off to the practice manager, who then walked me through a few further options, including payment details presented to me on a tablet. Up-front costs for healthcare procedures, as far as I know, are unheard of.
• I left with paper copies of all that we had discussed, and came home to find a digital version had been emailed to me through the portal.
• I don’t know that there’s a huge need for virtual visits in orthodontia, but I bet this practice is already weighing its options.
• It will be interesting to see how the other two practices compare price-wise. I often wonder if prices are higher at places that obviously have a lot of overhead/bells and whistles.

All in all, it was about as painless a process as I could have hoped for. It was also a stark contrast to some of the physician practices I have frequented in the past. I know business models are different, but the attention to customer service detail makes me think the two other practices I’ll be visiting in the next few weeks will have a hard time competing. And it certainly sets a high bar for any other type of provider I may have to seek in the future.

Webinars

March 6 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “Pairing a High-Tech Clinical Logistics Center with a Communication Platform for Quick Patient Response.” Sponsored by Voalte. Presenters: James Schnatterer, MBA, clinical applications manager, Nemours Children’s Health; Mark Chamberlain, clinical applications analyst, Nemours Children’s Health. Medics at Nemours Children’s Health track vital signs of patients in Florida and Delaware from one central hub, acting as eyes and ears when a nurse is away from the bedside. Close monitoring 24 hours a day integrates data from the electronic health record, such as critical lab results, and routes physiological monitor and nurse call alerts directly to the appropriate caregiver’s smartphone. This session explores how the Clinical Logistics Center and more than 1,600 Zebra TC51-HC Touch Computers running Voalte Platform connect care teams at two geographically dispersed sites for better patient safety and the best possible outcomes.

Previous webinars are on our YouTube channel. Contact Lorre for information.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Toronto-based healthcare app hosting and compliance startup MedStack raises $2.4 million in a funding round led by Telus Ventures.

Announcements and Implementations

Community HealthNet Health Centers in Indiana selects remote patient monitoring technology from Reliq Health Technologies for a three-month trial with patients most at risk for diabetes and hypertension.

PatientPop offers a free benchmarking report to help practices understand how they stack up to their peers in the areas of Google rankings, website presence and performance, and online reputation.

Telemedicine

Doctor on Demand develops a primary care software package that will enable employers and payers to integrate the vendor’s telemedicine services with existing networks.

The MAVEN Project will use VSee’s telemedicine technology to expand access to its advisory and mentorship services for PCPs working in FQHCs.

Research and Innovation

A survey from Eastern New York-based HIE Hixny finds that 85 percent of the 1,000 residents surveyed expect providers to share patient records with one another. A similar percentage expects health data to be shared via HIE, which speaks to the increasingly consumer-centric nature of health data sharing.

Other

I didn’t realize Bitcoin was still a thing, given cryptocurrency’s nosedive in 2018: Will Powers, DO opens a new practice in Detroit that excites video game fans and crypto enthusiasts alike. Powers mentioned in a Reddit thread that he’s using BitPay to accept Bitcoin, and is having to work out the legal and financial tax ramifications of accepting cryptocurrency. He’s been a fan of Bitcoin since 2012, when he began mining it to heat his house. I’m not sure if that means he used his financial gains to pay his heating bills, or his presumably home-grown mining machine literally generated enough heat to keep the household warm and toasty. Those things can definitely warm up a room.

Sponsor Updates

• AdvancedMD will exhibit at the American Academy of Dermatology meeting March 1-5 in Washington, DC.
• Culbert Healthcare Solutions will exhibit at the AAAP conference March 1-4 in Savannah, GA.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 2/25/19

Top News

While physician burnout has by no means been eradicated, new findings from the AMA, Mayo Clinic (MN), and Stanford University School of Medicine (CA) show that its epidemic-level status is weakening. A survey of 5,000 physicians found that the burnout rate dropped below 50 percent for the first time in the last eight years. Though progress is being made, physician burnout is still the most prevalent among US workers.

Webinars

March 6 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “Pairing a High-Tech Clinical Logistics Center with a Communication Platform for Quick Patient Response.” Sponsored by Voalte. Presenters: James Schnatterer, MBA, clinical applications manager, Nemours Children’s Health; Mark Chamberlain, clinical applications analyst, Nemours Children’s Health. Medics at Nemours Children’s Health track vital signs of patients in Florida and Delaware from one central hub, acting as eyes and ears when a nurse is away from the bedside. Close monitoring 24 hours a day integrates data from the electronic health record, such as critical lab results, and routes physiological monitor and nurse call alerts directly to the appropriate caregiver’s smartphone. This session explores how the Clinical Logistics Center and more than 1,600 Zebra TC51-HC Touch Computers running Voalte Platform connect care teams at two geographically dispersed sites for better patient safety and the best possible outcomes.

Previous webinars are on our YouTube channel. Contact Lorre for information.

People

HIPAA One names Garrett Hall (KLAS Research) VP of strategy.

Announcements and Implementations

Florida Eye Clinic implements ClearWave’s patient check-in technologies at its main facility in Altamonte Springs.

Government and Politics

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo allocates $6 million for improvements at five facilities in Brooklyn. Community healthcare provider Bridging Access to Care will use its $560,000 on upgrading its infrastructure and IT systems. The funding comes from the state’s Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program budget of $203 million.

The National Health Services Corps will offer up to $75,000 in student loan repayment for providers who commit to working full-time for three years in a rural or underserved area hit especially hard by the opioid crisis. Applications are due February 28.

Telemedicine

The South Australian Government will open a Royal Flying Doctor Service clinic in the remote town of Innamincka, which has 12 residents and 50,000 outback tourists annually. When not staffed, the clinic will offer telemedicine capabilities.

Other

Bizarre: In Florida, Port Richey Mayor Dale Massad shoots several rounds at police who arrive at his home with a search warrant to determine if he is indeed operating an illegal medical practice. Massad’s medical license was revoked nearly 30 years ago. He was elected mayor in 2015, a position Governor Ron DeSantis revoked after Massad was taken into custody.

Did you hear about the doctor who quit making cheese because he got tired of the daily rind?: The local paper profiles Pennsylvania pediatrician Emiliano Tatar, MD and his growing side hustle as a cheesemaker. Tatar credits his flexible schedule with helping him become the basement-based culinary artisan he is today. “Luckily,” he says, “primary care pediatrics has great work-life balance. It’s certainly not an easy job, but it does allow me to stay home one day a week. I make the cheeses on that day while the kids are at school. The rest of the process is aging, which involves quick daily checks and small adjustments. I also try to pick cheese styles that are relatively low-maintenance.”

Sponsor Updates

• Medicomp Systems announces a new solution to monitor and present hierarchical condition codes (HCCs) at the point of care.
• IMO announces availability of Periop IT content through Epic’s Foundation System.
• AdvancedMD will exhibit at the Association of Dermatology Administrators and Managers event February 26-28 in Washington, DC.

Blog Posts

• 7 signs it’s time for an EHR refresh (Nordic)
• Enterprise-Class Speech API – More Than Great Dictation (NVoq)
• 4 smartphones for nurses you should have on your mobility shortlist (PerfectServe)
• Seeing Interoperability Through a New Prizma (EClinicalWorks)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 2/20/19

Top News

CVS shares fall 8 percent on the news of mixed Q4 results and lower-than-expected annual revenue of $54.42 billion. The company estimates it will need to spend up to $550 million this year on integrating the Aetna assets it purchased last November for $70 billion.

It will be interesting to see how well it does keeping up with the likes of Amazon and Walmart, both of which are attempting to turn more of their virtual and physical square footage over to healthcare products and services, many of which promise to incorporate some sort of health IT. Retail healthcare players definitely seem to be encroaching on the turf of traditional primary care, which is in danger of becoming disconnected from today’s evolving care continuum.

Webinars

March 6 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “Pairing a High-Tech Clinical Logistics Center with a Communication Platform for Quick Patient Response.” Sponsored by Voalte. Presenters: James Schnatterer, MBA, clinical applications manager, Nemours Children’s Health; Mark Chamberlain, clinical applications analyst, Nemours Children’s Health. Medics at Nemours Children’s Health track vital signs of patients in Florida and Delaware from one central hub, acting as eyes and ears when a nurse is away from the bedside. Close monitoring 24 hours a day integrates data from the electronic health record, such as critical lab results, and routes physiological monitor and nurse call alerts directly to the appropriate caregiver’s smartphone. This session explores how the Clinical Logistics Center and more than 1,600 Zebra TC51-HC Touch Computers running Voalte Platform connect care teams at two geographically dispersed sites for better patient safety and the best possible outcomes.

Previous webinars are on our YouTube channel. Contact Lorre for information.

Announcements and Implementations

Silicon Valley startup MDout launches a healthcare application portal small and medium-sized practices can use to outsource the digitization and cloud-based storage of their medical forms.

Multi-state Trumpet Behavioral Health selects CentralReach’s EHR and practice management software.

Commonwealth Radiology Associates (MA) selects RCM and practice management software and services from Healthcare Administrative Partners.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

The local paper profiles Matthews-Vu Medical Group, a Colorado-based practice that has found a sweet revenue spot in serving patients that rely on Medicare, Medicaid, and TriCare – health insurance plans that many practices in the area have begun to eschew. Run by a husband-and-wife team, the EClinicalWorks customer employs 125 and will open its fourth location next month. The practice’s trajectory took off after hiring former UCHealth Medical Group President and CEO Debbie Chandler to lead the practice. Operations director Paul Novotny insists that practice leadership “will never return to the world of corporate medicine; we are the other guys. We recruit physicians who have been in private practice and don’t want all of the headaches of running the business side. They just want to take care of patients and let someone else take care of managing the practice.”

Government and Politics

CMS launches the “Beyond the Policy” podcast to keep stakeholders abreast of its policies and efforts to foster innovation.

People

Atlanta-based healthcare consultancy Coker Group names Christopher Kunney SVP.

The Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine names Brian Iriye, MD (High Risk Pregnancy Center) president.

Other

The local paper highlights the impact ADK Wellness Connections has had since launching in October. A project of the DSRIP-affiliated Adirondack Health Institute in New York, the ADK referral network has helped community members and their providers find and coordinate healthcare and social services from among 63 partner organizations via three care coordination sites. The backbone of the network seems to be software from Unite Us, which enables real-time referrals, in-app messaging and notifications, plus an SDOH dashboard with HIE-like capabilities to ensure service providers have access to the same data.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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