News 8/16/23

Top News

Patient intake software vendor Phreesia acquires Access EForms, which specializes in electronic forms management and automation. Healthcare Growth Partners advised Access on the sale.

Phreesia acquired MediFind, which offers an analytics-based platform designed to help patients find best-fit providers, last month.

Webinars

August 24 (Thursday) 2 ET. “RCM analytics in action: How to use your data to drive decisions + revenue.” Sponsor: Waystar. Presenter: Laura Tungate, solution strategist team lead, Waystar. This webinar will describe how to use RCM analytics to take control of your data even if you use outdated or multiple tools. Attendees will learn how to target improvements, describe the KPIs that are key to revenue cycle leaders, prioritize dashboards that spotlight organizational goals and build alignment, and how and when to apply RCM analytics to go from analysis to action faster.

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

US Radiology Specialists announces hiring plans for its recently launched Connexia teleradiology division.

People

Solutionreach names Ken Ernsting (HHAeXchange) CEO.

Rectangle Health promotes Mike Pelus to chief product and strategy officer.

Announcements and Implementations

Home-based physical therapy provider Luna creates an AI division to develop new AI-based solutions, including enhancements to its Auto Charting technology and a chatbot designed to help patients with inquiries related to scheduling and billing. (While the launch of an AI division is no doubt innovative, I can’t help but notice that it lists a fax number for submitting prescriptions.)

Velatura HIE Corp. and Premier Health Network develop CareConvene care transitions notification and coordination software for Georgia-based practices.

Conway Ob-Gyn Clinic (AR) implements EClinicalWorks.

Sponsor Updates

• Virginia Eye Institute transitions to EClinicalWorks V12.
• Nordic releases a video titled “Craig Joseph, MD, and his journey to Verona.”

Blog Post

• Are you tracking how often patients visit your practice? (AdvancedMD)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 8/14/23

Top News

Urgent care technology vendor Experity acquires cloud-based, teleradiology-focused OnePACS for an undisclosed sum.

Webinars

August 24 (Thursday) 2 ET. “RCM analytics in action: How to use your data to drive decisions + revenue.” Sponsor: Waystar. Presenter: Laura Tungate, solution strategist team lead, Waystar. This webinar will describe how to use RCM analytics to take control of your data even if you use outdated or multiple tools. Attendees will learn how to target improvements, describe the KPIs that are key to revenue cycle leaders, prioritize dashboards that spotlight organizational goals and build alignment, and how and when to apply RCM analytics to go from analysis to action faster.

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Shares of membership-based primary care company Cano Health plummet after it announces plans to sell its assets and lay off 700 employees in order to stay remain in business. The company went public via SPAC merger in 2021 at a $4.4 billion valuation, though its shares had lost 90% of their value as of last April, when several board members resigned over company mismanagement. CEO Marlow Hernandez stepped down in June.

People

Mike Ressel (Cloud 9 Software) joins Office Practicum as CEO.

Announcements and Implementations

Suvida Health (TX) implements Elation Health’s EHR.

Praesum Healthcare Services (FL) goes live on Lightning Step All-in-One EHR, CRM, and RCM software from Lightning Step Technologies.

Government and Politics

The FDA opens an investigation into Atlanta-based IV hydration therapy company Hydra+ after a former employee brings questionable business practices to light, including using expired vials, swapping out vitamin solutions without telling customers, and administering the wrong drugs.

Other

The local news covers the heartbreaking – yet encouraging – story of Geoff and Caroline Butler and the community clinic they are building for the second time from scratch. The Johnson Health Center, launched by the Butlers less than a year ago out of a renovated Subway store, was devastated by recent flooding. The couple is determined to rebuild so that they can continue to serve their community, especially those patients in recovery from substance abuse: “I didn’t realize how impactful the work was that we did, how many lives we’ve touched,” Geoff recently told CNN. “We’ve just got to keep pushing for them. We’re just going to keep on doing what we do best. And that’s helping people.”

Sponsor Updates

• EClinicalWorks releases a new podcast, “Empowering Communities, Analytics for Better Patient Care.”
• Nordic releases a new Designing for Health Podcast, “Interview with Karim Jessa, MD.”
• Best Medical Care (NY) upgrades to EClinicalWorks Cloud.

Blog Posts

• EHRs or social interactions: Can’t we have both? (Nordic)
• We Surveyed Our Customers on Mental Health Issues. Here’s What We Learned. (AdvancedMD)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 8/9/23

Top News

Virtual behavioral healthcare company Better Life Partners raises $26.5 million.

Webinars

August 24 (Thursday) 2 ET. “RCM analytics in action: How to use your data to drive decisions + revenue.” Sponsor: Waystar. Presenter: Laura Tungate, solution strategist team lead, Waystar. This webinar will describe how to use RCM analytics to take control of your data even if you use outdated or multiple tools. Attendees will learn how to target improvements, describe the KPIs that are key to revenue cycle leaders, prioritize dashboards that spotlight organizational goals and build alignment, and how and when to apply RCM analytics to go from analysis to action faster.

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

People

HealtheConnect Alaska names Kendra Sticka (University of Alaska Anchorage) executive director.

Azalea Health promotes Khue Tran to chief strategy officer.

Terry Goertz (Availity) joins Hansei Solutions as CTO.

Announcements and Implementations

Novella Infusion (NH) will implement SamaCare’s automated prior authorization workflow software across its 24 locations.

Alternative Integrative Medicine Health (RI) selects CareCloud’s TalkEHR and RCM technology.

The Oncology Institute implements Ambience Healthcare’s generative AI technology for clinical documentation.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 8/7/23

Top News

SimplePractice, a health and wellness technology company owned by EngageSmart, acquires psychiatry-focused EHR and practice management vendor Luminello.

Webinars

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

People

Fred Sheffield (TeleVox) joins Lightning Step as CFO.

ThoroughCare names Carol Helton (Medecision) chief revenue officer.

Announcements and Implementations

Midland Community Healthcare Services (TX) selects EClinicalWorks.

Research and Innovation

A new report from MGMA finds that physician-owned practices continue to see a decrease in support staffing levels, with the most impacted being primary care practices. Of those practices that haven’t seen a decrease, 44% report their current staffing levels are unable to keep up with patient demand.

Other

Jeffrey Harris, MD offers several scenarios in this JAMA Network op-ed in which an AI-enhanced EHR can improve a primary care physician’s clinical productivity. For such technology to be truly impactful, today’s EHRs must be overhauled to accommodate NLP and machine-learning add-ons, Finally, he stresses that health IT developers must think beyond the restrictive requirements of government certification to create these innovative, AI-enhanced technologies.

A CNCB reporter goes through a mock doctor’s appointment to get a feel for how AI can help improve her visit. She notes that Nuance’s Dax Express app was able to record her interaction with her physician and then nearly immediately offer up documentation (minus one pertinent recommendation) ready for her EHR: “From a patient perspective, I have to admit it was refreshing to talk to a doctor who wasn’t typing into a PC, and then to get a record that really captured what I was saying.”

Sponsor Updates

Blog Posts

• The fog of more: Price transparency will increase health systems’ competition for patients (Nordic)
• Nurses of Note 2023: The District School Nurse (PerfectServe)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 8/2/23

Top News

Tech-enabled kidney care company Healthmap Solutions raises $100 million in a funding round led by WindRose Health Investors, bringing its total raised to $226 million. Founded in 2016, Healthmap has seen its workforce grow from 50 to 600 over the last several years.

Webinars

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Remote patient monitoring and chronic care management company MD Revolution acquires NavCare, a competitor based in Augusta, GA. NavCare President and COO Chris MacInnis will become MD Revolution’s COO, while NavCare EVP Theresa Lantz will become VP of client success.

CVS Health reports a Q2 revenue boost of 10.3% a day after confirming that it will cut 5,000 corporate jobs as it reprioritizes spending to focus more on care delivery and technology. The company has spent nearly a combined $19 billion in 2023 on its acquisitions of Oak Street Health and Signify Health.

Social care navigation software vendor Pear Suite opens a new office in Tulsa, OK. The expansion was enabled by a strategic investment from Atento Capital.

Announcements and Implementations

Orange County Migraine & Wellness Center (CA) implements EClinicalWorks.

Somers Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Group signs on for practice management services from Health Plus Management.

Springfield Clinic will roll out EHR, practice management, and billing software from Athenahealth across its facilities in Illinois.

KMS Healthcare announces GA of Connect, a development tool for clinical data exchange that consists of customizable, pre-tested FHIR APIs and an HL7 conversion engine.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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