News 10/2/24

Top News

Colorado-based hybrid healthcare provider Brisk Health raises $100 million, which it will use to expand its brick-and-mortar presence and enhance its virtual care app.

Webinars

October 24 (Thursday) noon ET. “Preparing for HTI-2 Compliance: What EHR and Health IT Vendors Need to Know.” Sponsor: DrFirst. Presenters: Nick Barger, PharmD, VP of product, DrFirst; Tyler Higgins, senior director of product management, DrFirst. Failure to meet ASTP’s mandatory HTI-2 certification  and compliance standards could impose financial consequences on clients. The presenters will discuss the content and timelines of this key policy update, which includes NCPDP Script upgrades, mandatory support for electronic prior authorization, and real-time prescription benefit. They will offer insight into the impact on “Base EHR” qualifications and provide practical advice on aligning development roadmaps with these changes.

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

RXNT, an ambulatory health IT vendor based in Maryland, acquires diagnostic services interface developer Scalabull.

StrataPT announces $25 million in new funding. The company specializes in practice management and billing software for outpatient therapy practices.

Ambulatory health IT vendor ICoreConnect sells its managed services division to The 20, an IT service management company based in Texas.

Virtual dementia care services company Rippl announces $23 million in Series A funding. Rippl will use the investment to scale beyond the four states it currently operates in and to enhance its technology.

People

Patrick McInnis (Epion Health) joins Yosi Health as VP of partnerships.

Announcements and Implementations

Alpine Physician Partners will implement Ambience Healthcare’s clinical AI software to enhance scribing, coding, CDI, and patient summaries at practices within its network.

Southern New England Healthcare selects Athenahealth’s EHR, RCM, and patient engagement platform.

Other

Texas Tech Physicians and parent organization Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center deal with the same ransomware attack that is affecting affiliate UMC Health. UMC began diverting patients and resorting to downtime procedures last Thursday, while TTP systems including phone and website have been down since Monday.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

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News 9/30/24

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Pediatric mental healthcare provider Brightline will pivot from marketing its virtual care services to payers and employers across the country to offering virtual and in-person care directly to patients in just five states.

The company, which also announced concurrent layoffs, will cease taking new patients and wind down treating current patients by the end of the year. It expects is new hybrid model to be up and running in January.

Brightline has raised $212 million since launching as Emilio Health in 2019.

Webinars

October 24 (Thursday) noon ET. “Preparing for HTI-2 Compliance: What EHR and Health IT Vendors Need to Know.” Sponsor: DrFirst. Presenters: Nick Barger, PharmD, VP of product, DrFirst; Tyler Higgins, senior director of product management, DrFirst. Failure to meet ASTP’s mandatory HTI-2 certification  and compliance standards could impose financial consequences on clients. The presenters will discuss the content and timelines of this key policy update, which includes NCPDP Script upgrades, mandatory support for electronic prior authorization, and real-time prescription benefit. They will offer insight into the impact on “Base EHR” qualifications and provide practical advice on aligning development roadmaps with these changes.

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Colorado-based VieCure announces $45 million in new funding. The company offers AI-powered clinical decision support and EHR software for community-based oncology providers.

People

DocGo promotes Eiwe Lingefors to CIO.

Announcements and Implementations

CareCloud will leverage release-of-information services from ChartSwap.

HMO MedNetOne selects HealthFocus population health management software from HF Software Solutions.

Government and Politics

Cascade Eye and Skin Centers (WA) pays $250,000 to settle federal allegations of potential HIPAA Security Rule violations related to a ransomware attack in 2017 that exposed 291,000 files. An OCR investigation determined that the practice failed to conduct a compliant risk analysis and failed to sufficiently monitor its computers systems for cybersecurity threats.

Other

A Harmony Healthcare IT survey of 1,007 healthcare consumers finds that 32% are planning to skip healthcare appointments in 2025 due to expense, with dentists, eye care professionals, and general practitioners at the top of the skip list. Slightly fewer plan to put off medical procedures for the same reason, with 44% of those opting to postpone non-elective procedures. A sizeable number of patients have said they’ve delayed or canceled procedures because they couldn’t determine the exact cost after insurance. Over half say it’s difficult to get pricing information from local providers.

Sponsor Updates

• EClinicalWorks works with HealthEfficient to complete Hyndman Area Health Center’s (PA) UDS+ submissions to HRSA.
• Waystar will exhibit at ACEP24 September 29-October 2 in Las Vegas.
• AdvancedMD staff win numerous medals, raise $2,600 for the Utah Food Bank, donate 22 units of blood to the American Red Cross and the local blood donor center, and win the Heart & Soul Award during the Salt Lake County Corporate Games.

Blog Posts

• Why Secure Medical Texting Works Better for Patients (PerfectServe)
• Revenue Cycle Management: Boosting Operational Efficiency and Productivity (EClinicalWorks)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

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News 9/25/24

Top News

Ambulatory health IT company ModuleMD acquires Diversified Health Care Management and MedEase, sister companies that specialize in practice and revenue cycle management.

Webinars

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Pomelo Care acquires The Doula Network to add wrap-around doula services to its virtual and now in-person maternity care offerings. Pomelo Care announced $46 million in Series B funding in June.

People

Adhere+ names Jeff Huynh (Clarity Medical Marketing) VP of marketing.

Announcements and Implementations

Aloha integrates advanced data collection and analysis capabilities from Therapy Brands with its AlohaABA practice management software for applied behavior analysis therapy.

Jewish Family Service of MetroWest New Jersey selects the Qualifacts InSync EHR.

Office Practicum announces GA of a new patient portal using white-label patient engagement technology from Bridge.

Powerback Rehabilitation will implement PredictionHealth’s AI-powered Practice Intel analytics software across its clinics in 47 states.

St. Croix Regional Family Health Center (ME) implements Sunoh.ai’s AI medical scribe software.

Other

The Institute for Digital Inclusion Acceleration, a nonprofit that offers free technology and work space at several locations in Arizona, opens a telehealth room at the new Tempe EnVision Center.

Primary Health Network will use a grant from the Highmark Foundation to create the position of a health IT navigator who will work with PHN’s informatics team to streamline internal IT support and enhance digital health proficiency amongst providers and patients. PHN is an FQHC with 40 locations across Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 9/23/24

Top News

Cardinal Health will acquire Integrated Oncology Network for $1.15 billion and incorporate its 50-plus member practices and practice management and growth services into Cardinal’s Navista oncology practice alliance.

Webinars

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Women’s virtual care company Midi Health adds $5 million to its now $63 million round of Series B of funding, bringing its total raised to over $88 million. Midi Health founder and CEO Joanna Strober founded and sold Kurbo Health, a digital weight management platform for kids and teens, to Weight Watchers in 2019 for $3 million.

Announcements and Implementations

Beaumont ACO in Michigan selects HealthFocus population health management software from HF Software Solutions.

HealthLynked, a membership-based digital healthcare provider, launches virtual care services in all 50 states using technology and clinical expertise from Lyric Health.

Blue Fish Pediatrics implements XpertDox’s XpertCoding automated medical coding software across its eight locations in Texas.

Government and Politics

In Rhode Island, former dermatology practice office manager and book keeper Tianna Keller will spend 27 months in jail and pay $580,000 in restitution for misappropriating practice funds and fraudulently applying for and receiving temporary disability benefits.

Other

Physicians in Vermont take issue with the Green Mountain Care Board’s recommendation that, in order to improve accessibility, primary care appointments should be limited to 20 minutes and that clinicians should be required to see at least three patients an hour. They point out that “patient-centered care takes time” and that rushed appointments will only lead to more burnout. The recommendation was issued as part of the board’s 144-page report on improving Vermont’s healthcare system.

Sponsor Updates

• Nordic releases a new “Designing for Health” podcast, “Interview with Joel Klein, MD.”
• Waystar will exhibit at the HFMA Region 6 Conference September 25-27 in Columbus, OH.
• Nordic will partner with Microsoft and CHIME to establish the Rural Health IT Community at the CHIME Fall Forum November 6.

Blog Posts

• From anxiety to action: Human-centered solutions to increase follow-up after false positives (Nordic)
• Nurses of Note 2024: The Clinical Excellence Project Manager (PerfectServe)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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News 9/18/24

Top News

Community Health Systems subsidiary Northwest Urgent Care will acquire 10 urgent care centers in Arizona from Carbon Health, which operates a dwindling number of clinics in multiple states. Carbon relinquished operational control of NorthBay Urgent Care (CA) facilities in February, around the same time it began its fourth round of layoffs.

The company promoted COO Kerem Ozkay to CEO last month.

Webinars

September 19 (Thursday) noon ET. “Improving EHR Speed and Reliability.” Sponsor: Goliath Technologies. Presenters: Jenna Anderson, VP of collaborative insights, KLAS Research; Thomas Charlton, CEO, Goliath Technologies. The presenters will describe the improvement in speed and reliability for clinicians with major EHRs such as Epic, Oracle Health, and Meditech. The actionable data follows up a KLAS Arch Collaborative EHR Experience Survey that notes the prevalence of clinician speed and reliability issues, the frequency and length of poor performance, and the root causes for remediation.

September 19 (Thursday) 1 ET. “Cutting-Edge Conversations: A Fireside Chat With Top CMIOs.” Sponsor: DrFirst. Presenters: Drex DeFord, MSHI, MPA, This Week Health; Lacy Knight, MD, MSMI, Piedmont Health; Jake Lancaster, MD, MSHA, MS, Baptist Memorial Health Care; Colin Banas, MD, MSHA, chief medical officer DrFirst. This fireside chat will distill key points from 15 CMIO participants of the 229 Executive Summit. Topics include the impact of AI on clinical workflows, strategies for optimizing healthcare operations, addressing physician burnout and patient safety, and advances in population health management.

October 3 (Thursday) 1 ET. “Navigating AI-Powered Medical Interpretation: Insights for Health Leaders.” Sponsor: Globo. Presenter: Dipak Patel, CEO, Globo. AI is redefining how providers can communicate with patients who speak limited English. However, not all LLMs are created equal, and their potential and limitations need to be examined further. Globo has published its results from testing several LLMs. This webinar will address the promises and perils of AI-enabled medical interpretation in summarizing that research in four key domains: the process of AI interpretation, how to measure it, the state of AI tools today, and the areas where AI falls short with interpretation.

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

CentralReach, which specializes in software for providers of autism and IDD care, acquires treatment fidelity platform developer Behavior Science Technology.

Announcements and Implementations

Mid Atlantic Radiology Consultants (PA) selects RCM software and services from Healthcare Administrative Partners.

Government and Politics

CVS Health subsidiary Oak Street Health will pay $60 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act when it incentivized insurance agents to refer eligible seniors to its clinics.

Research and Innovation

A study in JAMA Network Open finds that EHR nudges are associated with improvements in various documentation and care planning patterns, such as completeness and accuracy, in primary care settings.

New research finds that Medicare beneficiaries incur fewer costs, spend fewer days in the hospital, and experience fewer hospital readmissions when they receive care at independent physician practices affiliated with private equity groups versus at hospital-affiliated physician groups or those with ties to corporations.

Sponsor Updates

• AdvancedMD will exhibit at the HBMA 2024 Annual Revenue Cycle Management Fall Conference through September 19 in Austin.

Blog Posts

• AdvancedMD Surveyed Our Customers on Their Biggest Medical Billing Challenges. Here’s What We Learned. (AdvancedMD)

Contacts

Jenn, Mr. H, Lorre

More news: HIStalk.

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Contact us online.
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