Morning Headlines 4/17/19

Activist investor Jeff Smith: There is a ‘huge’ value opportunity in Cerner

Starboard Value CEO Jeff Smith believes Cerner can increase its operating margins by as much as 9% within the next 18 months if it meets unspecified targets.

In African Villages, These Phones Become Ultrasound Scanners

The FDA-approved Butterfly IQ device transforms a smartphone into an ultrasound scanner, a capability that is having a huge impact on pubic health efforts in Africa.

Advocates battle over health record consent change

Politicians struggle with the privacy and legal issues over changing patient participation in the HIE operated by Vermont Information Technology Leaders from opt-in to opt-out, which VITL says is needed because low participation has caused low HIE usage.

Clearlake-Backed symplr Acquires IntelliSoft

Provider management, credentialing, and payer enrollment technology vendor Symplr acquires competitor IntelliSoft.

Direct-to-consumer telemedicine company Ro raises $85 million, prompting VCs to increase its valuation to $500 million.