News 7/26/24

Top News

HHS reorganizes to give ONC broader responsibility over technology, cybersecurity, data, and AI. ONC will be elevated to assistant secretary status:

• ONC will be renamed to Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC).
• National Coordinator Micky Tripathi will hold the newly titled role.
• The newly created HHS positions for CTO, chief data officer, and chief AI officer will report to ASTP/ONC.
• Cybersecurity activities will be moved from the HHS Assistant Secretary for Administration to ASTP/ONC.

Reader Comments

From Larry’s Loss: “Re: Penn State Health. Replacing Oracle Cerner with Epic.” I haven’t seen an announcement, but this reader sent along a screen shot of an internal communication. Penn State Health operates eight hospitals totaling 1,600 beds, has 20,000 employees, and generates $4 billion in annual revenue.

HIStalk Announcements and Requests

Unrelated, but health tech news is slow today. Redditors weigh in on trendy terms that they dislike:

• Calling everything a “journey.”
• “Lean in.”
• “I did a thing.”
• Referring to children as “littles” or pets as “doggos” or “fur babies.”
• Saying “a big ask” instead of a request.
• Referring to a long time as “a minute.”
• The means-nothing phrase “it is what it is.”
• “Curated.”
• “My bad” instead of saying sorry.

Webinars

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

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Linus Health, whose platform offers tech-powered early detection of cognitive impairment and dementias, acquires Together Senior Health, creator of the Moving Together virtual therapeutic program for cognitive decline.

Humana-owned CenterWell will open 23 senior primary care centers in former Walmart Health clinics.

Ascension will sell nine Chicago-area hospitals to for-profit hospital operator Prime Healthcare.

Sales

• Humana expands its agreement with Google to include Google Cloud and AI.
• GE HealthCare chooses Amazon Web Services for developing new healthcare applications and applying AI.

People

University of Chicago Medicine hires Yeman Collier (UT Health San Antonio) as SVP/CIO.

Announcements and Implementations

Northwell Health launches a movie and TV production company. According to Northwell, “This dedicated studio will better allow us to foster creative partnerships and establish Northwell Health as a leading voice on the issues that matter most — our health and wellness.”

Government and Politics

Jeff Shuren, MD, JD, director of FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, announces his retirement after 15 years in that role. 

A GAO report finds that the VA is struggling with its implementation of a replacement benefits administration system, with estimates of total cost ballooning to $7.7 billion versus the VA’s estimate of $2.5 billion in 2019. GAO warns that the project’s planned 2030 completion is unlikely to be met because of delays in other projects such as its EHR and supply chain system replacements. The GAO also notes that the VA has not implemented two of its earlier recommendations related to cost and scheduling practices. The VA blamed a $600 million in increase in implementation costs on its underestimation of the unique challenges of each deployment.

Ukraine’s health ministry reports that 3 billion records have been entered into its electronic medical records system.

Sponsor Updates

• Healthcare IT Leaders staff volunteer with Meals on Wheels Greenville to deliver meals and care packages to 240 veterans.
• EClinicalWorks will offer customers within Aledade’s network free access to Sunoh.ai’s AI medical scribe software.
• Linus Health will present and exhibit at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference July 28-August 1 in Philadelphia.
• Medhost joins Health Gorilla’s QHIN to enhance access to clinical data and participate in TEFCA.
• Findhelp welcomes Holzer Health System (OH), York County, PA, and Health First (FL) to its network.
• Madison-based publication The Cap Times profiles consulting firm Cardamom Health and CEO Vivek Swaminathan.
• Fortified Health Security publishes its “2024 Mid-Year Horizon Report.”
• The VatorNews Podcast features KeyCare CEO Lyle Berkowitz, MD.

Blog Posts

• Drug diversion prevention: The cost of non-compliance (Wolters Kluwer Health)
• Transforming Rheumatology Workflows with EClinicalWorks (EClinicalWorks)
• Usability of Pharmacogenomics Medication Decision Support is Key to Its Adoption in Clinical Practice (First Databank)
• How to Get C-Suite Buy-In for Healthcare Cybersecurity (Fortified Health Security)
• Five Questions Payers Should Ask About the Payer-to-Payer API Mandated by CMS (Inovalon)
• How Medina Healthcare System saved $10,000+ per month and other wins from their Meditech implementation (Meditech)
• CMS Proposals for Healthcare Quality Reporting in 2025 and Beyond (MRO)
• The Power of a Positive Mindset When Facing Challenges in Rehab Therapy (Net Health)

Contacts

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