Morning Headlines 6/15/20

Milliman Announces Acquisition of healthIO to Offer Powerful Preventive Health Solution to Employers

Milliman acquires Wisconsin-based employee health monitoring technology vendor Healthio, which it will pair with its predictive analytics offering. 

NovaQuest’s Clinical Ink in second round of process

The investment firm owner of Clinical Ink is putting the drug clinical trials electronic tools company on the market after owning it for two years.

Remote work continues: Dane County’s top employers not rushing to reopen offices

Thirty-five percent of Epic’s workforce returns to its campus in Verona, WI, with more of its 10,000-member staff expected back over the summer.

It’s Time for a New Kind of Electronic Health Record

Former Mass General Brigham and Cerner executive John Glaser, PhD makes the case to redesign EHRs around the patient-clinician medical plan rather than their current role as a place to record the byproducts it generates.

Morning Headlines 6/12/20

Wellsheet Raises Series A Funding for Healthcare Workflow Platform to Reduce Time in the EHR and Physician Burnout

Provider workflow optimization company Wellsheet raises $3.8 million in a Series A funding round.

Leading Virtual Care Platform Conversa Health Raises $12 Million as COVID-19 Accelerates the Need for Digital Health

Automated virtual care vendor Conversa Health raises $12 million in a Series B funding round.

Apple and Google’s ambitious COVID-19 contact-tracing tech can help contain the pandemic if used widely. But so far only 3 states have agreed — and none has started to use it.

Just three states – Alabama, North Dakota, and South Carolina – will use contact tracing software from Apple and Google, while 17 have said they won’t use any apps and 19 remain undecided.

Morning Headlines 6/11/20

Kyruus Secures $30 Million Investment from Francisco Partners

Provider search and scheduling software vendor Kyruus raises $30 million in funding from Francisco Partners.

Cerner Gets Potential $99M VA Software, Hardware Sustainment Task Order

The VA gives Cerner a $99 million task order for sustainment support of hardware and software associated with its EHR modernization project.

Cue Health Closes $100 Million Series C Financing to Support Launch of Rapid Molecular Testing Platform

App-based testing company Cue Health will use $100 million in new financing to expand its San Diego headquarters and further develop and commercialize its portable COVID-19 testing kit.

QGenda Announces Strategic Growth Investment From ICONIQ Capital

Iconiq Capital invests in Atlanta-based healthcare workforce technology company QGenda. 

Morning Headlines 6/10/20

PatientPing Secures $60 Million in Series C Funding to Continue Expansion of National Electronic Notifications Network

PatientPing raises $60 million in a Series C funding round, increasing its total to more than $100 million.

Babylon Health admits GP app suffered a data breach

London-based Babylon Health fixes a software error that allowed several users to view the archived telemedicine sessions of other patients.

Kristin Myers, MPH, Appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Dean for Information Technology

Mount Sinai Health System (NY) promotes Kristin Myers, MPH to EVP/CIO and dean for IT.

Morning Headlines 6/9/20

Siemens Healthineers and Geisinger Announce Value Partnership to Drive Digital Healthcare

Geisinger (PA) signs a 10-year contract with Siemens for its digital health offerings, diagnostic imaging equipment, and on-site staff support.

VA, Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation deliver cancer care to Veterans via teleoncology

The VA will use a $4.5 million grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation to offer veterans expanded access to cancer care via telemedicine.

ChristianaCare develops telehealth Employee COVID-19 Symptom Monitoring and Testing Program for businesses and employers

ChristianaCare (DE) develops a COVID-19 symptom-monitoring, testing, and virtual care app for employers.

Morning Headlines 6/8/20

Electronic Health Records: Ongoing Stakeholder Involvement Needed in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Modernization Effort

A GAO review finds that the VA has implemented effective configuration decision-making in its Cerner implementation by holding national workshops and creating 18 EHR councils, but needs to improve representation at local workshops.

NorthShore provides real time genomic decision support to 10,000 patients using the ActX Service

NorthShore University HealthSystem completes a precision medicine program in which genetic data is loaded into ActX’s genomic service, then used within Epic to alert medication-ordering clinicians of potential genetics-related side effects, efficacy, or dosing considerations.

Hospitals could struggle — and more will go bankrupt — until they get patients back in the door

Many hospital operators say the pandemic-induced surge of telemedicine visits over the last several months won’t be enough to keep them from bankruptcy or from consolidating with neighboring health systems.

Morning Headlines 6/5/20

Amwell confidentially files for IPO amid surging demand for remote health care

Telemedicine company Amwell files for an IPO that may take place in September.

Surgisphere: governments and WHO changed Covid-19 policy based on suspect data from tiny US company

An investigation finds that governments have changed their COVID-19 policies using apparently flawed research findings from virtually unknown US analytics vendor Surgisphere.

New U.S. Data Rules Aim at Clearing Up Jumbled Virus Picture

HHS issues new guidance to standardize the reporting of COVID-19 testing data, requiring facilities to submit data on race, gender, and zip code, among other details, by August 1.

Intermountain Healthcare Names Ryan Smith as New VP and Chief Information Officer

Ryan Smith, MBA (Health Catalyst) will become Intermountain Healthcare’s VP/CIO upon the retirement of Marc Probst, MBA, later this month.

HHS Provides an Additional $250 Million to Help U.S. Health Care Systems Respond to COVID-19

HHS provides health systems an additional $250 million to help them expand virtual care and telemedicine services, train staff, procure PPE, and coordinate COVID-19 responses.

Morning Headlines 6/4/20

R1 Announces Agreement to Acquire Cerner RevWorks

RCM company R1 will acquire Cerner’s RevWorks RCM outsourcing business in a transaction valued at $30 million.

VA Likely Can’t Debut EHR Until the Fall

Politico reports that congressional sources say the VA likely won’t relaunch roll outs of its new Cerner system until the fall, giving it more time to focus on caring for COVID-19 patients.

Change Healthcare Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2020 Financial Results

Change Healthcare reports Q4 results: revenue up by 1%, adjusted EPS $0.42 vs. $0.37 beating both revenue and earnings expectations.

Morning Headlines 6/3/20

Central Logic Announces Strategic Investment from Rubicon Technology Partners

Private equity firm Rubicon Technology Partners takes a majority position in patient access center platform vendor Central Logic.

Netsmart Expands Coding and Billing Service Offerings with Acquisition of QIRT

Netsmart acquires post-acute and behavioral consulting firm Quality In Real Time, adding the company’s OASIS, MDS, and coding and advisory consulting services to its McBee business.

Wellbox Acquires Oculus Health’s CCM Services Business

Chronic care management and remote patient monitoring company Wellbox acquires the CCM division of Oculus Health, which will now focus on the development of AI-powered, patient relationship management software.

Morning Headlines 6/2/20

Change Healthcare pays $200M+ for pharmacy IT firm

Change Healthcare acquires PDX, a Texas-based developer of enterprise pharmacy management software, analytics, and clinical technologies, for $208 million.

NextGen Healthcare, Inc. Reports Fiscal 2020 Fourth Quarter and Year-End Results

NextGen reports Q4 2020 results: revenue up by 1.3%, EPS $0.20 vs. $0.23, missing earnings expectations but beating on revenue.

Cerner Names New Chief Technology Officer

Jerome Labat (Micro Focus International) joins Cerner as CTO.

Tia gets over $24 million to build a network of holistic health clinics and virtual services for women

New York City-based Tia will use a $24.75 million Series A funding round to expand its virtual and brick-and-mortar clinical services to new markets.

Morning Headlines 6/1/20

Onduo Appoints Verily’s Dr. Vindell Washington as Interim CEO to Lead Next Phase of Growth

Virtual diabetes clinic vendor Onduo names Vindell Washington, MD, MHCM as interim CEO.

Arterys Raises $28 Million to Accelerate the Delivery of Medical AI to Practices Around the World

Web-based medical imaging company Arterys raises $28 million in a Series C funding round and appoints co-founder John Axerio-Cilies as acting CEO.

Haemonetics Announces Sale Of U.S. Blood Donor Management Software Solution Assets To The GPI Group

Hematology technology vendor Haemonetics sells some of its blood center donor management systems to Italy-based GPI Group and its US software subsidiary Hemasoft.

Morning Headlines 5/29/20

Bright.md Brings in Strategic Investors as It Closes Oversubscribed $16.7 Million Series C Round

Care automation vendor Bright.md raises $16.7 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its total raised to $29 million.

Orbita Raises $9M to Accelerate Conversational AI Solutions in Healthcare and Life Sciences

Healthcare AI company Orbita raises $9 million in a Series A funding round.

Oncology Analytics Raises $28 Million Series C Financing Led by Baird Capital

Oncology Analytics raises $28 million in a Series C funding round.

Morning Headlines 5/28/20

Babylon Health Leads a $30M Series B in US health kiosk operator, Higi 

UK-based virtual care company Babylon Health takes a stake in Higi’s $30 million funding round.

NextGen Healthcare Announces the Launch of NextGen® Advisors

NextGen Healthcare launches an advisory service that will be led by CMO Betty Rabinowitz, MD.

Propeller Health Receives FDA Clearance to Connect Patients Using the Symbicort Inhaler to its Digital Health Platform

Propeller Health receives FDA clearance to connect patients using Symbicort inhalers to its digital health technology, which delivers analytics on medication usage via sensors and an accompanying app.

Morning Headlines 5/27/20

China’s Virus Apps May Outlast the Outbreak, Stirring Privacy Fears

China’s continued use of its COVID-19 contact tracing phone app raises concerns that the government will make it an ongoing standard since features unrelated to COVID-19 are being added even as the pandemic’s impact wanes.

This Seattle startup just raised $1.1M from Vulcan, others to help hospitals care for COVID-19 patients

Clinical operations improvement startup MDMetrix raises $1.1 million as it accommodates increasing demand for its COVID-19 Mission Control technology.

ONC and The Sequoia Project Announce RCE Efforts Will Continue Into Second Year

ONC provides $1.1 million in funding to engage The Sequoia Project to continue as the Recognized Coordinating Entity for TEFCA for a second year.

Morning Headlines 5/26/20

With an ex-Uber exec as its new CEO, digital mental health service Mindstrong raises $100 million

Mindstrong. a Silicon Valley-based startup that has developed a teletherapy app for patients with severe mental illnesses, raises $100 million in a Series C funding round.

Castlight Health Launches New Solution For Safely Navigating Workforce Health and Re-entry Strategies Addressing COVID-19

Employee health management software company Castlight Health will introduce a COVID-19 screening, assessment, symptom management, and contact tracing app for employers next month.

Oregon’s Tracking Of Hospital Safety Equipment Rife With Holes

Healthcare workers in Oregon claim hospitals are neglecting to accurately document their PPE needs via the state’s HOSCAP reporting system, leaving some facilities without adequate supplies.

Morning Headlines 5/25/20

Digital health stocks are surging because ‘suddenly now we’re in the future’

Digital health companies experience record utilization, revenue, investment, and stock market surges as healthcare organizations have quickly pivoted to telemedicine and remote monitoring.

TriNetX & Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute Partner on FDA Sentinel System to Monitor COVID-19 Drug Usage

FDA’s Sentinel Operations Center at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute is working with TriNetX’s global health research network to monitor priority drugs that are being used for treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Private equity group nears $100m-plus deal for Central Logic

PE Hub reports that health system logistics and patient transfer software vendor Central Logic may be sold in a $100 million-plus deal.

Morning Headlines 5/22/20

Flagler Health+ and Healthfully Offer Back-to-Work Solution for Employers

Flagler Health (FL) and consumer digital health company Healthfully develop a COVID-19 screening and monitoring app for employers that includes virtual visit capabilities.

Aetion launches research collaboration with FDA to advance understanding of COVID-19

The FDA launches a research project into the origin, treatment, and diagnostic patterns of COVID-19 using Aetion’s Evidence Platform, which aggregates data from EHRs, claims, registries, and clinical trials.

HHS Proposes ‘IT Control Tower’ to Manage Strategic National Stockpile

HHS issues an RFI on re-developing the IT strategy behind its Strategic National Stockpile of items associated with coronavirus-like pandemics.