Morning Headlines 1/3/23

Nectar Raises over $24M in Funding to Scale Personalized Allergy Care Platform Nationally

Web-based allergy care company Nectar will use a $24 million Series A funding round to expand its online business and open its first brick-and-mortar clinic.

Howard Memorial Hospital in Southwest Arkansas says patient and employee data stolen in cybersecurity attack

Howard Memorial Hospital (AR) officials believe data pertaining to patients and current and former employees may have been stolen during an early December cyberattack.

Rapid NHS rollout sees 200,000 diabetes patients get lifechanging devices

NHS England equips 200,000 diabetic patients with glucose monitoring devices and companion apps as part of a program that will eventually offer the technology across all NHS facilities.

Morning Headlines 1/2/23

Possible cyberattack at CentraState prompts hospital to divert ambulances

CentraState Medical Center (NJ) suspends outpatient services and diverts ambulances after uncovering a cyberattack on Friday.

Despite Issues, VA’s EHR Deployment Remains Scheduled to Pick Up in Mid-2023

Congress approves an omnibus spending bill that includes $300 billion in 2023 funding for the VA – $1.8 billion of which is earmarked to continue to support the roll out of the department’s Oracle Cerner-based EHR across 25 facilities beginning in June.

GE Healthcare will join S&P 500 as soon as it begins trading

GE Healthcare Technologies, a new company spun out of General Electric focused on patient care solutions, imaging, ultrasound, and pharmaceutical diagnostics, will join the S&P 500 on January 4.

Morning Headlines 12/30/22

Data Breach at Louisiana Healthcare Provider Impacts 270,000 Patients

Lake Charles Memorial Health System begins notifying 270,000 patients that their information was compromised in an October 20 ransomware attack.

Rural patients struggle to access expert sexual assault exams. Telehealth services are closing that gap

Sexual assault nurse examiners are using telehealth to help with examinations and evidence collection.

Morning Headlines 12/29/22

Settlement: Scripps Health agrees to pay $3.5 million to patients affected in 2021 data breach

The health system settles with the 1 million patients who were affected by a May 2021 ransomware attack.

Stroke victims up to 48 PER CENT more likely to make full recovery when diagnosed using AI technology, trials suggest

Analysis of the data of 100,000 stroke patients suggests that 48% made a full recovery when AI was used to diagnose and treat them faster, versus 16% without the technology.

Ohio Supreme Court says insurance policy does not cover ransomware attack on software

The Ohio Supreme Court overrules a previous ruling that the property insurer of medical billing software vendor EMOI should cover a ransomware attack.

Morning Headlines 12/28/22

Spokane VA has reduced staff despite ongoing effects of troubled computer system as veterans wait longer for care

The local paper reports that the cost of extra staff who have been hired to offset a loss of productivity with Oracle-Cerner has delayed care and pushed veterans into the private healthcare system.

CapVest’s GLO Healthcare completes acquisition of Calyx, a Global leader in the delivery of improved outcomes from clinical trials

A private equity firm acquires Calyx, which offers medical imaging, interactive response, and clinical trials management software.

Patient access to full general practice health records

An editorial in BMJ calls for NHS England to move head with its delayed program to give patients access to their records, saying that patients will need to become more self-reliant as access to care in the UK continues to worsen.

Morning Headlines 12/22/22

Biden-Harris Administration Continues Unprecedented Efforts to Increase Ownership Transparency in Health Care Settings

HHS publishes ownership data for all 7,000 Medicare-certified hospitals.

Congress Unveils Two Year Extension of Telehealth Flexibilities – As Urged by the ATA and ATA Action – As Part of Omnibus Bill

The omnibus appropriations bill includes a two-year extension for Medicare telehealth provisions and two-year delay in implementing the in-person requirement, although it would  not extend the Ryan Haight waiver for remote prescribing of controlled substances.

Morning Headlines 12/21/22

Administrative Simplification: Adoption of Standards for Health Care Attachments Transactions and Electronic Signatures, and Modification to Referral Certification and Authorization Transaction Standard

HHS proposes to adopt standards for health care attachment transactions for claims and prior authorizations.

HHS urges prompt patch of critical Citrix flaw after healthcare entities exploited

HHS warns that a vulnerability in Application Delivery Controller and Gateway has allowed hackers to compromise multiple healthcare entities by executing commands without being authenticated.

New Hires and Internal Transitions Reflect Health System’s Growth Strategies and Commitment to Enhancing the Community’s Health

RWJBarnabas Health announces the hiring or promotion of five C-level executives, three of whom are pharmacists, including former SVP/Chief Pharmacy Officer Robert Adamson, PharmD, who as EVP/CIO will serve as operational leader for its Epic implementation.

Morning Headlines 12/20/22

GAO Makes Appointments to the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee

The General Accounting Office appoints seven members to HITAC.

Fujifilm Announces Asset Purchase Agreement with Inspirata, Inc. to acquire the company’s Digital Pathology Business

Fujifilm will expand its Synapse Enterprise Imaging with the integration of pathology images and data using the technology of Tampa-based Inspirata.

Google can now read your doctor’s bad handwriting

Google is working with pharmacists in India to decipher handwritten prescriptions by snapping a photo of the document that is then analyzed by Google Lens.

The Failed Promise of Online Mental-Health Treatment

A Wall Street Journal report finds that investor-backed digital mental health services have sacrificed quality in their focus on growth, advertising, and the use of questionably qualified contractors.

Epic Defeats Another Prolific Patent Troll, Protecting Members of the Epic Community From Vexatious Patent Litigation

A US District Court invalidates the patents of non-practicing entity (patent troll) Decapolis Systems, which had sued Epic customers in claiming patent infringement, after Epic files a declaratory judgment lawsuit in the company’s South Florida home town.

Morning Headlines 12/19/22

‘A loss for the hospitality industry’: Annual Cerner convention will leave Kansas City

The event that was formerly known as the Cerner Health Conference will move to Las Vegas next year as part of the Oracle CloudWorld Conference.

DEA Serves Order to Show Cause on Truepill Pharmacy for its Involvement in the Unlawful Dispensing of Prescription Stimulants

The DEA seeks to determine whether or not online pharmacy Truepill illegally filled prescriptions by exceeding 90-day supply limits and/or filled prescriptions written by prescribers without proper state licensing.

Sanford releases notice of ‘data event’

Sanford Health (SD) notifies patients of a data breach stemming from a cybersecurity incident involving third-party vendor AAA Collections.

Morning Headlines 12/16/22

Former US Sec. of Veterans Affairs & Daughter Launch Chronic Pain Care Startup, Override, Raise $3.5M, Acquire Leading Pain Coaching Company

Virtual chronic pain solution vendor Override raises $3.5 million in seed funding, some of which has been used to acquire pain management coaching business Take Courage Coaching.

Fortified Health Security Announces Growth Investment Led by Silversmith Capital Partners and Health Velocity Capital

Fortified Health Security announces an unspecified growth investment from two investment firms and Nordic Consulting.

CMS Responding to Data Breach at Subcontractor

CMS notifies 254,000 Medicare beneficiaries of an October data breach resulting from a ransomware attack on subcontractor Healthcare Management Solutions.

Morning Headlines 12/15/22

Dublin startup IncludeHealth raises $10.7M, lands Yale Med as client

Virtual physical therapy software vendor IncludeHealth secures $11 million in financing and announces new customer Yale New Haven Health.

Komodo Health, once tipped for a looming IPO, has cut staff as CFO departs

De-identified patient data and analytics company Komodo Health attempts to streamline operations with a $200 million equity infusion, delayed IPO plans, layoffs, and the exit of its CFO.

Telehealth Visits Unlikely to Require In-Person Follow-Up Within 90 Days

After analyzing 35 million specialty telemedicine visits conducted over a two-year period, Epic researchers determine that the majority did not require an in-person, follow-up visit within the next three months

Morning Headlines 12/14/22

‘Out of control’: Dozens of telehealth startups sent sensitive health information to big tech companies

An analysis of 50 direct-to-consumer telehealth sites finds that 35 share personal information with big tech advertising platforms, and 13 send answers to potentially sensitive user questionnaires.

Cyberattack Hits Brooklyn Hospitals That Serve Poor New Yorkers

One Brooklyn Health continues to bring systems back online at its three hospitals after a November 19 cybersecurity incident.

CorroHealth and Versalus Health Join Forces to Bring More Solutions to Hospitals

CorroHealth, parent brand of TrustHCS, T-System, Visionary RCM, and RevCycle+, acquires healthcare analytics and physician advisory services company Versalus Health.

Morning Headlines 12/13/22

Oracle Sales Top Estimates on Growth at Cerner Health-Records Unit

Cerner’s $1.5 billion in quarterly sales help parent company Oracle’s sales jump 18% to $12.3 billion.

Commons Clinic clinches $11M for specialty care

Commons Clinic, which is building out a network of specialty physician practices that will offer integrated virtual care programs, raises $11 million in seed funding.

Semler Announces Investment in Monarch Medical Technologies

Semler Scientific will invest up to $5 million in digital diabetes management company Monarch Medical Technologies.

Morning Headlines 12/12/22

Epic Launches Connection Hub: Open to All Developers

Epic announces that it will shut down its App Market until sometime next year, and that it will launch Connection Hub on January 9, enabling software vendors that connect to Epic to list their apps and self-report the successful exchange of data.

VA will use Silicon Valley hiring spree to bring fresh talent into EHR program, CIO DelBene says

The VA plans to hire 1,000 new employees to work on its Oracle Cerner implementation as it recruits from Silicon Valley.

Juno Medical Raises $12M Series A Led by Next Ventures and Serena Ventures; Funding Will Fuel Juno’s National Expansion

Tech-enabled healthcare provider Juno Medical raises $12 million in a Series A round, enabling it to expand into Atlanta, Tulsa, and Los Angeles.

Morning Headlines 12/9/22

CompuGroup Medical confirms market-leading position with strategic acquisition of Medicus LIS

CompuGroup Medical acquires Medicus, adding a fourth laboratory information system to its roster that includes Labdaq, Schuylab, and AP Easy.

Sonde Health Raises $19.25 Million Series B to Build the Next Generation of Voice-Based Health Monitoring

Voice-based health monitoring company Sonde Health raises $19 million in a Series B round, bringing its total raised to $35 million.

CereCore expands healthcare technology services into the UK

CereCore expands its health IT services to the United Kingdom.

SaVia Health Raises $8.5M in Seed Funding

SaVia Health, which offers software that converts paper-based care pathway information into EHR-friendly clinical decision support content, raises $8.5 million.

Morning Headlines 12/8/22

Apple scores victory in dispute over heart monitoring technologies in Apple Watch

AliveCor will appeal a patent court ruling that has found three of its patents covering heart monitoring technologies for wearable devices are unpatentable, negating its allegation that Apple copied those technologies for use in the Apple Watch.

Theranos exec Sunny Balwani sentenced to 13 years in prison for defrauding patients and investors

Former Theranos COO Sunny Balwani is sentenced to 13 years in prison after being found guilty of 12 charges related to defrauding investors and patients and conspiracy to commit fraud.

Blaze Advisors Rebrands as Alera Health

Population health management consulting firm Blaze Advisors rebrands to Alera Health.

ACM medical clinic closed in Clarksville as employees go without pay, lose access to records

Advance Care Medical employees in Clarksville, TN close the clinic after corporate owner Healthcare Solutions Management Group stopped paying them – and the bill for the clinic’s EHR – on October 1.

Morning Headlines 12/7/22

Carle Health Partners with Health Catalyst to Achieve Data-Informed Improvement

Carle Health (IL) will transition its Clinical and Business Intelligence team to employment with Health Catalyst, which will continue to provide it with analytical support through 2028.

Amazon to End Support Next Week for Third Party Healthcare Alexa Skills with HIPAA Requirements

Citing ongoing evaluation of its offerings and less than a month out from layoffs within its Alexa division, Amazon tells third-party developers that it will stop supporting Alexa 3P HIPAA-eligible skills on December 9.

CMS Proposes Rule to Expand Access to Health Information and Improve the Prior Authorization Process

CMS publishes a proposed rule that would require some payers to implement digital prior authorization processes, shorten the time frame to reply to PA requests, and establish payer-to-payer data exchange, among several other requirements.