Morning Headlines 3/13/18

Mercy Health launches new department

Mercy Health (OH) hires former Angel MedFlight Worldwide Air Ambulance Services CEO Jason Siegert to head up its new analytics department, which will bring together business intelligence, and quality and population health analysis to better evaluate data.

Lake Mary firm to close, lay off employees

Greenway Health announces it will close its Lake Mary, FL and Birmingham, AL offices as it continues to consolidate operations at its headquarters in Tampa, FL.

Intermountain Healthcare Launches New Company, Expanding Access to Proven Mental Health Integration Approach

Intermountain Healthcare (UT) spins off Alluceo, a new company that will help providers apply technology to the integration of primary and behavioral healthcare.

Losing Software Bidder Charges University of Illinois is About to Make a $100M Mistake

After making a stink about the amount of money Illinois tax payers will have to pay if the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System moves forward with its Epic contract, Cerner convinces the Illinois Procurement Policy Board to convene all parties to explain their bids and the procurement process.

Morning Headlines 3/12/18

Minneapolis-based Ability Network sells to Inovalon for $1.2 billion

Analytics vendor Inovalon will acquire competitor Ability Network for $1.2 billion, doubling the 2015 investment of the latter’s private equity owners.

Nuance lands a major partner in the health care sector

Epic will integrate Nuance’s AI-powered virtual assistants into its Haiku, Rover, and Cadence software.

Cerner Investment Community Meeting HIMSS Las Vegas -2018

Cerner reps announce during a HIMSS investment presentation that the VA will go live in 48 waves that will begin in Q4 2019 with pilot sites and then run through 2027, while DoD go-lives beyond the pilot sites will start this fall and go live in 23 waves.

Morning Headlines 3/2/18

Healthcare Consulting and Services 2018: Which Firms Deliver a True Partnering Experience?

A new KLAS report that asked providers to rate consulting firms they’ve worked with finds that Nordic and Deloitte were most often perceived as true partners, while Advisory Board was by far the firm providers would not use again because of disappointing outcomes and use of inexperienced consultants.

The SSI Group Announces Acquisition of ICA

The SSI Group acquires Informatics Corporation of America and its CareAlign clinical data aggregation and exchange platform.

Uber, but for Getting to the Hospital

Uber stirs up the healthcare hype with the launch of a HIPAA-compliant service that will enable providers to arrange rides for patients to and from appointments.

Morning Headlines 3/1/18

Intermountain Healthcare boosts digital care for Utah patients with launch of new, more centralized ‘virtual hospital’

In Utah, Intermountain Healthcare brings its 35 telemedicine programs under one roof – that of a 20,000 square-foot facility that will be home to the health system’s new Connect Care Pro virtual hospital services.

Officials say new military health records plan on track, already showing results

Military officials are pleased with the progress of MHS Genesis, comparing the roll out of the Cerner system more favorably to similar implementations last year at three of Cerner’s private-sector customers.

Microsoft rolls out more AI-infused healthcare services, software

In another attempt at relevancy in healthcare, Microsoft launches cloud-based computing tools for precision genomics and AI-powered transcription, as well as security and compliance templates for moving health data to its Azure cloud.

Morning Headlines 2/28/18

EClinicalWorks Launches Acute Care EHR & Revenue Cycle Management Starting at $599 Per Bed Per Month

EClinicalWorks launches a cloud-based hospital EHR/RCM system that will start at $599 per bed per month, with the first live hospital scheduled to be 42-bed Hamilton Healthcare System (TX).

R1 to Acquire Intermedix Corporation

Revenue cycle technology company R1 RCM will acquire Intermedix’s healthcare division, which includes physician and EMS RCM, practice management, and analytics service lines, for $460 million.

Does Fitbit have time to pull off its digital healthcare transformation?

Fitbit reports Q4 revenue of $571 million – $17 million less than analyst estimates, prompting stocks to tumble 15 percent and CEO James Park to stress that the wearables company will focus on “managing down” expenses while expanding its line of smartwatches.

Shulkin: ‘There’s one agenda … and anyone who doesn’t want to do that shouldn’t be in the VA’

At the annual American Legion conference, VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD hints at unrest within the ranks when he makes it clear that those staffers who aren’t on board with the department’s priorities – replacing VistA with Cerner, increasing access to care, and suicide prevention – should get their walking papers in order.

Morning Headlines 2/27/18

New System Makes it Easier for Patients to Talk to Doctors

The Wall Street Journal describes OurNotes, the next step in the OpenNotes movement in which patients will be able to share their own notes with their doctors.

Hospital taking steps to resolve billing issues

Western Missouri Medical Center struggles with its billing system conversion to Cerner, notifying patients that they may receive catch-up bills going back to January 2017.

Apple is launching medical clinics to deliver the ‘world’s best health care experience’ to its employees

Apple will launch two employee clinics near its California headquarters called AC Wellness and is listing open positions for doctors, health coaches, and health behaviors program designers.

Morning Headlines 2/26/18

Changes in hospital bond ratings after the transition to a new electronic health record

Researchers looking at how hospital bond ratings fared after implementing a new EHR conclude that it’s tough to prove any relationship between EHR implementation and the macro financial picture provided by bond ratings, even though ratings announcements often reference either the cost or the financial benefit of a new EHR.

Cerner deal creeps closer

The VA could sign its Cerner mega-deal as early as this week, with both parties agreeing to 50 minor contract changes recommended in Mitre’s interoperability evaluation.

Your next activity tracker could be a pair of glasses

After a year of beta testing, vision care insurance company VSP will give Intel a run for its money with the launch of its Level activity-tracking smart specs.

Morning Headlines 2/23/18

Duke Health First in the US to be Recognized by HIMSS Analytics for its Advanced Analytical Capabilities

Duke Health (NC) becomes the first health system to earn all three HIMSS Analytics Stage 7 capability and maturity honors – ambulatory EHR, acute care EHR, and the new AMAM analytics model of which Duke is the first Stage 7 winner.

VA Partners With DeepMind to Build Machine Learning Tools to Identify Health Risks for Veterans 

Google’s DeepMind Health subsidiary will use de-identified veteran health records to help the VA develop machine learning algorithms that can predict patient deterioration, initially focusing on acute kidney injury.

Bon Secours Health System to merge with Mercy Health of Ohio

Bon Secours Health System and Mercy Health – both Epic shops – will merge to create an $8 billion health system serving seven states across 1,000 facilities.

Morning Headlines 2/22/18

Practice Fusion is scrapping free software model after agreeing to sell to Allscripts

Despite chief executive statements to the contrary, Practice Fusion will start charging customers $100 monthly subscription fees for its previously free EHR software.

Mayo Clinic sees big jump in 2017 earnings

Eight months after kicking off a $1.5 billion Epic implementation, Mayo Clinic officials report a 50-percent increase in earnings that they attribute to reduced Medicaid losses, greater philanthropy gains, increased efficiencies, and strong investment returns.

UVA Health System Notifies 1,882 Patients About Potential Privacy Issue

The University of Virginia Health System notifies nearly 2,000 patients of a malware attack that enabled a hacker to remotely view hospital settings, possibly including PHI, through breached devices.

Morning Headlines 2/21/18

Time to Release Medicare Advantage Claims Data

A JAMA editorial calls for CMS to release Medicare Advantage encounter data to allow taxpayers to see how their money is being spent on its growing number of beneficiaries.

Electronic Health Records Don’t Reduce Administrative Costs

Researchers find that a large academic health system’s certified EHR significantly drives up administrative costs associated with billing and insurance activities.

Leaked Nokia memo says no path forward for ‘struggling’ digital health business

Less than a week after announcing a strategic review of its digital health business, Nokia Chief Strategy Officer Kathrin Buvac tells employees that it will most likely not be a “meaningful part” of the company’s future.

Morning Headlines 2/20/18

21st Century Oncology’s new CEO seeks to rehab company image, expand operations

21st Century Oncology announces it will expand operations after emerging from bankruptcy and tackling legal issues related to a privacy breach of 2.2 million patient records and an investigation into improper Meaningful Use reporting.

There’s No Stopping the $50 Billion IPO With a Silly Name

Siemens confirms that the IPO of its Healthineers business will take place in the first half of this year.

Google AI can scan your eyes to predict heart disease

Verily researchers develop an early-stage algorithm that can evaluate retinal scans and, aided by machine learning, predict cardiovascular risk factors.

Partners HealthCare outsourcing coding jobs to India

Partners HealthCare (MA) will lay off 100 coders and outsource their jobs to India as part of a three-year plan to cut up to $800 million in costs.

Morning Headlines 2/19/18

Holy Cross CEO covers payroll, seeks more cuts

Holy Cross Hospital (NM) says its financial problems are due to a problematic software rollout, its conversion to a critical access fee structure, Medicaid payment delays, and a lawsuit judgment that raised its malpractice insurance by $600,000.

US Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2019

Last Thursday’s meeting of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs covered the VA’s FY2019 budget request, with much of the discussion focused on the cost and timing of the Cerner roll out.

MCH’s Cerner implementation showing progress

Texas-based Medical Center Health’s $47 million Cerner roll out suffers implementation problems that Cerner has attributed to hospital clinicians and administrators.

Morning Headlines 2/16/18

Alphabet-backed Flatiron Health is being acquired by Roche

Drug maker Roche will acquire oncology EHR and personalized medicine vendor Flatiron Health for $1.9 billion in cash, giving the company a $2.1 billion valuation that includes Roche’s previous investment in it.

Allscripts to sell OneContent business to Hyland

Allscripts will sell the OneContent document management software business it acquired as part of McKesson EIS to Hyland Software for undisclosed terms.

Nokia announces strategic review of its Digital Health business

Nokia conducts a strategic review of its digital health business just two years after it created it by acquiring connected health hardware vendor Withings for $212 million.

Morning Headlines 2/15/18

NJII, Dept. of Health hope to create info exchange

The New Jersey Innovation Institute will partner with the New Jersey Department of Health to develop the grant-funded New Jersey Health Information Network, an HIE that will initially go live in Newark and then expand to other parts of the state.

On-Screen, On-Demand, On-Time: The Future of Telemedicine at Penn Medicine

Penn Medicine (PA) brings its telemedicine initiatives under one roof at the new Center for Connected Care, creating one of the country’s largest telehealth hubs.

US can sue UnitedHealth in $1 billion Medicare case, judge rules

A federal judge rules that the DOJ can move forward with a lawsuit against UnitedHealth that claims the payer bilked Medicare out of $1.4 billion by submitting invalid diagnostic data for Medicare Advantage plan members.

Morning Headlines 2/14/18

Fitbit buys Twine Health in bid to become a more serious health care tool

Fitbit acquires app-powered health coaching provider Twine Health, hoping to tie Fitbit’s wearables into the management of chronic conditions.

Hospital supplier shares dive as Amazon reportedly ramps up medical supply business

A Wall Street Journal report says Amazon will expand its Amazon Business program to sell medical supplies to hospitals and clinics, sending shares of McKesson and other wholesalers down sharply.

StayWell Acquires Provata Health

Population health management and patient education technology vendor StayWell acquires Provata Health, which offers lifestyle and chronic disease management apps.

Morning Headlines 2/13/18

VA wants new budget line for commercial health record

In his 2019 budget proposal, President Trump earmarks $1.2 billion for the VA’s new EHR, including $675 million for the contract with Cerner, $412 million for infrastructure support, and $120 million for program management.

HealthStream Announces Divestiture of its Patient Experience (PX) Business to Press Ganey Associates

Healthcare learning and performance improvement systems vendor HealthStream decides to sell its patient experience business to Press Ganey for $65.5 million in cash.

Congressional Budget Pact Includes Telehealth Sweetener

President Trump signs into law a funding bill that will expand telemedicine access for ACOs and Medicare Advantage plans, and allow for reimbursement of telestroke care and home dialysis.

Banner Health ‘underestimated’ scope of computer conversion in Tucson

State officials in Arizona look into patient complaints about Banner Health’s conversion from Epic to Cerner at its Tucson hospitals, including delays with patient processing and prescriptions.

Morning Headlines 2/12/18

HealthInsight and Qualis Health Announce Intent to Merge

Medicare and Medicaid-focused population health management companies HealthInsight and Qualis Health will merge later this spring.

AAFP Outlines Steps to Reduce Administrative Burden

American Academy of Family Physicians asks HHS and ONC to reduce the health IT burden of clinicians with a series of recommendations it plans to reiterate during a meeting with CMS later this month as part of the Patients over Paperwork Initiative.

MD settles with computer contractor over Medicaid failures

Computer Sciences Corp. pays an $81 million settlement to the state of Maryland for its failure to build a new computer system for the state’s Medicaid program per its 2012 contract.