Morning Headlines 10/31/23

HHS Proposes Rule to Establish Disincentives for Health Care Providers that have Committed Information Blocking

HHS proposes information-blocking penalties for providers that include loss of Meaningful User status and an inability to participate in ACOs, all of which would result in some impact to a healthcare organization’s bottom line.

Vizient Announces Acquisition of PrefTech OR, a Next-generation Physician Preference Card Management Technology

Healthcare performance improvement company Vizient acquires PrefTech OR, which offers operating room optimization software.

Kento Health Raises $4.1 million CAD to Bring AI to Cardiovascular Care

Canada-based Kento Health will use $4.1 million in new funding to bring its AI-powered cardiovascular care software to the US market.

Morning Headlines 10/30/22

TT Capital Partners Announces Investment in Cantata Health Solutions

TT Capital Partners acquires a majority share of Cantata Health Solutions, which offers health technology for providers of behavioral health, human services, acute care, and post-acute care.

Spok Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results

Spok reports Q3 results: revenue up 5%, EPS $0.22 versus $0.15.

Health Catalyst Reports Third Quarter 2023 Preliminary Results

Health Catalyst reports an 8% jump in Q3 revenue to $73.8 million, leading it to expect annual revenue of between $291 million and $296 million.

Morning Headlines 10/27/23

Abridge raises $30M to Accelerate Adoption of its Proven Generative AI Solution across U.S. Healthcare Systems

Abridge, whose software converts patient-clinician conversations into clinical documentation, raises $30 million in a Series B funding round.

Critical Flaw in NextGen’s Mirth Connect Could Expose Healthcare Data

Cybersecurity experts recommend that users of NextGen Healthcare’s Mirth Connect interface engine upgrade to the latest version after discovering an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability.

Advocate Aurora Health agrees to settlement in data breach lawsuit

Advocate Aurora Health will pay $12 million to settle a lawsuit over its use of user tracking tools from Meta and Google on its website and MyChart patient portal.

SnapNurse Becomes SnapCare

AI-enabled workforce solutions vendor SnapNurse renames itself to SnapCare.

Morning Headlines 10/26/23

MIDAS Healthcare Solutions Extends Series A Round With New Investment by MCPC Healthcare Fund

Medication security technology vendor MIDAS Healthcare Solutions announces a $2 million investment from MCPC Healthcare Investment.

CISA, HHS Release Collaborative Cybersecurity Healthcare Toolkit

HHS and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency publish a new cybersecurity toolkit for healthcare and public health.

Greater Good gets $20M for value-based senior clinics

Senior-focused primary care company Greater Good Health raises $20 million in a Series A funding round, bringing its total raised to $33 million.

Morning Headlines 10/25/23

Network issue resolved after MultiCare temporarily suspends surgeries, procedures at some facilities

MultiCare recovers from a service outage that caused it to suspend surgeries and procedures at several facilities.

HealthEC Secures Additional Capital to Fuel Ongoing Growth, Names New CEO and New Chairman

Population health management services and technology vendor HealthEC announces a new round of capital and names Chris Caramanico (JJCAL) CEO.

5 southwestern Ontario hospitals hit by cyberattack, patient appointments to be rescheduled

In Canada, the IT systems of five hospitals that formed their own IT provider organization go offline due to a cyberattack.

Paragon Consulting Partners Becomes Paragon Health IT, Reflecting a Commitment to Enabling Evidence-Based Transformation of Digital Healthcare Services

Paragon Consulting Partners, which specializes in consulting and data services for medical imaging, rebrands to Paragon Health IT.

Morning Headlines 10/24/23

Perficient Reaches Definitive Agreement to Acquire SMEDIX, INC.

Digital consulting firm Perficient acquires San Diego-based Smedix, which offers cloud-based interface solutions for medical equipment and remote device management.

Ovation Healthcare Expands Portfolio with Launch of Tempo Technology Services

Ovation Healthcare launches Tempo Technology Services, a managed and IT services and procurement firm.

PicnicHealth Acquires AllStripes, Fortifying its Role as the Leader in Patient-Centered Healthcare Evidence Generation

PicnicHealth, which uses patient-reported data to build datasets for research, acquires rare disease data aggregator and research firm AllStripes for an undisclosed sum.

Morning Headlines 10/23/23

HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston transferring, discharging all inpatients after confirming cyberattack; system expected to shut down through weekend

HealthAlliance Hospital (NY) discharges or transfers all of its inpatients and diverts ambulances following a cyberattack.

U.S. Defense Health Agency selects Amwell and Leidos to power the Digital First initiative for the U.S. Military Health System

The US Defense Health Agency awards Amwell and Leidos a contract valued at up to $180 million to provide a hybrid care platform that will replace MHS Video Connect.

EClinicalWorks and Healow Announce $900 Million in Projected Revenue and Significant Investment in AI

EClinicalWorks announces that it expects to generate $900 million in revenue in 2023, up from the previous year’s $800 million.

Morning Headlines 10/20/23

Uniguest expands presence and capabilities in healthcare through acquisition of PCare

Audience engagement platform vendor Uniquest acquires PCare, which offers interactive patient systems.

Pair Team Raises $9 Million Series A to Expand Access to Health Care Services for Medicaid’s Most Vulnerable Patients

Tech-enabled primary and social care management company Pair Team raises $9 million in a Series A funding round.

Telehealth Privacy and Security Tips for Patients

HHS OCR publishes a checklist covering “Telehealth Privacy and Security Tips for Patients.”

Morning Headlines 10/19/23

Waymark Announces $42M in New Funding

Waymark, which offers tech-enabled care support services to primary care teams and their Medicaid patients, announces $42 million in funding.

Ventricle Health secures $8M in seed financing led by RA Capital Management, along with Waterline Ventures and others to accelerate national delivery of its value-based home care model for heart failure patients

Ventricle Health, a virtual and at-home cardiology care provider, raises $8 million in seed funding.

Allara, a telehealth platform for women with chronic hormonal conditions, raises $10M Series A

Membership-based virtual care startup Allara raises $10 million in a Series A funding round.

Morning Headlines 10/18/23

Aspirus and St. Luke’s Move Closer to Affiliation

Aspirus Health (WI) will acquire St. Luke’s (MN), pending the signing of a definitive agreement that calls for Aspirus to implement Epic and its other standard systems at St. Luke’s within 24 months of closing.

Reimagine Care Announces Investment from Memorial Hermann to Help Transform the Cancer Care and Recovery Experience

Reimagine Care, a provider of virtual and at-home cancer care, secures funding from Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System.

Sharecare confirms receipt of unsolicited proposal from Claritas Capital

Atlanta-based digital health and wellness company Sharecare considers an acquisition proposal from private equity firm Claritas Capital.

Morning Headlines 10/17/23

Streamline Health Executes Strategic Restructuring, Provides Corporate Update

RCM vendor Streamline Health Solutions announces layoffs, the loss of a legacy customer, and management changes including a new CEO.

Rite Aid Takes Steps to Accelerate Transformation and Position Company for Long-Term Success

Rite Aid files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and names a new CEO as part of its corporate restructuring strategy.

Healthcare payments startup Waystar makes IPO filing public

Waystar goes public with its IPO filing, announcing plans to list its shares on the Nasdaq alongside a bump in quarterly sales.

Morning Headlines 10/16/23

Sphere Announces Agreement to Divest Commercial Division

Sphere will sell its Commercial Division to commerce enablement company NMI, allowing it to sharpen its focus on core business such as its TrustCommerce healthcare gateway, Health IPass patient engagement solutions. and Qgiv digital fundraising platform for non-profits.

VA’s new artificial intelligence centers will focus on iteration in AI testing process, agency official says

The VA will establish four new AI centers to test and apply new AI solutions at partner VA medical centers.

Walgreens plans to close some 60 VillageMd clinics

Walgreens will close 60 of its drugstore-attached VillageMD clinics as it pursues $1 billion in cost reductions following a Q4 loss that is the first in its 122-year history.

Morning Headlines 10/13/23

Access Healthcare Acquires Envera Health

RCM vendor Access Healthcare acquires Envera Health, which offers patient engagement solutions.

Twenty-Three Hospitals in North Dakota Form New Network to Strengthen Rural Healthcare

Nearly two dozen independent hospitals in North Dakota form the Rough Rider High-Value Network to achieve economies of scale; better coordinate care; and improve efficiencies through collaborative IT, health information exchange, and telemedicine.

WellSky Acquires Corridor, Expands Commitment to Offering Best-in-Class Coding, Revenue Cycle Management Services for Post-Acute Industry

WellSky acquires Corridor, which offers coding and RCM services to post-acute care organizations.

Prevounce Health Extends Series A to $7M to Grow Remote Care Management Solutions

Remote patient monitoring and chronic care management company Prevounce Health announces $7 million in Series A funding.

OptimizeRx Announces Agreement to Acquire Medicx Health for $95 million to Expand its Omnichannel Reach to Consumers

OptimizeRx acquires healthcare consumer-focused marketing and analytics software vendor Medicx Health for $95 million.

Morning Headlines 10/12/23

Evernorth Acquires Bright.md Technology Platform, Enhances MDLIVE’s Virtual Care Experience for Patients and Clinicians

Cigna’s Evernorth Health Services subsidiary acquires and will incorporate Bright.md’s asynchronous virtual care technology and clinical assets into its MDLive telehealth service.

FDA Establishes New Advisory Committee on Digital Health Technologies

The FDA will create a Digital Health Advisory Committee to help the agency better understand the benefits, risks, and clinical outcomes associated with digital health technologies.

Health tech company in bankruptcy cuts 20 jobs, names new CEO

UpHealth Holdings, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection several weeks ago, lays off 20 employees and names a new CEO as part of its cost-reduction efforts.

Morning Headlines 10/11/23

Commons Clinic Announces $19.5M Series A Financing to Unseat Specialty Care Incumbents With its New Model for Spinal Care, Orthopedics, and Pain Management

Los Angeles-based Commons Clinic, which offers value-based specialty care for orthopedics, raises $19.5 million in a Series A round.

Leading Remote Health Care Company Optimize Health Completes $18 Million Series B Financing

Remote patient monitoring and chronic care management vendor Optimize Health raises $18 million in a Series B funding round.

Sutter Health Announces Cutting-Edge Innovation Center to Revolutionize Patient Care & Elevate the Healthcare Experience

Sutter Health (CA) will open an innovation center by the end of 2024 that will offer collaborative space for technology partners to incubate new products and services.

Morning Headlines 10/10/23

Main Street Health Announces $315M Financing Round to Expand Into 26 States

Main Street Health, a practice management company focused on helping rural primary care providers transition to value-based care, announces $315 million in funding and expansion into eight additional states.

Venture capital firm General Catalyst wants to buy a health system

General Catalyst launches Health Assurance Transformation Corp. to acquire health systems that will serve as testing grounds for new care delivery and workflow optimization technologies.

UC Davis Health, NODE.health, and Leading Health Systems launch VALID AI

University of California health systems and partners including hospitals, payers, nonprofits, and vendors launch the VALID AI collaborative to promote best practices for generative AI in healthcare.

Morning Headlines 10/9/23

VA to share health info with private-sector medical systems

The VA and 13 health systems pledge to share data to improve veteran healthcare.

LGI Healthcare Solutions Acquires Boston Software Systems.

Canada-based health IT company LGI Healthcare Solutions acquires healthcare automation vendor Boston Software Systems.

DEA extends pandemic telehealth rules for prescribing controlled substances

The DEA will continue to allow providers to prescribe select controlled substances via telemedicine through the end of next year.

New Generative AI-Native Health Company RhythmX AI Announces Precision Care Platform for Doctors to Deliver Hyper-Personalized Care to the Right Patient at the Right Time

Investment firm SAIGroup funds and launches RhythmX AI, which analyzes longitudinal data to make recommendations to doctors.