Morning Headlines 9/20/21

Feds charge 138, including doctors, with $1.4 billion in health-care fraud involving telemedicine, Covid, opioids

The Department of Justice files criminal charges against 138 defendants for their alleged participation in healthcare fraud schemes that generated $1.4 billion, the bulk of which involved telemedicine.

Cyberattackers Target Missouri Hospital At Epicenter Of COVID Outbreak, Post Patient Data

Hackers post stolen patient data online after launching a ransomware attack on Missouri Delta Medical Center.

Hinge Health Acquires the Most Advanced Computer Vision Technology for Tracking Human Motion

Digital physical therapy company Hinge Health acquires Wrnch, which has developed 3-D motion-tracking technology to capture full body movement.

Morning Headlines 9/17/21

Cured Raises $10M Series A; Launches Next Generation Healthcare Digital Marketing & CRM Solutions

Health system digital marketing and CRM vendor Cured raises $10 million in a Series A funding round.

Digital health startup Commure just hit a $3.5 billion valuation as it raises fresh cash to unlock healthcare data

Healthcare data exchange technology vendor Commure has reportedly raised $500 million in funding through a Series D round, valuing the company at $3.5 billion.

Statement of the Commission On Breaches by Health Apps and Other Connected Devices

The Federal Trade Commission issues a notification that health app vendors must notify consumers if their health information is exposed.

Morning Headlines 9/16/21

Healthcare Industry Leader Zane Burke Joins Quantum Health as CEO

Former Cerner president and Livongo CEO Zane Burke joins consumer-focused care coordination and navigation company Quantum Health as CEO.

This Startup Raised $100 Million To Turbocharge Women’s Health

Women’s healthcare provider Tia raises $100 million in a Series B funding round led by Lone Pine Capital.

Definitive Healthcare stock soars out of the gate, opening 38% above IPO price

Healthcare market intelligence company Definitive Healthcare raises $420 million in its IPO.

Morning Headlines 9/15/21

Symplr to acquire Halo Health

Healthcare governance systems vendor Symplr will acquire clinician digital communications vendor Halo Health.

SymphonyRM Becomes Actium Health

Patient engagement and activation company SymphonyRM rebrands to Actium Health.

Zelis to Acquire Healthcare Transparency Leader Sapphire Digital

Healthcare payments platform vendor Zelis will acquire provider search and transparency website Sapphire Digital.

Indy-based Future Health ESG Corp. goes public, the latest in a flurry of SPACs to hit Wall Street

HC1 founder, chairman, and CEO Brad Bostic launches a $200 million SPAC that hopes to merge with a healthcare data science company.

Morning Headlines 9/14/21

After layoffs and pivot, Austin health care startup reemerges as CareHive

App-based house call and telemedicine company Remedy pivots and rebrands as CareHive, a digital health company that offers telemedicine, digital front door services, analytics, and clinical navigation.

Babyscripts secures $12M to roll out its virtual maternity care model

Digital maternity care software vendor Babyscripts raises $12 million in a Series B funding round led by MemorialCare Innovation Fund.

Edifecs Announces Acquisition of Talix

Edifecs acquires Talix, which has developed a natural language processing-enabled risk adjustment coding, retrieval, and analytics platform.

Morning Headlines 9/13/21

Policies to Promote Shared Responsibility for Safer Electronic Health Records

Researchers call for additional EHR safety actions beyond CMS’s recent mandate that hospitals self-assess annually using the SAFER Guides framework.

Spok Holdings Announces it is Conducting a Strategic Alternatives Review

Spok’s board is reviewing strategic alternatives for the company, including a potential sale, following unsolicited interest in acquiring some or all of its shares.

Cerner to Continue VA EHR System Deployment Under $134M Task Order

The VA awards Cerner an 18-month, $134 million task order for its EHR rollout.

Morning Headlines 9/10/21

Leading UK Enterprise Imaging Provider, Insignia Medical Systems, Secures Investment from Intelerad

Canada-based Intelerad acquires enterprise imaging provider Insignia Medical Systems.

New gift to Sanford Health will fund virtual care center

Sanford Health (SD) will develop a virtual care center using a $350 million gift from donor Denny Sanford.

Flo Announces $50 Million Series B Funding Round; Bringing Company to $800M Valuation

Period- and ovulation-tracking app developer Flo raises $50 million in a Series B funding round.

Morning Headlines 9/9/21

Azalea Health Acquires Data Analytics Vendor dashboardMD to Deliver EHR-Based Business Intelligence

EHR and practice management vendor Azalea Health acquires DashboardMD, a healthcare analytics company based in Miami Lakes, FL

Vyne Medical Acquires Ahana Health and its Connected Care Solution to Support Collaboration in Patient Care Planning and Delivery

Health data exchange and communication management company Vyne Medical acquires Ahana Health and its connected care technology.

TransUnion seeks buyer for healthcare business

Credit reporting company TransUnion has reportedly begun fielding offers for its healthcare RCM business, with several bids coming in as high as $1.6 billion.

Morning Headlines 9/8/21

Invitae to Acquire Ciitizen to Strengthen its Patient-Consented Health Data Platform to Improve Personal Outcomes and Global Research

Invitae will acquire Ciitizen, a consumer-focused health data startup, for $325 million.

Amazon has ambitious plans to bring in-person medical care to 20 more US cities

Amazon will reportedly offer in-home medical visits in 20 US cities later this year via its Amazon Care business.

Cityblock Health raises another mega-round of funding, tipping its valuation over $5 billion

Cityblock Health, which partners with payers to offer tech-enabled primary care to Medicaid patients, has raised $400 million, bringing its total raised to nearly $500 million.

Morning Headlines 9/7/21

HSE cyber-attack: Irish health service still recovering months after hack

Though Ireland’s health service has recovered almost completely from the May ransomware attack that hindered services across the country, its facilities are still dealing with cancelled appointments and lack of employee email access.

WELL Health Continues US Expansion with Proposed Acquisition of Majority Stake in WISP, a Rapidly Growing National Telehealth Leader Specializing in Women’s Health

Canadian Well Health Technologies will acquire US-based Wisp, a women’s telehealth and e-pharmacy company, for $41 million.

Solv raises $45 million for same-day medical appointments

Medical appointment-booking software vendor Solv raises $45 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its total raised to $95 million.

Morning Headlines 9/6/21

Use of artificial intelligence for image analysis in breast cancer screening programmes: systematic review of test accuracy

A BMJ-published review of using AI for breast cancer screening finds that 34 of 36 reviewed systems were less accurate than a single radiologist and all performed more poorly than two radiologists.

Achieve Partners Buys Cybersecurity Service Provider Metmox

Achieve Partners acquires cybersecurity services vendor Metmox to develop a training and mentorship program, the same reason it acquired Optimum Healthcare IT in July.

CliniComp and Veterans Health Administration Renew Clinical Information System Contract

The VA renews its CliniComp contract for another five years.

Morning Headlines 9/3/21

Baxter to Acquire Hillrom, Expanding Connected Care and Medical Innovation Globally

Baxter International will acquire Hillrom for $10.5 billion in cash plus assumption of debt that values the transaction at $12.4 billion.

Clearlake Capital-Backed Provation Acquires endoPRO Software Portfolio from PENTAX Medical

Provation acquires Pentax Medical’s EndoPro endoscopy software.

Accenture Acquires Gevity to Bolster Health Transformation Service Capabilities in Canada

Accenture acquires Canada-based healthcare technology consulting firm Gevity.

UC San Diego Health Launches New Center to Spur Patient-Centered Technologies

UC San Diego Health launches the Center for Health Innovation to develop, test, and commercialize technologies.

Morning Headlines 9/2/21

Healthcare Triangle, Inc (HCTI) Files for up to $50M IPO

Healthcare Triangle, a cloud, security, advisory, and implementation services company, files for a $50 million IPO.

Wellbe Inc. receives Series A funding from HealthX Ventures and WISC Partners to accelerate innovation and growth

Madison, WI-based digital care management vendor Wellbe raises $2 million in a Series A funding round.

Telemetrix Completes $1M Seed Round of Funding

Remote patient monitoring startup Telemetrix secures $1 million in a seed round of financing led by South Florida Health.

98point6 CEO Robbie Cape is no longer with the company in abrupt shakeup at telemedicine startup

98point6 co-founder and CEO Robbie Cape leaves the company unexpectedly after having helped it raise $247 million.

Morning Headlines 9/1/21

DirectTrust Acquires Assets of SAFE Identity

DirectTrust acquires the assets of Safe Identity, an industry consortium and certification body for digital healthcare credentials.

Ellipsis Secures $26 M in Series A Funding to Pioneer New Clinical Standard in Mental Health Care

Ellipsis Health, which has developed AI-based voice recognition technology to detect signs of depression and anxiety, raises $26 million in a Series A funding round.

Bamboo Health – Combination of Proven Care Collaboration Leaders – Unveiled to Enable Payer-Provider Collaboration for Whole Person Care

Appriss Health rebrands to Bamboo Health following its acquisition of PatientPing.

Morning Headlines 8/31/21

Baxter Is in Advanced Talks to Buy Hill-Rom for About $10 Billion

After similar talks fell apart last month, Baxter will reportedly acquire medical equipment company Hillrom for nearly $10 billion.

Biden-Harris Administration Invests $10.7 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Expand Pediatric Mental Health Care Access

HHS allocates $11 million to expand its Pediatric Mental Health Care Access program, giving pediatric teams across the country access to telemedicine-focused consultation, training, technical assistance, and care coordination services.

Genome Medical Announces Acquisition of GeneMatters and Closing of $60 Million Series C Financing

Virtual genomics provider Genome Medical raises $60 million and acquires GeneMatters, which offers genetic counseling via video visit, and care delivery and patient engagement software.

Morning Headlines 8/30/21

Google confirms it’s pulling the plug on Streams, its UK clinician support app

Google shuts down its DeepMind-developed Streams app that displays patient information to UK clinicians.

Olive Launches Olive Ventures, an In-House Venture Studio

Olive launches an in-house venture studio for startups that are developing solutions for its automation platform.

Justice Department Settles with Large Health Care Organization to Resolve Software-Based Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims

Ascension pays $85,000 to settle charges that it violated federal immigration laws because of a software programming error that caused its employee eligibility verification software to send automated emails to all of its non-citizen employees whose documents were set to expire, requesting them (some erroneously) to submit proof of continued work authorization.

Morning Headlines 8/27/21

ManpowerGroup to Buy Ettain Group for $925M

ManpowerGroup will acquire IT staffing and services provider Ettain Group, which acquired Leidos Health several years ago, for $925 million in cash.

Recuro Health Announces Its $15 Million Series A Round Led by Arch Venture Partners: Funds Additional Acquisitions Expanding Digital Health Solutions Capabilities, Increased Marketing, Company Growth

Digital health startup Recuro Health, founded earlier this year by several former Teladoc executives, raises $15 million in a Series A funding round.

Mayo Clinic, Verily to Build Advanced Clinical Decision Support to Enhance Care

Mayo Clinic (MN) and Verily will co-develop a clinical decision support tool over the next two years, initially focusing on certain cardiovascular and cardiometabolic conditions.