Morning Headlines 1/25/21

HHS Announces New Synthetic Health Data Challenge

ONC opens a challenge project to create realistic patient data for the open source Synthea synthetic health data engine.

GigCapital2 Announces $285M Capital Raise as Part of Business Combination With UpHealth Holdings, Inc. and Cloudbreak Health, LLC

Special purpose acquisition company GigCapital2 raises $285 million as part of its previously announced intent to merge with Cloudbreak Health and UpHealth Holdings to create a telemedicine company valued at $1.35 billion.

CloudMD Closes Acquisition of Canadian Medical Directory, the Largest Medical Directory in Canada

CloudMD will integrate Canadian Medical Directory’s online directory with its Juno EHR, billing, and telemedicine software.

Morning Headlines 1/22/21

Pieces Acquires Bowtie Business Intelligence to Fuel Continued Growth and Fulfill Data-Driven Mission of Creating Healthier Communities

Healthcare outcomes and community service connection vendor Pieces acquires Bowtie Business Intelligence, which offers a data management platform.

Healthcare tech-focused SPAC Compute Health Acquisition files for a $750 million IPO

Compute Health Acquisition, a SPAC that will focus on healthcare technology, files for a $750 million IPO that will value the company at around $1 billion.

Hillrom Announces Planned Acquisition Of Bardy Diagnostics, Inc.

Hillrom will acquire ambulatory ECG monitoring vendor Bardy Diagnostics for $375 million in cash.

MPulse Mobile Acquires The Big Know

Healthcare conversational AI vendor MPulse Mobile acquires health video course developer The Big Know.

Morning Headlines 1/21/21

K Health Launches ‘K for Parents’ Pediatric Care and Raises $132M Series E

Chat-based telemedicine company K Health raises $132 million in a Series E funding round.

Administration Unveils Senior Tech and Acquisition Leaders

Former Arcadia Chief Alliance Officer Micky Tripathi will serve as the national coordinator for health IT.

CareXM Announces Acquisition of TouchPointCare

Nurse triage and telemedicine company CareXM acquires remote patient monitoring vendor TouchPointCare.

Signify Health Files Registration Statement for Proposed Initial Public Offering

Clinical, behavioral, and social care coordination company Signify Health files paperwork with the SEC to go public on the New York Stock Exchange.

HealthStream buys policy management software firm

Training and talent management platform vendor HealthStream acquires ComplyAlign, a cloud-based policy management software vendor, for $2 million.

Morning Headlines 1/20/21

America’s Most Reliable Pandemic Data Are Now at Risk

The co-founder of The COVID Tracking Project urges the new administration to continue using the HHS Protect system instead of switching back to the CDC’s National Health Safety Network hospital reporting database.

Philips to expand its leadership in patient care management solutions for the hospital with the acquisition of Capsule Technologies, Inc.

Philips will acquire medical device integration vendor Capsule Technologies for $635 million in cash.

HHS Awards Funds to Expand Immunization Information Sharing Collaboration

ONC will invest $20 million in projects related to helping communities share COVID-19 vaccine-related data, and supporting immunization-related collaborations between HIEs.

Aledade Raises $100 Million Series D to Help More Primary Care Practices Thrive in Value-Based Care

ACO operator Aledade raises $100 million in a funding round that increases its total to $294 million and values the company at over $2 billion.

Morning Headlines 1/19/21

CloudMD Closes Acquisition of Medical Confidence Inc., a Revolutionary, Technology-based, Healthcare Navigation Platform for Enterprise Clients

Canadian health IT vendor CloudMD acquires Medical Confidence, a developer of healthcare navigation software aimed at helping employees more easily find and access specialists.

Femwell Group Health Announces Strategic Investment from LightBay Capital

Miami-based management services organization Femwell Group Health secures a minority investment from LightBay Capital.

Commure Joins the Postman API Network to Bridge the Gap Between Clinical Knowledge and Developer Efficiency in Healthcare

Healthcare development platform vendor Commure joins the Postman API Network, making its FHIR and authentication APIs available to healthcare developers.

Morning Headlines 1/18/21

More executive shakeup at Cerner: Two top leaders leaving Kansas City-based company

Cerner announces that Chief Client and Services Officer John Peterzalek and Chief Legal Officer Randy Sims will leave the company.

Ex-Obama official who helped fix botched healthcare.gov rollout to join Biden’s Covid-19 team

Former Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt, who was previously CEO of OptumInsight and more recently founder of non-profit United States of Care, will take a temporary role as advisor the President-elect’s COVID team.

Fast-Growing Oncology Startup OncoLens Secures $7.25 Million Series A Funding

OncoLens, a software developer focused on care treatment planning for cancer patients, raises $7.25 million in a Series A funding round.

Morning Headlines 1/15/21

Broad Coalition of Health and Technology Industry Leaders Announce Vaccination Credential Initiative to Accelerate Digital Access to COVID-19 Vaccination Records

Health and technology leaders announce the Vaccination Credential Initiative, which hopes to provide digital access to COVID-19 vaccination records using the open SMART Health Cards specification.

Healthcare Specific AI Platform Lumiata Raises Series B Funding

Lumiata – which applies AI to 120 million patient records to predict patient outcomes, clinical costs, and risks for providers and payers – raises $14 million in a Series B funding round.

Healthtech firm Accolade is buying telemedicine start-up 2nd.MD for $460 million, sources say

Health benefits navigation company Accolade acquires 2nd.MD for $460 million to offer its users easier access to second opinions.

QGenda Acquires Shift Admin

Provider and resource scheduling system vendor QGenda acquires Shift Admin, which offers shift-based specialty scheduling for emergency medicine, urgent care, and hospital medicine.

Morning Headlines 1/14/21

Modernizing Medicine Announces Acquisition of Orthopedic Healthcare Technology Company, Exscribe, Inc.

Modernizing Medicine acquires orthopedics-focused EHR vendor Exscribe.

Developer of Popular Women’s Fertility-Tracking App Settles FTC Allegations that It Misled Consumers About the Disclosure of their Health Data

Period and ovulation tracking app developer Flo Health settles allegations by the FTC that it shared user data with third party marketing and analytics firms without user consent.

Mental health tech firm NeuroFlow raises $20M Series B, led by one of its customers

Mental health monitoring software startup NeuroFlow raises $20 million in a Series B round led by customer Magellan Health.

Morning Headlines 1/13/21

ONC Releases Draft USCDI Version 2 and SVAP Approved Standards for 2020

ONC releases United States Core Data for Interoperability Draft Version 2 for public comment.

Amwell Announces Launch of Proposed Public Offering

Telemedicine vendor Amwell, which raised nearly $750 million in its IPO last September, files paperwork with the SEC for a public offering of 11.3 million shares.

Central Logic Acquires Acuity Link for Intelligent Transport & Announces New Bed Visibility Capability, Advancing Mission to Enable Health Systems to ‘Operate as One’ through Improved Access and Orchestration

Central Logic acquires Acuity Link, a developer of communications and logistics management software for healthcare transportation.

HHS Invests $8 Million to Address Gaps in Rural Telehealth through the Telehealth Broadband Pilot Program

HHS allocates $8 million to the three-year Telehealth Broadband Pilot program, which helps rural providers assess broadband capacity and implement virtual care.

Morning Headlines 1/12/21

Dina raises $7 million for its AI-powered at-home care platform

Dina will use $7 million in Series A funding to further enhance its AI-powered virtual assistant and home care coordination software, as well as its staff screening and check-in technologies.

Moxe Announces Funding to Accelerate Growth

Madison, WI-based payer-to-provider health data exchange vendor Moxe raises an undisclosed amount of funding.

Komodo Health Acquires Mavens, Creating the First Data-Driven Enterprise Platform for Life Sciences

Health data and analytics company Komodo Health acquires Mavens, a cloud-based technology company focused on biotech, rare disease, and specialty pharma markets.

Morning Headlines 1/11/21

After SPAC merger, Clover Health president eyes membership growth this year

Shares in Medicare Advantage insurer Clover Health began trading Friday on the Nasdaq after it went public in a reverse merger with an SPAC.

CareDx Agrees to Acquire TransChart and Expands EMR Connectivity to Over 90 Centers

Transplant testing, lab, and software vendor CareDx acquires TransChart, which sells a transplant center EHR.

Carrum Health Raises $40 Million to Transform Healthcare Delivery and Lower Costs through First-of-Its-Kind Digital Marketplace

Carrum Health, whose marketplace connects employees of self-insured companies with company-screened, bundled-price surgery providers, raises $40 million in a Series A funding round.

Morning Headlines 1/8/21

Harris builds its perinatal portfolio with the acquisition of Clinical Computer Systems, Inc.

Harris acquires Clinical Computer Systems, Inc., which offers Obix perinatal software.

Advanced ICU Care Announces Corporate Rebrand as Hicuity Health™

Tele-ICU services vendor Advanced ICU Care renames itself Hicuity Health.

Simplify ASC Acquires PhyBus Revenue Services

Ambulatory surgery center health IT company Simplify ASC acquires PhyBus Revenue Services for an undisclosed sum.

Rennova Completes Agreement to Separate its Software and Genetic Diagnostics Interpretation Divisions Into Innovaqor, Inc.

Hospital and practice operator Rennova Health sells its Health Technology Solutions and Advanced Molecular Services Group divisions to Innovaqor.

Computer Network Incident Update

Greater Baltimore Medical Center begins restoring its EHR after a December 6 ransomware attack forced it to take several systems offline.

Morning Headlines 1/7/21

Optum Acquires Change Healthcare for $13 Billion

UnitedHealth Group-owned Optum will acquire Change Healthcare and combine it with its OptumInsight software and analytics business.

TigerConnect Acquires Critical Alert, Ends 2020 with Second Major Acquisition

Care team collaboration software vendor TigerConnect acquires Critical Alert, best known for its nurse call, alarm, and event management medical devices and software.

Intraprise Health Acquires HIPAA One

Cybersecurity and risk management software vendor Intraprise Health acquires HIPAA One, a Utah-based company specializing in security, privacy, and compliance software and services.

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Morning Headlines 1/6/21

Cedar Gate Technologies Acquires Enli Health Intelligence

Value-based care performance management company Cedar Gate Technologies acquires population health IT vendor Enli Health Intelligence.

New Resources to Help Health IT Developers Understand ONC Cures Act Final Rule Requirements

ONC publishes Cures Act developer resources, including a summary of compliance dates and an API resource guide.

BerryDunn Expands Healthcare Industry Offerings with VantagePoint Merger

Healthcare compliance, consulting, and credentialing firm VantagePoint Healthcare Advisors merges with assurance, tax, and consulting firm BerryDunn.

Hinge Health has raised $310M Series D at a $3B valuation

Hinge Health, a telemedicine company specializing in chronic back and joint pain, raises $310 million in a Series D funding round.

Morning Headlines 1/5/21

Haven, the Amazon-Berkshire-JPMorgan venture to disrupt health care, is disbanding after 3 years

Boston-based Haven, which launched in 2018 with the goal of improving healthcare costs and outcomes for employers, notifies its 57 employees that it will shut down by the end of February.

Color announces $167 million in Series D financing to help build public health infrastructure across the U.S.

Population health technology company Color raises $167 million in a Series D funding round led by General Catalyst, bringing its total financing to $278 million.

Allscripts Closes Previously Announced Sale of CarePort Health Business

Allscripts wraps up its sale of care coordination business CarePort Health to WellSky for $1.35 billion.

Morning Headlines 1/4/21

Intrado Acquires Asparia

Multi-vertical technology services business Intrado acquires patient intake and engagement software vendor Asparia.

Maricopa County Vaccine Operations ‘Dramatically Slowed’ By Arizona System Glitches

Maricopa County, AZ blames vaccine rollout delays on the state’s vaccine management system, which it says didn’t email people to schedule their vaccination appointments, sent them to sites outside the county, has no text messaging option, locked people out who tried to use their Cox email address, and failed to show certain locations.

Firstsource Solutions Acquires PatientMatters

India-based business process management company Firstsource Solutions acquires Florida-based RCM vendor PatientMatters for $13 million, and will combine it with its MedAssist brand.

Morning Headlines 12/31/20

Telehealth: The Right Care, at the Right Time, via the Right Medium

UCLA Health describes in a NEJM Catalyst article how providers should developing triage processes that recognize telehealth’s benefits and limitations.

Stanford Medicine mistakenly vaccinated non-clinical affiliates over weekend

Stanford Medicine, fresh off protests by medical residents that its COVID-19 vaccination priority algorithm excluded them, deals with its second vaccine controversy in a week when rumors of “excess” doses caused non-clinical employees to line up at vaccination stations, where staff decided to give shots to anyone who was wearing a Stanford badge in ignoring the policy that only frontline workers in high-acuity settings should be injected.

PointClickCare Technologies Announces Closing of Collective Medical Acquisition

The long-term and post-acute care technology vendor completes its acquisition of Collective Medical, which offers a real-time care notification, activation, and collaboration platform.