Morning Headlines 7/13/20

Top supplier of electronic medical records to pay $2.55M for cybersecurity firm

In Canada, clinic operator and EHR vendor Well Health Technologies will acquire the cybersecurity division of Cycura.

Former Gwinnett healthcare executive pleads guilty to sabotaging medical shipments

A former VP of finance for a medical device packaging company in Atlanta pleads guilty to trashing the company’s computer systems after being fired.

Ahead, a platform that connects psychiatrists with patients, raises $9 million

Mental healthcare startup Ahead raises $9 million in a funding round led by online B2B pharmacy company Truepill.

Morning Headlines 7/10/20

Health Catalyst Announces Agreement to Acquire healthfinch, a Healthcare IT Company that has Helped Define the Clinical Workflow Optimization Space with its Award-Winning Software

Health Catalyst will acquire Healthfinch, a clinical workflow optimization technology vendor headquartered in Madison, WI, for $40 million in cash and shares.

VA Wants to Automate Digitization of its 5-Mile-High Electronic Health Record Backlog

The VA seeks solutions for automating the digitization of old and new patient health records and ensuring they are linked to the correct patients.

Measure The Impact Of The ONC’s New Interoperability Rules Now

Health policy experts call for ONC to start measuring the impact of the interoperability requirements of the 21st Century Cures Act using six initial metrics.

Kindbody Raises $32 Million in Series B Funding to Grow Employer Benefits Solution and Fuel U.S. Expansion

Technology-enabled women’s care company Kindbody raises $32 million in a Series B round led by Perceptive Advisors.

Morning Headlines 7/9/20

Doctor On Demand Announces $75M in Series D Financing Led by General Atlantic to Expand Comprehensive Virtual Care

Doctor on Demand raises $75 million in a Series D investment round that brings its total funding to $235.7 million.

Walgreens and VillageMD to Open 500 to 700 Full-Service Doctor Offices within Next Five Years in a Major Industry First

Walgreens will invest $1 billion to open primary care clinics run by VillageMD in 500 to 700 of its stores over the next five years, with the bulk of the investment going towards opening the clinics and combining technologies.

B2B online pharmacy Truepill uses a $25 million funding round to launch an integrated telemedicine service.

VA Selects Philips to Create World’s Largest Tele-Critical Care System, Further Integrating TeleHealth and Delivering Quality Care for Veterans

The VA signs a 10-year, $100 million contract with Philips to expand development of its Tele-Critical Care Program.

Morning Headlines 7/8/20

House appropriators propose $12B increase for VA’s budget, including big IT boost

The White House’s 2021 budget request includes $105 billion for the VA, including $4.9 billion for IT and $2.6 billion (versus $1.5 billion this year) for its Cerner project.

Fastest growing EMR provider Medfar acquires Plexia, expanding reach to Western Canada

In Canada, EHR vendor Medfar Clinical Solutions acquires competitor Plexia for an undisclosed amount.

Google Maps releases new features to help people navigate coronavirus hot spots

Google Maps users in select areas can now receive alerts as they approach COVID-19 border checkpoints and areas that mandate virus protections such as masks and social distancing, as well as virus-related public transit alerts and guidelines from facilities that offer testing.

Morning Headlines 7/7/20

NHS England launches coronavirus recovery service

The NHS will launch an after-care service for patients recovering from COVID-19 that will combine an initial in-person assessment with virtual care for up to three months.

COVID-19 leads Greenville healthcare company to new headquarters, new normal

Chronic care management company ChartSpan decides to relocate its headquarters in Greenville, SC, to a smaller space after an overwhelming majority of its employees vote to continue working from home.

2020 Midyear Digital Health Market Update: Unprecedented funding in an unprecedented time

A new report from Rock Health puts digital health funding for the first half of 2020 at $5.4 billion, putting the market well on its way to achieving record-breaking funding for the year.

Morning Headlines 7/6/20

Health Appointment Booking Platform Chronometriq Acquires Health Myself

Montreal-based patient scheduling and waiting room management software vendor Chronometriq acquires Toronto-based patient portal startup Health Myself.

Missouri announces $50 million program for broadband expansion, including telehealth

Missouri Governor Mike Parson announces a $50 million program for broadband expansion across the state, including $5.25 million for telemedicine services for FQHCs and mental health centers.

Premier Inc. Calls for National Stockpiling Standards to Prevent Redundant Efforts, Next Wave of Product Shortages

Premier calls for national stockpiling standards after its survey finds that 90% of healthcare providers as well as states are amassing masks, gowns, and test kits, creating product shortages and directing supplies away from frontline caregivers.

Morning Headlines 7/3/20

Sale process underway for TPG’s WellSky

Private equity firm TPG is considering the sale of post-acute care software vendor WellSky at a potential valuation of $3 billion.

Epic Systems slows reopening plan, calls in-person work its key to success

Epic will delay the phased return of employees to its campus in Verona, WI by one month, citing its culture of on-site collaboration as vital to the success of its customers.

Startup aims AI at clinician scheduling

AI-focused SwitchPoint Ventures and PhyMed Healthcare Group launch Polaris Health, a Nashville-based vendor of analytics for provider scheduling optimization.

Morning Headlines 7/2/20

FCC Announces Funding Increase in Rural Health Care Program for Funding Year 2020

The FCC adds nearly $200 million to its Rural Health Care Program, which has helped providers in rural areas leverage broadband networks for telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Samsung invests in genetics-focused telehealth company as coronavirus rages

Genomics telemedicine company Genome Medical raises $14 million in a funding round led by Samsung’s Catalyst Fund.

Evidation Raises $45 Million Series D, Hires CCO To Accelerate Commercial Momentum and Expand Into Virtual Health

Health data aggregation and research company Evidation Health raises $45 million and hires Sam Marwaha (Boston Consulting Group) as chief commercial officer.

Morning Headlines 7/1/20

How hackers extorted $1.14m from University of California, San Francisco

UCSF pays a negotiated $1.14 million to ransomware hackers to regain access to servers in its medical school.

NexHealth Raises $15 Million in Series A Funding

NexHealth will use a new $15 million investment to further scale its APIs for EHR and dental practice management systems.

Optimize.health Raises Seed Extension Round to Scale Digital Health Offering

Ambulatory-focused remote patient monitoring startup Optimize.health raises $3.5 million in a seed round led by Bonfire Ventures.

Morning Headlines 6/30/20

Flexwise Health Completes Merger with Prescience Health

On-demand nurse staffing company Flexwise Health merges with predictive staffing analytics vendor Prescience Health under the Flexwise brand.

System shutdown puts hold on Tennessee COVID-19 report; far SWVA adds another case

The National Electronic Disease Surveillance System Base System suffers a system failure over the weekend caused by high volumes of data input, compromising the the State of Tennessee’s ability to accurately report COVID-19 data.

Healthy.io, Israeli maker of smartphone urinalysis tech, buys its largest U.S. rival

Smartphone urinalysis company Healthy.io acquires competitor Inui Health, formerly known as Scanadu, for $9 million.

Morning Headlines 6/29/20

Risky Assets and Traffic Still Prevalent in Leading Healthcare Orgs

Cybersecurity firm Expanse finds exposed Remote Desktop Protocol servers and potential exposure to state-sponsored attacks, among other security weaknesses, after monitoring the Internet traffic of six unnamed Fortune 500 healthcare companies.

Microsoft to close physical stores, take $450 mln hit

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerates Microsoft’s plans to close all of its retail stores.

Oscar’s health insurance platform nabs another $225 million

Tech-heavy, direct-to-consumer insurance startup Oscar raises $225 million, prompting analysts to speculate it may be considering an IPO.

Morning Headlines 6/26/20

Kaufman Hall Software Becomes Syntellis Performance Solutions

Kaufman Hall spins off its enterprise performance management software division as Syntellis Performance Solutions, with investment from private equity firms Thoma Bravo and Madison Dearborn Partners.

Cedar Gate Technologies Acquires Citra Health Solutions

Analytics-focused, value-based care management vendor Cedar Gate Technologies acquires Citra Health Solutions and its EZ-Suite claims, benefits, and care management software.

Leidos receives $170M task to provide MHS GENESIS Stage 6 Enterprise Services

The DoD gives Leidos a $170 million task order for MHS Genesis services that will include program management, enterprise sustainment, license maintenance, and operational management services.

Mayo Clinic launches advanced care at home model of care

Mayo Clinic (MN) launches a home healthcare service using technology from Medically Home under its new Mayo Clinic Platform, an initiative that aims to create new ventures using the latest technologies.

Morning Headlines 6/25/20

MAeHC Winds Down Operations After Over 15 Years of Helping Health Organizations Innovate Through the Use of Information Technologies

After selling certain assets and transitioning the majority of its employees to population health management company Arcadia, the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative will sell off its remaining assets and shut down.

Somatus Raises $64 Million in Series C Financing to Transform Kidney Care

Kidney care company Somatus raises $64 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its total raised to $105 million.

FDA Announces First of Its Kind Pilot Program to Communicate Patient Reported Outcomes from Cancer Clinical Trials

The FDA launches Project Patient Voice, a website that offers cancer patient-reported data about symptoms experienced during clinical trials.

Morning Headlines 6/24/20

Trump Administration Issues Call to Action Based on New Data Detailing COVID-19 Impacts on Medicare Beneficiaries

CMS Administrator Seema Verma says that analysis of Medicare claims confirms that socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity of COVID-19 patients affect their likelihood of complications.

Cerner’s ‘transformation’ work continues with more layoffs in KC, across the country

Cerner conducts another round of layoffs, this time involving 100 employees.

DispatchHealth Raises $135.8 Million in Series C Financing

High-acuity house call provider DispatchHealth raises $136 million in a Series C funding round, increasing its total to $217 million.

CMS Unveils Major Organizational Change to Reduce Provider and Clinician Burden and Improve Patient Outcomes

CMS creates the Office of Burden Reduction and Health Informatics, which will look at the burden of meeting CMS compliance requirements, fostering innovation through interoperability, and using technology to create new patient-friendly, data-sharing tools.

Morning Headlines 6/23/20

Cedar Accelerates Growth with $102M in Series C Funding Led by Andreessen Horowitz and New Innovation Partnership with Novant Health

Patient payment vendor Cedar raises $102 million and announces a contract with Novant Health in North Carolina.

Proprio Raises $23 Million in Series A Funding Led by DCVC

Augmented surgical imaging company Proprio raises $23 million in a funding round led by Data Collective.

OIG Strategic Plan: Oversight of COVID-19 Response and Recovery

The HHS Office of Inspector General publishes its oversight strategy for COVID-19 response and recovery, which includes protecting the integrity and security of IT systems and health technology.

Apple introduces new Covid-19 features: Hand washing guides and a mask-wearing emoji

Apple debuts several health-related Watch features at its virtual developers conference, including one that will help users wash their hands for the recommended amount of time using the proper technique.

Morning Headlines 6/22/20

Kaia Health gets $26M to show it can do more with digital therapeutics

Virtual physiotherapy startup Kaia Health raises $26 million in a Series B funding round led by Optum Ventures.

Philadelphia-area health system says it ‘isolated’ a malware attack

Crozer-Keystone Health System (PA) suffers a ransomware attack by hackers who have threatened to auction the stolen data off on the dark web if their demands aren’t met within six days.

Putin calls for artificial intelligence to be used in healthcare

Russian President Vladimir Putin calls for the healthcare system there to roll out digital systems and to use artificial intelligence.

FEMA IT Specialist Charged in ID Theft, Tax Refund Fraud Conspiracy

A federal grand jury indicts a Detroit man for the 2014 hack of UPMC’s HR system, where he is accused of selling the information of 65,000 employees on the dark web to conspirators who used it to file fraudulent tax returns.

Morning Headlines 6/19/20

Nation’s Largest Member Owned Health Plan to Launch Epic Platform to Improve Patient and Provider Experience

Health Care Service Corporation will create a Payer Platform to connect its health plans to Epic-using health systems for reviewing patient data, managing claims payment and prior authorization, and facilitating care management.

All of Us Research Program launches COVID-19 research initiatives

NIH’s All Of Us research project adds three COVID-19 data collection components for researchers who are approved to study data from its 350,000 participants.

This Amazon-owned company says it will bring 500 jobs to Boise area by 2021

Online prescription drug delivery company PillPack will bring 500 jobs to Meridian, Idaho when it opens a 78,000-square-foot customer service center there next year.