Morning Headlines 7/26/19

Livongo shares surge in market debut as digital health space heats up

Health Catalyst and Livongo become the first digital health companies to IPO since 2016.

After shutdown, Call9 founder plans a comeback

Call9 co-founder and CEO Tim Peck, MD says the shuttered nursing home telemedicine company will re-open as Call9 Medical.

Ciox Secures Equity Investment from Merck Global Health Innovation

Records release vendor Ciox Health raises $30 million in a funding round led by Merck Global Health Innovation Fund and New Mountain Capital.

VA Doesn’t Really Know What It Costs To Run VistA

A new GAO report on expected VistA maintenance costs during the VA’s 10-year transition to Cerner leaves lawmakers uneasy about the true cost of the conversion project.

Morning Headlines 7/25/19

Tenet to spin-off Conifer unit; shares up 3% premarket

Conifer Health Solutions CEO Stephen Mooney steps down as parent company Tenet Healthcare formalizes plans to sell off the RCM business by 2021.

JPMorgan Chase Closes InstaMed Acquisition

First announced in May, JPMorgan Chase wraps up its $500 million acquisition of healthcare payments software vendor InstaMed.

Cerner Reports Second Quarter 2019 Results

Cerner reports Q2 results: revenue up 5%, adjusted EPS $0.66 vs. $0.62, beating earnings expectations but falling short on revenue.

Health-tech start-up AliveCor poaches an Amazon director to be its new CEO

Heart health monitoring company AliveCor taps Amazon GM and Alexa director Priya Abani to be its CEO.

Morning Headlines 7/24/19

Data analytics provider Health Catalyst ups share offering and raises proposed IPO range to $24 to $25

Health Catalyst revises its IPO filings to increase both the number of shares and the planned share price range, now valuing the company at just under $1 billion.

Interoperability Standards Advisory: 2019 Request for Comments

ONC opens its annual review period for the Interoperability Standards Advisory for interoperability specifications and standards.

Computer issues continue at Springhill Medical Center

Systems at Springhill Medical Center (AL) remain down after what an anonymous employee claims is a ransomware attack.

Former Sutter IT exec said management fired him for reporting patient care failures

Former Sutter Health IT Chief Operations Officer Stuart James sues the health system, claiming it wrongfully terminated him after a May 2018 system-wide computer failure and then defamed him by naming him as being let go because of the downtime.

Morning Headlines 7/23/19

Livongo expected IPO pricing raised, boosting market cap to $2.31 billion

Livongo increases its expected IPO pricing to $24 to $26 a share, boosting the potential value of the nearly 11 million shares to $278 million.

LabCorp Expands Consumer-Initiated Test Offering

LabCorp expands its Pixel service to give consumers the ability to purchase tests online, drop off their specimens at an approved service site, and receive results via a secure portal.

Radiology Partners Receives $700 Million Investment from Starr Investment Holdings

Starr Investment Holdings invests $700 million in Radiology Partners, a physician-led practice with locations in 21 states that also offers consulting, IT, and RCM services.

Morning Headlines 7/22/19

Tech IPOs Keep Popping as Phreesia Surges 53% in Debut

Phreesia shares rose as much as 53% from their opening price of $18 on their first day of trading on the NYSE Thursday, closing at $26.75.

Amazon threatens to sue major pharmacy player if it prevents PillPack from accessing patient drug data

Amazon threatens to sue Surescripts, which is partially owned by Amazon competitors CVS and Express Scripts, over threats to revoke its mail-order pharmacy’s access to patient medication lists.

Marshfield Clinic Health System outsourcing some jobs

Marshfield Clinic Health System (WI) lays off 46 employees as it transitions its release-of-information jobs to Ciox.

Morning Headlines 7/19/19

Healthcare Interoperability Leader ELLKAY Acquires X-Link

Interoperability solutions vendor Ellkay acquires the assets of Legal Easy, which includes the X-Link interfacing software that connects EHRs, practice management systems, and other healthcare technologies.

Health System Boards Lack Sufficient Oversight Over Technology, Black Book Survey Reveals

A Black Book poll finds that 4% of health system boards include members with health IT experience, with 91% of boards relying on consultants to develop IT strategy.

ECG and Oncology Resource Consultants Merge to Establish the Industry’s Leading Oncology Consulting Practice

ECG Management Consultants merges with oncology consulting practice Oncology Resource Consultants.

Morning Headlines 7/18/19

Proficient Health Merges with Firm Specializing in Mobile Communication Apps

Referral management software vendor Proficient Health merges with clinical communications company MD Interconnect.

John Muir Health and Optum Launch New, Comprehensive Relationship to Advance Quality Care and Experiences for Patients in Bay Area

Over 500 John Muir Health (CA) employees will transition to Optum as it takes over the health system’s IT, RCM, analytics, purchasing, and claims processing.

Philips acquires Boston start-up Medumo to help hospitals communicate with patients

Philips acquires pre-exam patient engagement startup Medumo for an undisclosed sum.

Software firm, health care provider accuse each other of theft; Houston mayoral candidate working the case

In Pennsylvania, Post Acute Medical files a lawsuit against software vendor Meridian Hospital Systems accusing it of abruptly terminating its software access, refusing to return its patient and business data, and violating HIPAA.

Morning Headlines 7/17/19

Intermountain Healthcare Announces New Company to Elevate Value-Based Care Capabilities

Intermountain Healthcare (UT) creates Castell, a company that will help providers, payers, and ACOs transition to value-based care through proven care models, technology, analytics, and digital tools.

Casetabs Raises $3M in Funding

Surgery coordination software vendor Casetabs raises $3 million, bringing its total raised to over $16 million.

Eight California Hospitals Join Manifest MedEx

Eight Prime Healthcare hospitals in California join the non-profit Manifest MedEx HIE, joining the seven Prime hospitals that are already members.

Morning Headlines 7/16/19

Healthcare startup Livongo is gearing up to go public at a valuation of up to $2.4 billion. Here are the execs and investors who stand to benefit the most.

Diabetes monitoring technology vendor Livongo updates its SEC filing, indicating that CEO Zane Burke’s shares could be worth as much as $23 million, while Chairman Glen Tullman holds shares worth $87 million and the venture firm he co-founded with Lee Shapiro holds another $129 million worth at the top of the IPO range.

SPH and SA Ignite Partner to Strengthen Quality Payment Program Offerings for Value-Based Healthcare Organizations

Population health management technology vendor SPH Analytics will acquire SA Ignite, which offers analytics to improve federal value-based care payments.

A Statement from Our CEO

Surescripts files a motion to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission’s allegations of antitrust behavior in the electronic prescribing market.

Morning Headlines 7/15/19

Baring Private Equity Asia to buy CitiusTech

Hong Kong-based Baring Private Equity Asia will acquire CitiusTech in a deal that values the healthcare consulting and technology company at $1 billion.

After $60M loss, New England health system plots plan for profitability

Covenant Health blames its fifth straight money-losing year on a prolonged Epic implementation that decreased hospital and practice productivity by 30%.

PeaceHealth confirms 50 layoffs across multiple PeaceHealth locations

PeaceHealth (WA) lays off 50 IT employees as it centralizes tech support following its Epic go-live three years ago.

Siemens Healthineers, University of Missouri System and University of Missouri Health Care announce formation of new strategic alliance

Siemens Healthineers will provide the University of Missouri System and University of Missouri Health Care with laboratory and imaging technology, enterprise services, and digital solutions through their new Alliance for Precision Health.

Morning Headlines 7/12/19

PerfectServe Names Healthcare and Technology Veteran Guillaume Castel as New CEO, Appoints Terry Edwards as Chairman of the Board

Guillaume Castel (Inova Health System) replaces Terry Edwards as CEO of PerfectServe.

Notification of protected health information breach

Essentia Health (MN) notifies 1,000 patients that their personal data may have been compromised during an email phishing incident at its billing services vendor, Nemadji Research.

WellSky Celebrates Grand Opening of New World Headquarters and Announces Inaugural WellSky Foundation Recipient

WellSky (the former Mediware Information Systems) celebrates the opening of its new headquarters in Kansas with a $50,000 donation to local provider Midland Care Connection.

23andMe is moving into Apple’s territory with a pilot to pull in medical data, not just DNA

23andMe gives a subset of customers the ability to add lab results, medication information, and medical history to their genetic data through the Human API medical data network.

Morning Headlines 7/11/19

Waystar Acquires Digitize.AI to Automate Prior Authorization

RCM vendor Waystar acquires prior authorization startup Digitize.AI.

Rhapsody and Corepoint Merge to Advance Interoperability in Healthcare

Health data integration and exchange companies Corepoint Health and Rhapsody decide to merge.

Stratasan Secures $26 Million Investment Led by Fulcrum Equity Partners

Healthcare data analytics business Stratasan raises $26 million in a funding round led by Fulcrum Equity Partners.

Fujifilm Opens New Company Headquarters for Medical Device and IT Groups in Lexington, Massachusetts

Fujifilm Medical Systems USA and Fujifilm New Development relocate their respective headquarters to a 28,000 square foot facility in Lexington, MA.

Morning Headlines 7/10/19

HGP Client Omnisys Acquires STRAND Clinical Technologies

Pharmacy technology vendor OmniSys acquires Strand Clinical Technologies, which offers a clinical services documentation platform for pharmacists.

GNS Healthcare Raises $23 Million Led by Cigna Ventures

Precision medicine technology vendor GNS Healthcare raises $23 million in a Series D funding round.

IBM closes Red Hat acquisition for $34 billion

First announced last October, IBM wraps up its acquisition of cloud software company Red Hat for $34 billion.

Providence St. Joseph Health Collaboration With Blue Shield of California and Gemini Health Delivers Immediate Drug Cost Savings for Patients

Providence St. Joseph Health providers use the EHR-integrated prescription cost transparency service of Gemini Health to offer Blue Shield of California patients lower-cost drug alternatives.

Morning Headlines 7/9/19

Deputy National Coordinator Transition

ONC Executive Director Steve Posnack will become deputy national coordinator when Jon White leaves in mid-August to become the associate chief of staff of research at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System.

iMedX Launches Industry Leading Analytics and Business Intelligence with Acquisition of Prevalent, Inc. and Axcension, Inc.

RCM and HIS vendor IMedX introduces analytics capabilities culled from newly-acquired companies Prevalent and Axcension.

Microsoft and Providence St. Joseph Health announce strategic alliance to accelerate the future of care delivery

Providence St. Joseph Health will work with Microsoft to develop new technologies it will then deploy at its hospital in Seattle.

Morning Headlines 7/8/19

Q&A: Providence Exec on Bluetree Acquisition, Trends in Health Tech

Providence St. Joseph Health will create a billion-dollar company from its non-clinical projects, including the acquired Engage and Bluetree businesses and its Epic Community Connect hosting business.

Sale of Bain’s Waystar may wrap by end of July: sources

Sources report that Bain Capital may close on its sale of Waystar, which some value at as much as $3 billion, within the next several weeks.

Despite millions spent, ‘crucial’ DSHS electronic records system years behind schedule

A State of Washington project to implement Cerner at Western State Hospital is running several years behind schedule with no completion date established.

32 workers at Conifer Health Solutions to be laid off

Citing a change in a significant client relationship, RCM vendor Conifer Health Solutions announces it will lay off 32 employees in mid-August.

KKR, Baring Asia lead race for CitiusTech

India-based private equity firms KKR and Baring Asia become frontrunners to acquire CitiusTech, with a final sale decision expected by the end of July.

Morning Headlines 7/5/19

Q&A: Providence Exec on Bluetree Acquisition, Trends in Health Tech

Providence St. Joseph Health says it will roll its non-clinical projects — Bluetree’s consulting, Engage’s Meditech services, and Epic Community Connect hosting — into a billion-dollar company that will generate a 20% return.

OpenNotes: More Than 40 Million Patients Can Access Their Clinicians’ Visit Notes Via Secure Portals at 200 Health Systems

OpenNotes says that 40 million Americans who are served by 200 health systems can access their clinician-entered notes.

MVHS launches new system-wide electronic health record

Mohawk Valley Health System (NY) goes live with Epic at its two hospitals and physician practices.

Morning Headlines 7/3/19

Government EHR proposals threaten patient privacy

The American Medical Association warns that proposed federal rules allow patient data to be shared with third parties who aren’t bound to keep it private.

Net Health to Acquire Optima Healthcare Solutions, Expanding Its Purpose-Built Electronic Medical Record Platform

Outpatient therapy EHR vendor Net Health acquires Optima Healthcare Solutions, which offers a contract therapy EHR.

Aggression Detectors: The Unproven, Invasive Surveillance Technology Schools Are Using to Monitor Students

A few hospitals are using publicly placed microphones and machine learning-analyzed speech in hopes of detecting aggression before it turns into violence.

Electronic medical record system for all M’sian hospitals, clinics to cost up to RM1.5b, says minister

Malaysia’s government will open a tender this year for an EHR to be implemented in its 145 hospitals and 1,700 clinics at an estimated cost of $360 million.