Health IT, Hospitals
The IT work that Covid halted & the hurdles to jumpstarting it again
By Anuja Vaidya
Though the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated some aspects of health IT, it slowed others, including EHR replacements and back-office system upgrades. CIOs from some of the nation’s leading health systems shared not only the projects they put on hold, but also how they made those decisions and the challenges they faced when trying to reignite their efforts.
Health IT, Hospitals, Artificial Intelligence
Northwell Health, Aegis team up to launch AI-focused joint venture
By Anuja Vaidya
The health system and startup studio’s new joint venture will develop and launch companies that use artificial intelligence to address healthcare problems, including disparities in care. The venture will combine Northwell’s clinical expertise and patient data with Aegis’ data scientists and commercialization capabilities.
Hospitals
Report: $27B remains unspent in Covid-19 Provider Relief Fund
By Anuja Vaidya
Of the billions of dollars provided by the government to support providers during the pandemic, $11.7 billion has been allocated but not spent, $7.1 billion has not been allocated and $8 billion has been returned for various reasons, including that the organization recovered faster than expected.
Hospitals, Legal, Payers
Bill aiming to streamline MA prior authorization gains House majority support
By Anuja Vaidya
The bill, if enacted into law, will establish an electronic prior authorization process and require Medicare Advantage plans to report on their use of prior authorization and the rate of approvals or denials to CMS. It has 227 co-sponsors in the U.S. House, indicating strong support from both Republicans and Democrats.
Pharma, BioPharma, Patient Engagement
Joining forces can benefit both patients and pharma companies
By Anuja Vaidya
By engaging in a dialogue, patients and pharma companies can have a mutually beneficial relationship, Health Union’s Jack Barrette said at HLTH’s patient engagement track, hosted by MedCity News. Not only can patients help mold clinical trials, but they can help companies improve their patient education efforts.
Hospitals, Health Tech, Physicians
Tech is connecting health systems & workers amid growing shortages
By Anuja Vaidya
The worsening workforce shortages have forced health systems to get creative when it comes to recruiting staff. Technology is helping health systems reach workers directly without having to go through a traditional staffing agency.
Hospitals, Artificial Intelligence, Health Tech
Hackensack Meridian Health deploys Google Chrome OS devices, uses Cloud AI for screenings
By Anuja Vaidya
The New Jersey-based health system initially partnered with Google in 2019. It has now migrated to Google Workspace, providing thousands of Chrome OS devices to remote workers, and is using Google Cloud AI capabilities to detect diseases like breast cancer and Covid-19.
Legal, Payers
CMS chief at HLTH: We need to stop taking it for granted that people know they are eligible for coverage
By Anuja Vaidya
There are about 17 million people eligible for coverage through Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, and one of CMS’ priorities is to make them aware of their insurance options, Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said at this year’s HLTH conference.
Hospitals
HLTH: How Mass General Brigham plans to navigate evolving care delivery options, rising prices
By Anuja Vaidya
As health systems pivot to virtual and at-home care, Mass General Brigham is continuing to invest in brick-and-mortar facilities as CEO Dr. Anne Klibanski believes there will always be a need for inpatient care. At HLTH, she discussed the health system’s investment in its facilities and how it is leveraging enterprise services to help keep costs down.
Artificial Intelligence, Health Tech, Payers
Blue Shield of California, Google Cloud to develop real-time claims processing platform
By Anuja Vaidya
The companies will build their claims processing platform on Google Cloud’s infrastructure, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. The goal of the collaboration is to improve patient and provider experience and reduce spending on administrative processes.
Health IT, Hospitals, Patient Engagement
UnityPoint Health, b.well Connected Health partner to implement digital-first consumer strategy
By Anuja Vaidya
The Iowa-based health system will leverage b.well Connected Health’s platform and services to enable patients to view and share their health data. The platform will also allow patients to access all of UnityPoint’s digital tools in one location.
Patient Engagement
Engage at HLTH: At the heart of patient-centered care is trust and knowledge
By Anuja Vaidya
Panelists at HLTH’s patient engagement track, hosted by MedCity News, zeroed in on three strategies for achieving patient centricity: building trust, engaging health navigators and providing easy-to-understand health information.
Health IT, Patient Engagement
Report: Provider, payer websites are go-to online resources for patients making care decisions
By Anuja Vaidya
Healthcare consumers are increasingly turning to the internet to research their care options, and provider and payer websites are among their top choices for information, according to a new survey of 1,000 U.S. adults. Over half of the respondents said they would use a provider or payer website to search for a new doctor.
Health IT, Hospitals, Legal
Mayo, Kaiser, Medically Home launch advocacy effort to extend hospital-at-home flexibilities
By Anuja Vaidya
Eleven health systems have joined the coalition, which aims to extend and expand the existing federal hospital-at-home waivers and create an advanced acute care-at-home delivery model at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation.
https://medcitynews.com/author/avaidya/
