Monday Morning Update 2/20/23

Monday Morning Update 2/20/23

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The VA postpones its planned July 2023 Oracle Cerner go-live at its Ann Arbor, MI facilities until later this year or early in 2024.
The service region is concerned about “how well EHRM would interact with VA Ann Arbor’s vital medical research mission.”

Reader Comments From AT: “Re: pet peeves with service industry words and phrases. ‘I appreciate you,’ following my thanking you and leaving you a tip, which suggests that we are like-minded, decent people even though you have no way of knowing that. Second is thanking someone with ‘of course,” implying that I’m either too stupid to know…

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PBMs Come Under Fire During Senate Hearing

PBMs Come Under Fire During Senate Hearing

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) took a hit from lawmakers during a Thursday hearing held by the Senate Commerce Committee, with some questioning why the drug middlemen are even necessary.
“The way I see the situation on PBMs, I don’t know why the hell they even exist,” said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana. “They were set up with all the right reasons … But what I see them doing in my state, I don’t think the consumer gets much benefit and they’re shutting down small businesses on main street right and left and those are called our local neighborhood pharmacies.” The hearing discussed how…

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News 2/17/23

News 2/17/23

Top News

Unified communications and collaboration services vendor Avaya, whose healthcare offerings include solutions for virtual care, collaboration, and patient access technology, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in six years.
The Durham, NC-based company reported lower than expected revenue and earnings last year, blaming accounting problems with its cloud subscription revenue, after which it replaced its CEO.
AVYA share price has dropped 98% in the past 12 months, valuing the company at $24 million.

Reader Comments From Baby Payer: “Re: IVF coverage. In an example of our messed up healthcare system, women are taking Amazon jobs and quitting after…

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Digital MSK startup IncludeHealth scores $11M and more digital health fundings

Digital MSK startup IncludeHealth scores $11M and more digital health fundings

Digital musculoskeletal (MSK) health company IncludeHealth announced it had raised $11 million in a funding round led by CincyTech with participation from Tamarind Hill and other investors.The company said it would use the funds to expand MSK-OS, its virtual care platform for delivering musculoskeletal care and physical therapy. Late last year, IncludeHealth announced a partnership with Yale New Haven Health System to offer a hybrid MSK care model for the system’s patients using the platform. 
In addition to the funding round, the startup said it had hired Ray Shealy as COO and added Grant Koster, who served as senior vice president of…

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From Telemedicine to Complete Virtual Care and Beyond

From Telemedicine to Complete Virtual Care and Beyond

Michael Gorton, CEO of Recuro HealthTelemedicine has helped improve the quality of life of patients in every corner of the world and has been successfully utilized to provide convenient care to people with limited or no access to health services. Today, worldwide digital interconnectivity is growing, enabling telehealth to advance health equity, bring access to care for underserved regions and meet the urgent, primary and behavioral healthcare needs of an exploding global population.It has been a remarkable journey for the innovators who pioneered telemedicine. Since its inception, digital health services began the transformation from traditional healthcare — a reactive, disease-focused model…

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FemTech: Joi Women’s Wellness Launches Nationwide

FemTech: Joi Women’s Wellness Launches Nationwide

What You Should Know:– Joi Women’s Wellness (Joi), a modern, femtech proactive approach to women’s health care, today announced the company’s official nationwide launch and availability of its hormone optimization and peptide therapy treatments, as well as the introduction of a new telehealth platform that provides a goals-based, customizable experience to help women own their health journey and manage the hormone and age–related changes to their bodies.– Joi offers health coaching and tailored treatments to help women feel their best from the inside out.Customized Wellness Treatments and Telehealth CoachingNearly half of women aged 30 to 60 have experienced symptoms of hormonal imbalance…

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TBD Health Raises $4.4M Seed Round to Expand its Hybrid Sexual Healthcare Offerings Nationally

TBD Health Raises $4.4M Seed Round to Expand its Hybrid Sexual Healthcare Offerings Nationally

As Reproductive Rights are Defunded and Debated Nationally, TBD Health Aims to Democratize Access to Inclusive Sexual Care
TBD Health, a sexual healthcare provider revolutionizing the medical landscape through unparalleled digital and in-person clinical care, today announced a $4.4 million seed round led by Tusk Venture Partners, with participation from Springdale Ventures, Human Ventures, Expansion VC, Starbloom Capital, Hyphen Capital, and The Community Fund along with several strategic angels. With this new financing, TBD Health is expanding to all 50 states, democratizing access to its sexual healthcare offerings, consisting of at-home STD testing and emergency contraception available via telehealth or in-person in its Las…

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BCBS Tennessee Unveils Health Disparities in First Health Equity Report

BCBS Tennessee Unveils Health Disparities in First Health Equity Report

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee unveiled its first Health Equity Report Tuesday, which analyzed six topics of health disparities: behavioral health, cancer, child and adolescent care, chronic condition management, Covid-19 and maternal health.
The report serves as a way to understand the inequities that exist among its members to determine ways the payer can address the disparities, said Dr. Andrea Willis, chief medical officer of BCBS Tennessee. “We wanted to get a better picture of the health issues and barriers to care faced by our members and Tennesseans as a whole, so that we could more effectively partner with health care providers to…

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Centura Health Acquires Utah Care Sites from Steward Health Care

Centura Health Acquires Utah Care Sites from Steward Health Care

What You Should Know:Centura Health, one of its two joint operating sponsors, CommonSpirit Health, and Steward Health Care today announced an asset purchase agreement (APA) for CommonSpirit Health to acquire Steward’s Utah care sites, which include five hospitals, more than 35 medical group clinics, and a clinically integrated network of care providers.As part of the acquisition, Centura Health will manage the five hospitals and their affiliated clinics which includes Davis Hospital and Medical Center in Layton, Jordan Valley Medical Center in West Jordan, Jordan Valley Medical Center-West Valley Campus, Mountain Point Medical Center in Lehi and Salt Lake Regional Medical Center…

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HHS Aims To Reduce Prescription Drug Costs Through 3 New Models

HHS Aims To Reduce Prescription Drug Costs Through 3 New Models

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) unveiled three new models Tuesday that will be tested by the CMS Innovation Center and aim to lower prescription drug costs. The models include access to $2 generic drugs.
The news is in response to President Joe Biden’s executive order issued in October, which directed HHS to find ways to lower prescription drug costs and improve access to drug therapies for those enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid health plans. The models are meant to build on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for…

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