On Thursday, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced it has awarded more than $87 million in funding for 1,310 health centers nationwide to support health IT enhancements to accelerate health centers’ transition to value-based models of care. The funding will improve efforts to share and use information to support better decisions, and increase engagement in delivery system transformation, according to the HHS announcement. The announcement marks the first
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Harvard Medical School Launches Digital Repository of Medical Evidence
Harvard Medical School is launching Library of Evidence, a publicly accessible digital repository of medical evidence to help practicing clinicians choose the most appropriate imaging test for each patient. Founded in collaboration with the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the library is a project of the HMS Countway Library of Medicine and representatives of other HMS hospitals and Harvard institutions. How it WorksThe Harvard Library of Evidence provides
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Huntzinger Management Group Acquires Next Wave Health Advisors
Huntzinger Management Group, Inc., a healthcare consulting firm providing advisory, managed services, implementation, and supplemental staffing services has acquired Next Wave Health Advisors, LLC for an undisclosed sum. As part of the acquisition, the Advisors will assist in providing healthcare advisory and managed services consulting engagements and collaborate with Huntzinger leadership to formulate services most needed by and beneficial to the healthcare IT market.The Advisors are
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HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Joins Solera Health Advisory Board
21st Secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has been appointed by Solera Health, an integrator of chronic disease prevention and management solutions to its advisory board. From 2009 -2014, Ms. Sebelius served in President Barack Obama's Cabinet as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), leading the effort to pass and implement significant health reform through the Affordable Care Act. Prior to serving as secretary of HHS, Ms. Sebelius was the
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Predictive Analytics Saves Oklahoma HMO $10M in Annual Savings
Oklahoma-based HMO, GlobalHealth, recently published a case study analyzing the results of their proactive outreach program. The program, built on big data with predictive analytics platform ViterosHealth, finds members whose health was most likely to change for the worse and implements changes to prevent catastrophic health events. Since implementation, GlobalHealth has realized an 18 percent reduction in emergency room encounters and emergent hospital admissions, a 22 percent reduction in
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Pfizer Launches “Moodivator” App to Help Patients Monitor Depression
Pfizer has developed a new mobile health app named Moodivator to help motivate to help motivate and encourage the millions of adults who experience depression. An estimated 1 in 15 adults experience at least one major depressive episode in any given year. To help support, encourage and motivate people with depression, the new app is designed to help patients set and achieve manageable goals—in areas from wellness to treatment—and turn those goals into routines. Patients can regularly log your
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New York Digital Health Accelerator Unveils 2016 Class of 6 Startups
The New York Digital Health Accelerator (NYDHA) has announced their 2016 class of six early and growth stage digital health companies that are developing cutting-edge technology products for healthcare providers and patients in the areas of care coordination, patient engagement, and workflow improvement. The four-month program run by the Partnership Fund for New York City (Partnership Fund) and the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) will provide the digital health startups direct access to
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WellDoc, LifeScan Integrate to Create Type 2 Diabetes Management Platform
WellDoc has entered a commercial partnership agreement with LifeScan Inc., a Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Company (JJDCC), to deliver a best-in-class digital health solution for individuals living with Type 2 diabetes. The combined offering will seek to create a comprehensive, data-driven and payer-reimbursed program for Type 2 diabetes management.WellDoc’s BlueStar® diabetes management platform and mobile app is the first digital therapeutic approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
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Glooko, Diasend Merge to Create International Diabetes Management Platform
Diabetes management platform companies Diasend and Glooko announced that it will merge into one company under the Glooko name to deliver the world’s premier diabetes management platform focused on making diabetes management easier for people with diabetes and the teams who care for them. In addition to its merger, the companies have raised $8M in equity financing, led by global venture capital firm Canaan Partners, to accelerate integration and sales efforts. Other investors include Social
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Walgreens Study: Pill Reminder, Activity Tracking Features Improves Medication Adherance
Walgreens mobile pill reminder feature and its activity tracking digital health solutions has improved medication adherence among pharmacy patients, according to two recent company studies. Recent Walgreens research has shown that consumers over 50 years of age who track activities through its Balance® Rewards for healthy choices (BRhc) program, which awards loyalty points for healthy behaviors and activities, are more adherent to their medication therapies. A separate Walgreens study found that
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