Q&A: Empowerment Over Information – Rethinking Patient Education
The piece argues that the flood of digital health information has outpaced patients' ability to evaluate and apply it, leaving many feeling overwhelmed rather than empowered. It highlights that clinicians often provide data without guiding patients toward trustworthy sources, and that health literacy now must encompass system navigation, risk assessment, and decision‑making skills. The author advocates for shared decision‑making tools and AI‑enabled partners that translate complex medical data into personalized, actionable insights. Ultimately, integrating these approaches can align treatment choices with patient goals and curb unnecessary utilization.
Marathon Health’s Newly Appointed CEO Looks to Maintain a Flexible Model
Marathon Health appointed Chris Pricco as chief executive officer, succeeding co‑founder Jeff Wells. Pricco said the company will keep its flexible advanced primary‑care (APC) model, tailoring on‑site or network clinics to each employer’s workforce. He highlighted three priorities: flexible service...
Could North Texas Become a Healthcare Innovation Hub Like Nashville?
North Texas is being positioned as the next healthcare‑innovation hub, drawing lessons from Nashville’s success. Nashville’s HCA family tree, Vanderbilt’s data assets, and venture firms like Frist Cressey have created a collaborative ecosystem that accelerates value‑based‑care startups. In Dallas, the...
Rapid Response: How Boston Children’s Hospital Overcame the Stryker Cyberattack
Boston Children’s Hospital faced a massive wiper cyberattack that crippled Stryker’s Vocera communication platform, prompting an immediate, coordinated response. Within 30 minutes the hospital isolated the vendor network and began dismantling the compromised system. By evening, Epic Secure Chat was...
Partners Seek to Integrate Dental Care Into Nationwide HIE Infrastructure
CareQuest Innovation Partners and federally designated QHIN Kno2 have announced a partnership to embed dental data into the nation’s health‑information‑exchange (HIE) infrastructure. The collaboration targets bidirectional data flow between dental and medical providers, aiming for a production go‑live within six...
Digital Curbside Consults Having Big Impact in Rural Maine
The Community Care Partnership of Maine (CCPM) has rolled out the PicassoMD digital curbside consult platform across its 22 member clinics, linking primary‑care providers with specialists in seconds. Since its October 2023 launch, more than 300 clinicians have completed over 5,700...
NIH Unveils Strategic Plan to Transform Disability Health Research
The National Institutes of Health released the FY26‑FY33 Strategic Plan for Disability Health Research, outlining a coordinated, person‑centered approach to improve health outcomes for people with disabilities. Developed with input from researchers, clinicians, advocates, and individuals with lived experience, the...
AI at the Bedside: Scaling Innovation Without Compromising Patient Safety
Artificial intelligence has moved from pilot projects to core clinical tools, with the FDA authorizing more than 1,400 AI‑enabled medical devices by the end of 2025, most via the fast‑track 510(k) pathway. Radiology dominates usage, but AI is expanding into...
A New Chapter in Healthcare
Melinda Taschetta‑Millane has been appointed Market Content Director of Healthcare Editorial and Head of Content for Healthcare Innovation. With over two decades in B2B healthcare media—including roles at the American Academy of Pediatrics, medical aesthetics, radiology and cardiology—she brings deep...
NYC Partnership Targets Medicaid Population for HRSN Screenings
A coalition of Yuvo Health, Public Health Solutions and Hyphen aims to complete 40,000 health‑related social‑needs (HRSN) screenings across New York City’s Federally Qualified Health Center network by June 30, 2026. The effort targets Medicaid enrollees under New York State’s 1115 Health Equity Reform...
Addressing Mobile Device Risks in Healthcare: Strategies for Better Security and Compliance
Mobile devices have become essential in healthcare, but attacks on Android devices have surged 244%, exposing critical vulnerabilities. A recent Imprivata survey shows 44% of organizations lack formal mobile device policies and 55% have no visibility into device usage. Without...
What Jefferson Health Hopes to Gain From NCQA Advanced Primary Care Pilot
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) selected Jefferson Health as one of four participants in its Advanced Primary Care pilot, aimed at shaping standards for data‑driven, team‑based care. Jefferson’s primary‑care network spans roughly 150 sites, 1,000 clinicians, and one...
NAACOS to CMS: Bring Innovations From Other APMs to MSSP
The National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) sent a letter to CMS urging the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to adopt innovations from other alternative payment models. Key proposals include introducing capitation payments, expanding voluntary beneficiary alignment, modernizing quality reporting with...
How Lifepoint Health Is Addressing Incidental Findings at Enterprise Scale
Lifepoint Health partnered with AI‑driven Eon to launch the Eon Breast platform, extending incidental‑finding management across its 80‑hospital network. The solution consolidates screening and incidental alerts, enabling early detection of breast and other cancers and has been deployed in 53...
Why I Stopped Accepting Workarounds in Perioperative Care
An anesthesiologist recounts a recent case where missing pre‑operative documentation forced a last‑minute delay for a pancreatic endoscopy, exposing the hidden costs of workarounds in peri‑operative care. He argues that these shortcuts are symptoms of broken systems rather than clever...
OCHIN, C3 Partner to Expand ACO Offerings for FQHCs
OCHIN and Community Care Cooperative (C3) have launched a joint accountable care organization (ACO) offering tailored for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). OCHIN will supply its Epic EHR platform and analytics, while C3 brings a suite of Medicare ACO services,...
Sutter Health, Allina Explore Merger With Eye on Digital Health
Sutter Health and Allina Health have signed a Letter of Intent to merge, creating a nonprofit system that spans Northern California, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The combined entity will include 39 hospitals, over 400 care sites, 18,000 physicians and 88,000 staff,...
How Health System Leaders Are Responding to Medicare Advantage Pressures
Alvarez & Marsal’s MA Pulse Survey of 30 health‑system executives reveals a sharp inflection in Medicare Advantage participation, with declining reimbursements and rising denials eroding profitability. Six in ten respondents expect lower payments, while 74 % anticipate tougher collections and 52 % foresee...
Integrating Street Psychiatry Into the Larger Los Angeles Medical Ecosystem
Dr. Shayan Rab became Los Angeles County’s first full‑time street psychiatrist and helped launch the HOME (Homeless Outreach and Mobile Engagement) Team, the inaugural model that embeds street psychiatry within the county’s field‑based mental‑health services. The multidisciplinary team blends community...
HIMSS26: Dr. Mehmet Oz Discusses Improving Healthcare Efficiency
At HIMSS26, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz outlined a sweeping technology overhaul aimed at boosting healthcare efficiency and cutting waste. He announced a new Salt Lake City office to attract tech talent and highlighted a $300 billion annual waste figure, with...
Cyberattack on Stryker Highlights Geopolitical Tensions and Security Risks
On March 11, Stryker reported a global outage that wiped devices for its 5,500 employees across Ireland, the US, Australia and India. The breach displayed an Iran‑affiliated logo and was claimed by the hacktivist group Handala, though no ransomware was...
Dementia Telehealth Company Isaac Health Adding Health Systems to Partner Mix
Isaac Health, a telehealth platform for brain health and dementia, announced a partnership with NYU Langone Health, adding a major health‑system channel to its primarily payer‑focused model. The collaboration creates an integrated referral pathway that combines virtual specialty care with...
Why HarmonyCares Execs Are Optimistic About the LEAD Model
HarmonyCares executives are upbeat about the upcoming LEAD alternative payment model, slated to begin in 2027 and designed for small, rural and independent primary‑care practices serving high‑needs patients. They highlight LEAD’s improved benchmarking and risk‑adjustment methods, which address shortcomings they...
Teladoc CEO: ‘We Like What We’re Seeing So Far’ in BetterHelp Insurance Coverage Push
Teladoc Health’s CEO Chuck Divita reported that the company’s BetterHelp mental‑health platform is gaining traction with insurer‑covered members after the $30 million acquisition of UpLift Technologies. UpLift’s network of 1,500 providers generated $13 million in revenue last year, putting the insurance‑covered stream...
HL7 Launches FHIR Accelerator Focused on Medical Device Interoperability
HL7 announced the Caliper FHIR Accelerator, a new implementation community focused on standardizing medical device data exchange. The initiative builds on HL7’s 2025 effort and joins existing FHIR accelerators such as Argonaut and CARIN. Founding members Dexcom and GE HealthCare...
AI and Technology Alone Won't Fix Revenue Cycle Challenges: The Automation Paradox in RCM
Healthcare finance leaders are pouring capital into AI and automation to solve revenue cycle management (RCM) challenges, yet many are discovering that automating flawed workflows only accelerates errors. The emerging "automation paradox" shows that without clean data and standardized processes,...
CMS RFI Offers View of How AI Could Impact Medicare Experience
CMS has issued a Request for Information to explore AI solutions that could transform Medicare’s digital and voice interactions. The agency aims to use predictive analytics, chatbots, virtual assistants, and AI‑driven call‑center tools to deliver personalized plan recommendations and 24/7...
ONC Contest: Make Patient-Exported EHI More Usable
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) has launched the EHIgnite Challenge, a $490,000 competition aimed at turning raw patient‑exported electronic health information into usable, actionable insights. Phase 1, closing May 13, 2026, seeks concept and design submissions that provide...
AI-Based Platform Supports Community Health Workers in Street Medicine Program
Akido Labs has deployed an AI‑native platform that equips community health workers with real‑time data collection, documentation, and patient‑engagement tools for street‑medicine teams. The model aligns with California’s CalAIM whole‑person care framework and shifts the heavy reporting burden away from...
MedStar Health, Withings Bring Connected Devices to Concierge Medicine Program
MedStar Health is scaling its Signature concierge primary‑care program by partnering with Withings Health Solutions to supply patients with cellular blood‑pressure cuffs and scales. The collaboration leverages MedStar’s existing telehealth and remote‑patient‑monitoring infrastructure to collect real‑world physiologic data outside the...
NACHC Announces Center for Mobile Health to Advance Mobile Healthcare Delivery
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) unveiled the Center for Mobile Health, a dedicated hub to accelerate mobile health programs across community health centers. Backed by the Leon Lowenstein Foundation, Direct Relief and mobile‑vehicle firms, the Center will...
PCCI CEO Steve Miff on the 4 Pillars of a Trustworthy AI Framework
Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI) unveiled a four‑pillar framework—prediction transparency, performance transparency, security transparency, and compliance—to ensure trustworthy AI throughout model lifecycles. The framework underpins 14 production models and several in testing, supported by tools like the Islet visualizer...
Transforming Patient Care: The Role of AI and Data Literacy in a New Era
FINN Partners released an eBook titled “Human‑First Health Information,” arguing that healthcare is moving beyond static electronic health records to AI‑driven, adaptive tools. The authors claim AI can cut clinician workload, personalize treatment, and turn massive data streams into actionable...
Facing Regulatory, Reimbursement Changes, Pharmacy Execs Also See Opportunities
Pharmacy leaders are navigating tighter regulations and shifting reimbursement models while uncovering growth avenues in specialty and home‑infusion services. Executives emphasize the need for pharmacists to act as connectors between clinicians, payers, and manufacturers, blending clinical insight with business acumen....
Why Harbor Health Is Acquiring Dementia Support Company Rippl
Harbor Health, an Austin‑based primary care and health‑insurance group, announced the acquisition of Rippl, a Seattle‑based dementia‑care platform. The deal, terms undisclosed, adds Rippl’s CMS GUIDE‑model services for Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare beneficiaries to Harbor’s condition‑focused care pathways. By...
MDMOM: Innovating Around Maternal Health in Maryland
The Maryland Maternal Health Innovation Program (MDMOM), funded with $15.8 million from HRSA, is coordinating data, quality improvement, workforce development, and community engagement across all 32 birthing hospitals in the state. Led by Dr. Andreea Creanga, the initiative has instituted statewide...
KLAS Tracks Evolution of VBC Enablement Services Firms
KLAS released a new report tracking the evolution of value‑based care (VBC) enablement services firms, featuring client‑validated assessments of each vendor’s offerings. Analysts Benjamin Cassity and Andy Paulsen highlight a notable uptick in market activity, with providers increasingly demanding integrated...
Enhancing Health Data Sharing: Sequoia Project Publishes Guides for Automated Consent & Privacy Alignment
The Sequoia Project released two practical guides on February 9, 2026 to accelerate automated, computable patient consent across the United States. One guide provides model legislative language to align state‑level sensitive health‑data laws with national technical standards, while the second offers...
Health Is Local, Until It’s Not
The healthcare industry still relies on geofencing, which ties patient records to a specific geographic zone, hindering data continuity when patients relocate. This limitation clashes with the push toward national interoperability championed by TEFCA and CMS frameworks. Experts argue that...
Innovative AI Solutions Sought in National Caregiver Challenge by HHS
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has opened Phase 1 of its Caregiver AI Prize Competition, a $2 million federal challenge aimed at bolstering the U.S. caregiving workforce. Up to $2.5 million in prize funding will be awarded to as many as 20...
CMS’ Roadmap for Switching to FHIR-Based Digital Quality Measures
CMS announced a roadmap to transition its quality measurement programs from eCQMs to FHIR‑based digital quality measures (dQMs). The agency released draft dQM packages covering 17 inpatient, 4 outpatient, and 49 clinician measures and opened a public comment period through...
