ANNOUNCEMENT

MedCity CONVERGE gathers payers, providers, medtech, pharma, digital health, investors, policymakers and more.

Veronica Combs

Veronica Combs

I am the editor in chief at MedCityNews.com. I started writing and editing in the print world and joined a dotcom right before the 2000 crash. I was at TechRepublic/CNET/BNET for 7 years. Health was more interesting to me than the latest version of Windows, so I left for a startup tracking prescription drug news. A year later, MedTrackAlert was acquired by HealthCentral, so I shifted to audience research. The fun of daily news and interviewing smart people brought me to MedCity News in February 2012.

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Money Map: Find a venture capital firm to fund your healthcare startup

Money Map: Find a venture capital firm to fund your healthcare startup

June 17, 2013 4:11 pm by | 0 Comments

Hard to understand, slow to exit and more than enough risk to go around.Not many investors are brave and smart enough to fund startups working to get new pharmaceuticals, medical ... Read more
ACLU: Hooray! Myriad: We’re good.

ACLU: Hooray! Myriad: We’re good.

June 14, 2013 7:40 am by | 0 Comments

The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that companies could not patent human genes. This case focused on the BRCA 1 and 2 genes linked to breast cancer risk, but the U.S. ... Read more
A new bridge across the valley of death: Non-dilutive money from NASA’s grant fund

A new bridge across the valley of death: Non-dilutive money from NASA’s grant fund

June 12, 2013 2:47 pm by | 0 Comments

NASA is looking to accelerators to identify healthcare entrepreneurs working on the best ideas to deliver healthcare to astronauts.The National Space Biomedical Research Institute Industry Forum announced a new funding ... Read more
To space and back: Two healthcare startups who got commercialization help from NASA

To space and back: Two healthcare startups who got commercialization help from NASA

June 12, 2013 2:42 pm by | 0 Comments

Two healthcare startups are living proof that sometimes the government really is here to help. Two companies that have already received grants from the National Space Biomedical Research Institute Industry ... Read more
Doctors who get it: 3 physicians who understand what patients really need

Doctors who get it: 3 physicians who understand what patients really need

June 7, 2013 3:42 pm by | 4 Comments

It is not often that you are rewarded so well for staying until the very last session at a conference. I know the storage capacity of my brain was almost ... Read more
Data liberacion 2013: We are coming for your silos

Data liberacion 2013: We are coming for your silos

June 7, 2013 2:50 pm by | 0 Comments

My week-long adventure in D.C. started out with stories about personal health data at XX in Health on Sunday. I had the pleasure of spending the day with other women ... Read more
Secrets to PHR success: Q&A with the brains behind the Blue Button

Secrets to PHR success: Q&A with the brains behind the Blue Button

June 5, 2013 5:36 pm by | 0 Comments

How do you launch a massively successful personal health records project with thousands happy users and heaps of praise?1. Make sure you have 1 million users when you launch2. Have ... Read more
Sensors, thermometers, and bears oh my! Three devices spotted at Datapalooza

Sensors, thermometers, and bears oh my! Three devices spotted at Datapalooza

June 5, 2013 12:43 pm by | 0 Comments

Although apps were the focus at Datapalooza IV, there were a few medical devices in the mix as well, ranging from futuristic to fluffy. A unique team that includes a ... Read more
Family Feud’n at Datapalooza: What does the Medicare Advantage survey say?

Family Feud’n at Datapalooza: What does the Medicare Advantage survey say?

June 5, 2013 12:12 pm by | 0 Comments

The music at Datapalooza IV set a funkier and faster tone from the very beginning of the week, and the Family Feud'n competition blew away any remaining assumption that this ... Read more
Google Ventures partner: Bring on the pitches for HIT and Google Glass for healthcare

Google Ventures partner: Bring on the pitches for HIT and Google Glass for healthcare

June 4, 2013 6:26 pm by | 0 Comments

More than 60 companies showed off their health data applications at Datapalooza IV this week and Krishna Yeshwant, a partner at Google Ventures, was the MC for a demo session ... Read more
Why PHRQL should win the #DDDiabetes challenge (and did!)

Why PHRQL should win the #DDDiabetes challenge (and did!)

June 4, 2013 8:53 am by | 0 Comments

On the opening day of Datapalooza IV, five entrepreneurs pitched their products and services designed to make it easier for people with diabetes to stay healthy. I like PHRQL's plan ... Read more
Six health data advances from England that will be “bigger than the Internet”

Six health data advances from England that will be “bigger than the Internet”

June 3, 2013 7:12 pm by | 3 Comments

England’s National Health System is the fifth biggest employer in the world. Who is first? The U.S. Department of Defense. The Red Army, Wal-Mart, and McDonald’s make up the rest ... Read more
Healthcare needs more humor: Bush’s five funniest lines from Datapalooza IV keynote

Healthcare needs more humor: Bush’s five funniest lines from Datapalooza IV keynote

June 3, 2013 6:06 pm by | 0 Comments

The last 30 seconds of this trailer is a perfect example of Jonathan Bush’s Datapalooza talk.Secretary Sebelius released a bunch of data, but didn’t have much else to say.Atul Gawande ... Read more
Our broken healthcare system defeats even the most empowered patients

Our broken healthcare system defeats even the most empowered patients

June 3, 2013 6:57 am by | 24 Comments

Jess Jacobs and Donna Cryer are experts on the healthcare system — professionally and personally.Jacobs has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and describes it best in her own words: I have ... Read more
Qpid.me is hacking HIPAA to encourage safer sex and help patients get medical records

Qpid.me is hacking HIPAA to encourage safer sex and help patients get medical records

May 31, 2013 12:23 pm by | 1 Comments

Qpid.me has turned one of the healthcare industry’s liabilities — communicating by fax — into a strength for patients. Founder Ramin Bastani has figured out how to use this creaky ... Read more