Dan Verel writes about how hospitals and health insurance companies are leveraging cutting-edge technologies to transform the industry -- from health IT to telemedicine to healthcare social media.
Previously, he was a reporter at the North Bay Business Journal, where he covered healthcare, insurance, HR and employment, law and hospitality and tourism. His byline’s also appeared in the Oakland Tribune and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. He is based in San Francisco.
Follow him on Twitter @DanVerel.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts recently entered into a partnership with American Well on a new telemedicine pilot that will permit direct engagement for consumers with their health plans and providers. The pilot, dubbed WellConnection, will last two years and will initially target a range of conditions, from monitoring recovery from concussions to wellness coaching to […]
Health Catalyst, the fast growing data analytics vendor based in Utah, just raised another $70 million in a Series D round that puts the company at a valuation of more than $500 million, the company said today. Health Catalyst, founded in 2008 and headed by CEO Dan Burton, said the funding will go toward “significant” […]
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
In an attempt to better manage the seeming deluge of big data in healthcare, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University have teamed up to form the Pittsburgh Health Data Alliance. The three academic organizations aim to integrate more seamlessly data from EHRs, diagnostic imaging, genomic profiles, insurance […]
A new Silicon Valley startup is hoping to bring data-driven applications to a wide swath of healthcare, having just raised $10 million in a Series A to apply cloud-based applications to both providers and pharma. Reltio, started in Palo Alto in 2011 but just officially launched, was founded by the team behind data analytics company Informatica […]
Not quite three months after it rolled out an accreditation program for telehealth and providers, the American Telemedicine Association said it has received more than 200 applications to register, while awarding its first accreditation to Amwell. The ATA launched the effort late last year, with the goal of helping establish more clear standards in the […]
An effort backed by Cambia Health Solutions to lure more startups opened today in Seattle with the intent of bringing together not just entrepreneurial talent in the healthcare space, but also well-established entities like health systems and major employers to jointly identify challenges and potential solutions. The Cambia Grove, announced last fall, opened in a 9,000 square-foot space, hoping […]
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Patients are increasingly troubled about security breaches that involve personal health information, with 45 percent saying they were at least moderately concerned, prompting some to even withhold certain personal information from their doctors, according to a survey from Software Advice. The number of patients declining to share information, while relatively small at 21 percent, is […]
The VA is getting in on the use of genomic testing and precision medicine, with the New England Veteran’s Integrated Service Network selecting Personal Genome Diagnostics to head up its efforts related to precision oncology. The Precision Oncology Program is being established by the VA network to support the collection and analysis of data on […]
CMS yesterday unveiled a new model for ACOs as part of an attempt to make such coordinated care organizations more predictable and enticing for providers, and with that will come increased coverage of telehealth services. According to the American Telemedicine Association, the development is no small deal. “The decision is particularly significant because under this new model, […]
Mount Sinai Health System in New York is stepping up its telehealth offerings, part of a concerted effort to increase convenience for patients while reducing costs, officials said. A number of new initiatives are underway, including a primary care program that will offer remote visits with physicians in Mount Sinai‘s Doctors Faculty Practice. It will […]
Gabby Everett, the site director for BioLabs Pegasus Park, offered a tour of the space and shared some examples of why early-stage life science companies should choose North Texas.
In a sign that hospitals and health systems are perhaps moving faster to embrace data analytics technology, 60 percent of all facilities plan on investing in IT infrastructure in 2015 that could support it and other efforts related to population health and patient engagement, according to report by Peer60. Not surprisingly, ICD-10 migration topped the […]
Pager, a startup that has developed a mobile service that aims to better coordinate patients and providers between visits through a series of apps, closed its first round of funding at $10.4 million. The apps are designed for patients to get a provider to visit them in-home or at an office and starts with a […]
Vitals, which provides pricing transparency and reviews of physicians, named Heyward Donigan as its new CEO, replacing Mitch Rothschild, while appointing former Priceline Group CEO Jeffrey Boyd to adviser and board director. Donigan was previously CEO of ValueOptions, a health improvement company that specializes in mental and emotional well-being and recovery. There, she helped drive […]
The Centers for Disease Control recently acknowledged for the first time three digital health programs for their ability to help counter the onset of Type 2 diabetes, leading to better outcomes and reduced spending. The three digitally-centered programs that were recognized include startups Omada Health and Noom Health, as well as DPS Health, which was […]
Apple wants its new highly-anticipated watch to be compatible for medical research, possibly harnessing the data of some 700 million iPhone users worldwide and creating apps to align with the just-announced ResearchKit. Apple Insider reports that Apple executive Jeff Williams said the new ResearchKit tools will grab data from both apps and HealthKit. Users will be […]