Category: Health IT

Virginia system mandates telehealth visits for those with COVID-19 symptoms

Onancock, Va.-based Eastern Shore Rural Health is mandating visits by phone or video for people who are experiencing possible COVID-19 symptoms.

Texas medical school expands telehealth mental health program to 9 school districts

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine in Edinburg has expanded its free telehealth mental health program to nine school districts in the state.

Cerner’s year in review: 5 biggest stories in 2021 

Kansas City, Mo.-based Cerner made headlines this year amid its acquisition agreement with software giant Oracle and appointment of David Feinberg, MD, the former head of Google Health, as its new CEO. 

68 healthcare providers snag $42.7M in COVID-19 telehealth funding

The Federal Communications Commission approved Dec. 21 an additional 68 applicants for funding in its second round of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, totaling $42.7 million in the round. 

Epic’s year in review: 5 biggest stories in 2021

Verona, Wis.-based Epic made headlines this year amid its partnership with Walmart Health and its COVID-19 vaccination mandate for employees.  

Disrupt health care with blockchain

Health care requires forward progression in the chase for quality, safety, and sustainability. When considering how far we have come collectively, success is often celebrated. Be it a new vaccine to curb a pandemic, an advanced diagnostic tool to exped…

Oracle’s Cerner acquisition sparks downgrade warnings from S&P, Fitch and Moody’s

Three major U.S. ratings agencies may downgrade Oracle’s investment-grade ratings if the software giant increases debt to finance its $28 billion acquisition of Cerner, Bloomberg reported Dec. 21. 

Viewpoint: Telehealth parity mandates prevent cost savings

Requiring telehealth reimbursement at the same rates as in-person services will prevent savings for patients, writes Angela Dills, PhD, in The Hill Dec. 21

Supreme Court to review implications of Epic workplace arbitration case 

The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request for it to review a labor violations lawsuit that seeks to understand the effects of a 2018 workplace arbitration case involving Verona, Wis.-based EHR vendor Epic, according to recent court documents. 

What the Oracle-Cerner deal could mean for EHR interoperability: 7 insights

Oracle’s $28.3 billion acquisition of Cerner could pave the way to reduce patient data silos and interoperability challenges among hospitals and health systems, some analysts predict, according to a Dec. 21 report in The Wall Street Journal.