We usually think about outdoor air quality, but sometimes the air in our kitchens is even more dangerous. Did you ever think that home cooking could be dangerous for you? Not in terms of spills or burns, but the air you breathe?

Understanding the Problem

People in the UK spend about 90% of their time indoors, but most air pollution rules only focus on outdoor air. This is a serious problem because many things we do at home, especially cooking, create airborne pollutants that can harm our health.

The INGENIOUS project at the University of York is studying what happens to indoor air quality when we cook. Their research examines homes where many families experience poor air quality both indoors and outdoors.

What’s in the Air When You Cook?

Cooking releases several types of pollutants into your home’s air. The main ones are fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and formaldehyde. Did you ever think you would be breathing formaldehyde in your home as a result of how you cooked?

PM2.5 is especially concerning. These tiny particles can travel deep into your lungs and even get into your bloodstream. One study found that pan-frying chicken produced PM2.5 levels of 92.9 micrograms per cubic meter. The outdoor air quality standard for PM2.5 is 50 micrograms per cubic meter, so some cooking methods can more than double that amount in your kitchen.

Gas stoves create another issue. They release nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which can irritate your lungs and is linked to asthma and other breathing problems. If you don’t use a range hood, cooking with gas can add 25% to 33% more nitrogen dioxide to your indoor air in summer, and even more in winter. In four out of ten homes studied, gas burners released enough nitrogen dioxide to go over the health standards set for outdoor air.

Who’s Most at Risk?

Young children, older adults, and people with asthma or heart and lung diseases are especially at risk.

The numbers are worrying for children with asthma. A 2006 study found that pollution from gas stoves more than doubles the chances of wheezing and shortness of breath for kids with asthma who live in apartments. Another study showed that children with asthma who are exposed to higher nitrogen dioxide levels use their rescue inhalers 14% more often.

Some communities are affected more than others. In Washington State, Black people are exposed to PM2.5 levels that are over 1.3 times higher than White people, and Asian people face levels 1.5 times higher. American Indian and Alaska Native adults have the highest asthma rates at 18%. And there are cultural factors at work here, as well as the type of cooking you do indoors and the airflow in your home.

The Long-Term Health Impact

Being exposed to PM2.5 for a long time raises the risk of early death for people with heart or lung disease. It is also linked to chronic heart and lung problems, effects on brain health, and pregnancy issues.

Around the world, household air pollution causes 6.7 million early deaths each year. The main health problems are stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer.

Use Your Range Hood Every Time You Cook

This is the most important step you can take. A range hood that works well and vents air outside can remove 50% to 70% of pollutants if you use it correctly. But studies show that people use their range hoods only 36% of the time in houses and 28% in apartments.

If your range hood only recirculates air back into the kitchen instead of venting it outside, you should open windows or use another exhaust fan.

Cook on Your Back Burners

Range hoods work best when you use the back burners because they are more fully covered by the hood. Cooking on a single back burner with the hood on low speed usually captures 50% to 70% of the pollutants.

Open Windows and Doors

If you do not have a range hood, opening windows or doors can help. One study found that opening both the front and back doors for ventilation creates strong airflow that can remove over 95% of cooking pollutants in just 10 minutes.

Consider Switching to Electric

All cooking creates some pollution, but gas stoves cause extra problems by releasing nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and benzene. A recent Stanford study found that switching to electric stoves could lower nitrogen dioxide exposure by over 50% across the country. One of the problems, of course, is that electricity or cooking with electricity is more expensive than using gas.

Choose Your Cooking Methods Wisely

Pan-frying and stir-frying at high temperatures make much more pollution than boiling, steaming, or using an air fryer. When you can, choose cooking methods that use lower temperatures.

Why This Matters Now

About half of the people surveyed did not know that cooking creates unhealthy air pollutants. But after learning about the health risks, 64% said they would think about using their ventilation devices more often.

People are spending more time at home. In 2021, Americans spent about 62% of their waking hours at home, up from 50% in 2019. With more people cooking at home, kitchen ventilation is more important.

Newer homes are built to be more energy-efficient, so there is less air exchange with the outdoors. Without good ventilation, pollutants can get trapped inside and build up to harmful levels. In homes with poor ventilation, indoor smoke can have fine particle levels 100 times higher than what is considered safe.

The Bottom Line

Cooking is a normal part of daily life, but it shouldn’t harm your health. By learning what pollutants are released when you cook and taking simple steps to ventilate your kitchen, you can protect yourself and your family.

The research is clear: using a range hood every time you cook, opening windows for airflow, cooking on back burners, and thinking about cleaner cooking technologies can really help. These are not complicated or expensive changes. They are simple habits that can greatly improve the air quality in your home and your health as well.

The post Home Cooking Means Hidden Health Dangers for You appeared first on Medika Life.

On Fridays, Stephanie Johnson has a busy schedule, driving her navy-blue Jeep from one patient’s home to the next, seeing eight in all. Pregnant with her second child, she schleps a backpack instead of a traditional black bag to carry a laptop and essential medical supplies — stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and pulse oximeter.

This story also ran on The Washington Post.

Forget a lunch break; she often eats a sandwich or some nuts as she heads to her next patient visit.

On a gloomy Friday in January, Johnson, a nurse practitioner who treats older adults, had a hospice consult with Ellen, a patient in her 90s in declining health. To protect Ellen’s identity, KFF Health News is not using her last name.

“Hello. How are you feeling?” Johnson asked as she entered Ellen’s bedroom and inquired about her pain. The blinds were drawn. Ellen was in a wheelchair, wearing a white sweater, gray sweatpants, and fuzzy socks. A headband was tied around her white hair. As usual, the TV was playing loudly in the background.

“It’s fine, except this cough I’ve had since junior high,” Ellen said.

Ellen had been diagnosed with vascular dementia, peripheral vascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. Last fall, doctors made the difficult decision to operate on her foot. Before the surgery, Ellen was always colorful, wearing purple, yellow, blue, pink, and chunky necklaces. She enjoyed talking with the half dozen other residents at her adult family home in Washington state. She had a hearty appetite that brought her to the breakfast table early. But lately, her enthusiasm for meals and socializing had waned.

Johnson got down to eye level with Ellen to examine her, assessing her joints and range of motion, checking her blood pressure, and listening to her heart and lungs.

Carefully, Johnson removed the bandage to examine Ellen’s toes. Her lower legs were red but cold to the touch, which indicated her condition wasn’t improving. Ellen’s two younger sisters had power of attorney for her and made it clear that, above all, they wanted her to be comfortable. Now, Johnson thought it was time to have that difficult conversation with them about Ellen’s prognosis, recommending her for hospice.

“Our patient isn’t just the older adult,” Johnson said. “It’s also often the family member or the person helping to manage them.”

Nurse practitioners are having those conversations more and more as their patient base trends older. They are increasingly filling a gap that is expected to widen as the senior population explodes and the number of geriatricians declines. The Health Resources and Services Administration projects a 50% increase in demand for geriatricians from 2018 to 2030, when the entire baby boom generation will be older than 65. By then, hundreds of geriatricians are expected to retire or leave the specialty, reducing their number to fewer than 7,600, with relatively few young doctors joining the field.

That means many older adults will be relying on other primary care physicians, who already can’t keep up with demand, and nurse practitioners, whose ranks are booming. The number of nurse practitioners specializing in geriatrics has more than tripled since 2010, increasing the availability of care to the current population of seniors, a recent study in JAMA Network Open found.

According to a 2024 survey, of the roughly 431,000 licensed nurse practitioners, 15% are, like Johnson, certified to treat older adults.

Johnson and her husband, Dustin, operate an NP-led private practice in greater Seattle, Washington, a state where she can practice independently. She and her team, which includes five additional nurse practitioners, each try to see about 10 patients a day, visiting each one every five to six weeks. Visits typically last 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the case.

“There are so many housebound older adults, and we’re barely reaching them,” Johnson said. “For those still in their private homes, there’s such a huge need.”

Laura Wagner, a professor of nursing and community health systems at the University of California-San Francisco, stressed that nurse practitioners are not trying to replace doctors; they’re trying to meet patients’ needs, wherever they may be.

“One of the things I’m most proud of is the role of nurse practitioners,” she said. “We step into places where other providers may not, and geriatrics is a prime example of that.”

Practice Limits

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced training that enables them to diagnose diseases, analyze diagnostic tests, and prescribe medicine. Their growth has bolstered primary care, and, like doctors, they can specialize in particular branches of medicine. Johnson, for example, has advanced training in gerontology.

“If we have a geriatrician shortage, then hiring more nurse practitioners trained in geriatrics is an ideal solution,” Wagner said, “but there are a lot of barriers in place.”

In 27 states and Washington, D.C., nurse practitioners can practice independently. But in the rest of the country, they need to have a collaborative agreement with or be under the supervision of another health care provider to provide care to older adults. Medicare generally reimburses for nurse practitioner services at 85% of the amount it pays physicians.

Last year, in more than 40 states, the American Medical Association and its partners lobbied against what they see as “scope creep” in the expanded roles of nurse practitioners and other health workers. The AMA points out that doctors must have more schooling and significantly more clinical experience than nurse practitioners. While the AMA says physician-led teams keep costs lower, a study published in 2020 in Health Services Research found similar patient outcomes and lower costs for nurse practitioner patients. Other studies, including one published in 2023 in the journal Medical Care Research and Review, have found health care models including nurse practitioners had better outcomes for patients with multiple chronic conditions than teams without an NP.

Five states have granted NPs full practice authority since 2021, with Utah the most recent state to remove physician supervision requirements, in 2023. In March, however, Mississippi House Bill 849, which would have increased NP independence, failed. Meanwhile, 30 Texas physicians rallied to tamp down full-scope efforts in Austin.

“I would fully disagree that we’re invading their scope of practice and shouldn’t have full scope of our own,” Johnson said.

She has worked under the supervision of physicians in Pennsylvania and Washington state but started seeing patients at her own practice in 2021. Like many nurse practitioners, she sees her patients in their homes. The first thing she does when she gets a new patient is manage their prescriptions, getting rid of unnecessary medications, especially those with harsh side effects.

She works with the patient and a family member who often has power of attorney. She keeps them informed of subtle changes, such as whether a person was verbal and eating and whether their medical conditions have changed.

While there is some overlap in expertise between geriatricians and nurse practitioners, there are areas where nurses typically excel, said Elizabeth White, an assistant professor of health services, policy, and practice at Brown University.

“We tend to be a little stronger in care coordination, family and patient education, and integrating care and social and medical needs. That’s very much in the nursing domain,” she said.

That care coordination will become even more critical as the U.S. ages. Today, about 18% of the U.S. population is 65 or over. In the next 30 years, the share of seniors is expected to reach 23%, as medical and technological advances enable people to live longer.

Patient and Family

In an office next to Ellen’s bedroom, Johnson called Ellen’s younger sister Margaret Watt to recommend that Ellen enter hospice care. Johnson told her that Ellen had developed pneumonia and her body wasn’t coping.

Watt appreciated that Johnson had kept the family apprised of Ellen’s condition for several years, saying she was a good communicator.

“She was accurate,” Watt said. “What she said would happen, happened.”

A month after the consult, Ellen died peacefully in her sleep.

“I do feel sadness,” Johnson said, “but there’s also a sense of relief that I’ve been with her through her suffering to try to alleviate it, and I’ve helped her meet her and her family’s priorities in that time.”

Jariel Arvin is a reporter with the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. He reported this article through a grant from The SCAN Foundation.

The post Nurse Practitioners Critical in Treating Older Adults as Ranks of Geriatricians Shrink appeared first on Medika Life.

In this exclusive conversation, I join Hal Wolf, President and CEO of HIMSS, to explore HIMSS’s evolving role in fostering collaboration between hospitals, startups, and policymakers. With the health-ecosystem landscape tracking the early days of a new administration, uncertainties remain—ranging from regulatory shifts to funding allocations. Yet, as Wolf underscores, HIMSS remains steadfast in advancing health equity, supporting digital transformation, and offering actionable strategies that improve care delivery.

This conversation occurs between ViVE in Nashville and HIMSS in Las Vegas—two health gatherings that bring innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders together. While ViVE spotlights digital health startups, investment trends, and edgy sparks, HIMSS serves as the broader convening ground for professionals shaping the future of health information and technology. HIMSS is where the work happens—the “Davos” of health information.

Wolf outlines key issues such as integrating artificial intelligence in hospital systems, the role of primary care in driving better patient outcomes, and how organizations must balance innovation with financial realities. At HIMSS, essential dialogue between established institutions and emerging disruptors has never been more crucial.

Join us as we delve into the forces shaping the health system’s future—where technology, policy, and leadership converge to improve patient outcomes and system-wide efficiency.

Medika Life Editor Gil Bashe: In examining hospital systems, we focus on how information flows within our industry and who has access to it. We still have a lot to learn. These are the first few weeks of the new administration, and we don’t know how things will unfold, how the Senate Committees will approach these discussions, or how actions will be implemented. Will we rely on Executive Orders? If that’s the case, we know where to focus our attention. You’re a remarkable ambassador for the discipline and the sector, and certainly for HIMSS, a professional association, trade association, and global NGO.

People come to HIMSS with tremendous optimism, hoping to gain insights that will make them more effective. I prefer to focus on current developments and HIMSS priorities rather than just reacting to them; that’s a different conversation. I’ll also note that the administration’s conversation around health access, cost, and priorities is still in motion.

HIMSS CEO Hal Wolf: We don’t know enough to discuss new policies and their potential outcomes. One challenge will be securing funding. While we know things will be different, we don’t know where the policies will land. Still, we know that HIMSS is dedicated to its vision and mission statements as they fundamentally relate to realizing the full health potential of every human everywhere.

We are dedicated to health equity and will stay dedicated to it. Our collaboration with governments and NGOs worldwide and our fundamental principles will not change, nor should they! We’ll work with our principles within the context of whatever comes out of the White House.

We worked well with the previous Trump administration and collaborated effectively with ONC and HHS on various initiatives. We look forward to advancing the HIMSS mission within the established parameters.

Bashe: HIMSS is far more than an annual mammoth gathering; it’s a professional society that covers the full spectrum of health information and technology – from cybersecurity to economics to professional development and government policies. Unlike other popular meetings that primarily focus on networking, HIMSS is where professionals from around the globe come to set objectives, strategies, and operational priorities. It’s 30,000 feet and 3,000 in scope.

Wolf: This morning at 6:00 a.m., I had an interesting conversation with the CEO of a successful start-up that is getting distribution now and beginning to roll. At HIMSS, we see the merging of different worlds.

We have our core population, core members of the health ecosystem– hospitals, clinics, health operations, nurse practitioners, CMIOS, CIOS, physician leaders, and administrators. This group represents a significant portion of the HIMSS membership, which includes over 120,000 members.  

On the other hand, we have the entire global app ecosystem that drives innovation and introduces new ideas. As you know, many of these ideas and innovations are driven by personal experiences. A family member encountered a situation, and they tried to solve it. Or have worked in the industry, identified a gap, and pursued it.

They often have a long list of improvements to address, and, often, they aren’t performing well financially. Their reimbursement processes are a little murky, and this uncertainty might increase in 2025.

How much time do they have to integrate innovations that don’t directly impact their outcomes, quality, access or bottom line? Because everything’s being looked at in that piece.

We need to understand that the situation changes as the market evolves. What is the critical point where innovation intersects with standard operating procedures, and what does it look like? How can information from one area influence the other? We must determine how to identify the good and the bad and how to present them to the market.

What happens at the global conference? What happens in chapter meetings? What happens in the papers that are submitted? What happens in the insights? Much of this depends on how these elements connect.

Bashe: Many diverse health information communities come together yearly at HIMSS. You have consistently made this gathering relevant. This year, a new startup section called Emerge addresses a critical need within the HIMSS community. You just started with the story about a startup enterprise. Could you share some important and innovative aspects that will be highlighted at this year’s gathering?

Wolf: That’s a pressing question, so I’ll divide it into multiple parts because it’s challenging.

We’re part of the industry, so let’s return to your original premises to find the answer. You mentioned “competing,” which refers to people competing against each other. However, you also have specific points of interest to consider.

The benefit engine can determine how much money you’ll receive in reimbursement for a particular service. However, if you’re on the insurance or payer side, the configuration may depend on whether it’s for North America or a Ministry of Health. Here, the goal is to anticipate the costs incurred in treating a patient. This perspective aligns with an actuarial professional trying to understand and guide the process forward.

I’ve observed hospital systems are starting to integrate AI functionalities, but currently, only 5 to 7% are using it effectively, from an operational standpoint,

For example, when someone walks to the front desk and says their right arm is hurting, the staff collects the information by typing it into a form. They ask a couple of questions, such as “Who’s your primary care doctor? Who’s your insurance company? Are you on managed care? Is this new? What other ailments do you have? What other prescriptions do you have?” They must ask those questions if they don’t have that information readily available. That data feeds into new algorithms on the AI side.

In the background, AI analyzes the information and makes predictive models about how long this person would be in the hospital, what resources they will consume, and how much revenue it will generate. It’s occurring in the background, without the front desk staff being aware of AI’s calculations; meanwhile, the administrator is beginning to recognize the impact of these advancements. The inbound process begins with appropriate testing, questioning, and, if necessary, into a bed.

Meanwhile, the hospital administrator or the system managing the situation assesses the resources the patient will need, whether they will need a specialist and whether the specialist will be available when needed. By the time an exam takes place, they can inform the patient about what to expect in the next 24 to 48 hours, whether they will be staying at the hospital or going home. This preparation and communication represent the positive aspects of the process.  

The dark side is that the hospital engine in the background might say, “We’re not going to get a lot of money out of this. This is not a good use of our beds/time. If we maximize profits, we should send this person on and see what the next person will bring because our algorithm told us that five people would come in with congestive heart failure, and we do make money on that.”

The person writing this down may never realize what is happening; they won’t know that the system will indicate that the hospital is full, even though there might be capacity. Instead, they will tell the person to go down the street to Acme Community Hospital, which can take care of them, explaining that their system lacks resources. That is a dark coin flip to what could happen.

Bashe: Many hospital networks are acquiring primary care practices as feeder systems in their facilities. For example, if a patient is told, “You need to do a cardiac stress test. Do you have a cardiologist?” and they respond with “No?” the primary care provider can then say, “Why don’t you let me arrange that for you.” The primary care satellite site is closing the loop on a fragmented system. While the hospital system benefits economically from the service, patients benefit, and the primary care satellite site serves as a conduit for care.

I’m always thinking about the benefits of technology in enhancing the hospital and primary care systems. Imagine a doctor saying, “You know, you’ll have many questions. I will be here to help you frame your thinking around those questions. Our system has an LLM model. Let’s call it Dr. Hal. You can ask Dr. Hal every question regarding your congestive heart failure or prostate cancer. Dr. Hal is the composite wisdom of all the experts in our system and is here to address your questions.”

The creative aspect of our discipline, combined with information, is becoming a superpower. We use data to guide our supply chain resourcing and leverage information to promptly provide patients with confidence and comfort. We ensure greater access to accurate information vetted by the system, so patients do not depend solely on Dr. Google.

Wolf: The actual value of AI is knowledge management. It allows a very broad and capable synthesis of vast amounts of data and information that no human can keep up with. For example, in the 1970s, clinicians had access to three to four journals, where editors picked what was important enough to be published. These journals had to be printed and mailed out, resulting in about 400 peer-reviewed articles per year reaching healthcare professionals. If you read one a day, you could keep up. Today, more than 10,000 articles will be published this year alone. All that information, knowledge management, and sharing will occur collaboratively, and there is no way for anyone to synthesize all that.

AI plays a crucial role in operational and clinical decision support by turning information into knowledge, with recommendations that lead to changes in operations, suggestions, and care.

In clinical care, pharmacy, or whatever path you’re on, these recommendations are communicated back to physicians with an explanation of why they are a recommendation and the source of that information.

I think part of the maturity that we’re seeing, and you’ll see at HIMSS 2025, is the evolution of AI since our session three years ago. Back then, we held a session titled, “What is AI, and what does it mean?” The panel discussed its potential application in healthcare, and at that time, chat had just been introduced, and people were starting to look at it. Some people were on stage calling for a six-month hiatus before we allowed anything to go forward.

Last year, we saw glimpses of initial uses of AI being deployed operationally, albeit only in a few hospital systems. But it was beginning to happen, and we knew that AI was in the background of devices or operational considerations. Where would the benefit engines come from? The algorithms were starting to be built, and we had a particular point of looking out for biases. We started talking about biases within AI and realized that no matter what you do, there will always be some biases. It’s unavoidable. What was the source information for AI, and how do I ensure I utilize it to the best of my ability?

You’ll see the presentation of how people are using it on a scale. What are examples of its success, and what are some of its limitations? Numerous applications are set to emerge. You’re going to see them on the floor, where people are using components of AI in the background to produce better products that are more efficient and can guide operations as well as at-home care, and all those pieces are being brought forward. The common link between it and your point is on the information side of the house. How good is the starting information, and how broad does it go? Where is the opportunity from a linking standpoint?

To achieve this, a private-public partnership is essential. If you’re looking at algorithms and information that utilize global data that gets turned into global information, it has an impact. Most healthcare systems around the globe are publicly held. They’re not privately held. The United States is an aberration due to its vast amounts of privately held institutions versus publicly held ones.

Bashe:  Are you seeing more of that regarding the technology being used proactively?

Wolf: Yes, and that’s a good thing. We’ve always wanted to see that proper reimbursement takes place and proper services rendered. Many things in a system can get missed, but not an overwhelming amount.  If hospital systems perform well, they typically operate on a 2 percent to three percent margin, but many run at a loss, making proper reimbursements difficult. Large actuarial departments played a key role in the past, with various organizations providing revenue support, which was a huge thing even 15 years ago. However, over time, those efforts began to converge.

The real opportunity lies beneath the surface. It must coincide with an understanding of the care that was delivered. Right next to that benefit realization is the value proposition. What was the quality of what was rendered? Was the care appropriately given? Did we miss something in the diagnosis?

Bashe: One of the things that I worry about is not New York City or Los Angeles. Medical centers such as Mount Sinai, NYU Langone, Weil-Cornell, Columbia Presbyterian, and Memorial Sloan Kettering, much like their counterparts in Boston, Chicago, and the Bay area, provide excellent care. However, in rural America, someone can live three hours from a tertiary care center.

Your approach of using information to improve the care of almost 29 percent of the US population applies, I think, to other nations where people live far from centers of excellence. What are your thoughts about devices, wearables, remote patient monitoring and information, and protecting the information from your standpoint?

Wolf:  Wearables and home monitoring have transformed patient engagement, making health data more immediate and actionable. It’s fascinating. My wife and I compare our Oura daily. How did you sleep? How’s your heart rhythm? We’re finding the features and working through them. She lives anonymously. We are very engaged in our health. How far did we walk? What was our heart rate? Let’s do the 6-minute walk today and see. Were you snoring last night?

All of that is going on, and that’s an engagement level. The information flows from me to my ring, and then my ring says, do you want to share it with Apple? I said yes, and my wife said no; she didn’t want it to flow to another company. Apple will know how well I sleep – I don’t worry about it. If they want to dive into it, there is a profile about me and my general health. They could also derive that from the stuff I buy and the credit card information. That’s always been the case.

If you remember, back in the 1980s, we were already using demographic data with Donnelly overlays. I worked for Time Warner in the early 1990s when Time magazines were delivered to your door. The Time magazine that arrived at your next-door neighbor was different from yours—not the content, but the cover and the ads in the back. You may have gotten an ad for a sports car, and your neighbor may have gotten one for a minivan.

It was specifically designed based on the Donnelly reports, which provided insights about the household. We’re starting to shape recommendations at the personal level of the care an individual should receive.

Why wouldn’t a physician or a clinician want every piece of information on this Oura ring to be included in a patient’s profile? This information would help complete the picture needed to utilize sophisticated knowledge management systems, tapping into tens of thousands of research papers and combining that data with the person’s unique health details. The richer that information becomes, the more accurate it becomes, the more mistakes it makes, the more positively it helps the next person.

Bashe: Often, when I speak to doctors and nurses in the health system, we talk about the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). They’re candid: “We have an EMR system—it’s not perfect, we know that, and it’s getting better and better.” Yet, they often say, “Did you read that patient’s EMR data?” and then they’ll say, “I don’t have time to read the EMR.” While best practices come from committees, you play a unique role as an advisor to corporations. You’re the sounding board for major corporations, whether AWS, Epic, Microsoft, or Oracle. I’m sure they will listen to you because you’re the voice of the global community.

Wolf: We don’t have a dog in the race against them as a competitor.

Bashe: As a not-for-profit society that operates at a global NGO level, when you look at your role and the challenges you face, how does HIMSS address constant sector transformation? HIMSS and its members are constantly evolving because you represent applied information. The system is getting more interesting and more creative.

Look at the challenges that HIMSS owns and represents and your mission, which is obviously to improve access to care. As the organization’s leader, you’re clear and committed to this role, but you’ve seen difficulties implementing cultural or systemic changes.

What’s your guidance for the community? Please don’t take out a ruler and slap people on their hands. You’re obviously about supporting the system’s evolution, making it better. Can you share insights on how you’re filtering down best practices within this evolving landscape? How do you reflect on these challenges that arise and guide systems to understand that care is delivered to the front lines and is not always in hospitals? It’s specialists or primary care—physicians in their little offices worldwide.

Wolf: This is precisely what we discuss daily at HIMSS, and it’s central to our global work. Let’s walk through our view of the ecosystem and how we influence what you just related to because it’s our core.

Hospital systems – or, more importantly, governments worldwide – including our own, recognize their fundamental responsibility to care for their populations. Let’s set the United States aside for a second.

Ministries of Health in countries around the world are accountable for the well-being of their citizens. We’ll talk about citizens for a minute. The people living within their country want a healthy population, which improves the economy. They’re smart enough to know that a healthier population, or one cared for, efficiently reduces the constant increase in costs within healthcare systems. No one is looking to save money; instead, the goal is to slow the escalating costs of healthcare systems, which seem to rise every year.  

Information is the driver behind everything, but to your point, the combination of people, processes, and technology shapes the outcome. Technology is rarely an issue here; the challenge lies in implementing and changing culture. The pandemic forced a significant global cultural change, and while it may seem that it’s deeply in our rear-view mirror, its impact is still felt. Telemedicine, the idea of using information, and the idea of remote care to alleviate the pressures on the front line became a standard feature, and people recognize that.

We see the impact in our relationships with organizations like the WHO in Europe. Take Romania, for example, where we just signed an agreement to help them develop a strategic plan to deliver digital health transformation. HIMSS is focused on four major points.

1. First is digital health transformation.
2. Second is the deployment and utilization of AI as a tool.
3. Third is cyber security to protect that information and ensure that it works for the betterment of their ecosystem with less hassle.
4. Fourth is workforce development, which trains people to understand these tools before they can utilize them to their fullest extent.

Those are our four main areas. When we think about digital health transformation, we start with the HIMSS maturity models from five to seven years ago.

Back then, our maturity models were a checklist of technology. Do you have that technology? Are you wired? That used to be the baseline, what we now consider table stakes. It’s not table stakes anymore.

We’ve transformed our maturity models to reflect quality, access, correctness, and fundamental value. How are you using the information? How does it improve the flow?

From an IT standpoint, we began looking at our maturity models like a stack. It starts with the information layer. What does the infrastructure look like? How is it laid out? How does your data need to be laid out? Where does the electronic medical record go on top of that? How do those two pieces feed into each other? How do you utilize the radiology and the pictures that are in there? How does that flow? What’s your analytical layer? How does this work?

Where are you getting your information, and how are you handling your analytics? How does that tie itself back into the infrastructure? How does that information flow from your reporting back into your EMR and the data layer? How does that data layer tie in when discussing the imaging ecosystem? What’s your continuity of care, the CCMM? How does it flow across the board to ensure you’re not dropping a patient?

We’ve created a stack of maturity models that form the foundation of how information flows from the patient across hospitals, clinics, and homes, wherever the case is provided, to ensure you can keep up with them. And we present these maturity models not just as a technology checklist. Anyone can do that—it’s not meaningless—but anyone can do that. The true focus is on how you use these technologies.

How do you ensure that the relationship between the patient and pharmacy utilization, as well as the benefit realization, is maintained? And how does all this tie together?

Whether it’s community service, a hospital system, or a home, what we’ve created in those stacks is a blueprint that any hospital system, country, or large-scale region can use to identify the technology needed and deploy it for its maximum benefit. 

People do assessments in hospital systems. For HIMSS members in the United States, these assessments are part of the membership, allowing them unlimited access to evaluate their systems. They can conduct these assessments online, check their status, and aim for levels 6 and 7, which is when all those benefits kick in. That’s when we do our validations.

We also do white papers, thought leadership, and HIMSS events, panels and educational programs. More than 300 academic programs are coming up at HIMSS in 2025, with more than 150 offering CE credits.

But these experiences are all based on the output, what worked, and what didn’t work. As you know, learning from others’ mistakes is just as valuable as learning from their successes. Some of the most impactful lessons come from those who try something, fail, and then fix it.

That’s where HIMSS and advisory services come in. We’re presenting the aggregated global knowledge of what’s working and what isn’t.

Most ecosystems don’t work the same way the United States does because most don’t have the same amount of money invested in it. We draw from many healthcare systems- from the U.S., to Romania, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. We learn from all these countries, bring it together in our membership, and figure out what we have learned. How does it impact the models? We do these reviews in a constant session. That’s how we make the society work.

Bashe: It’s a brilliant use of human capital and composite wisdom. As we’re gearing toward the end of our conversation, I wanted to ask you about the Emerge Innovation Experience– this is a first-time gathering, but the concept of start-ups at HIMSS is nothing new. What’s different now is that you’ve recognized that start-ups are a unique culture with unique needs. You’ve assembled a cohort of leaders dedicated to helping these start-ups succeed. What are your expectations from Emerge?

Wolf: First, I’m very interested in the outcome of Emerge. This is the first time that we’re going to try to bring that mesh point I mentioned earlier, where innovations meet operations. They’ve chosen some excellent examples of what can come forward. I think it’s got the right practicality and innovative forethought. From what I’ve heard from people involved in it and talking to people on the committee, I’ve listened to everything from “Wow! This is fantastic and very innovative!” to “It could have been stronger.”

If I talk to heavy innovator startups, they reply that it doesn’t go far enough and could be really “wow.” Meanwhile, those focused on operations often reply that it’s “really pushing the edge.” What that tells me is that it’s in the right mesh point.

What I’m curious to see is how it is received. Many smart people have been working on it, focusing on what will have the biggest impact on operations and be ready for prime time tomorrow, especially in areas like AI utilization and operational impact. What is one step beyond? We also have an incubator ecosystem there.

The Emerge Innovation Experience will be unique, and I look forward to that outcome.

Bashe: I always value your candor.

Wolf: Sometimes, I can get criticized for it, but I believe in absolute transparency. The beautiful part about thought leadership is that we share these thoughts, which makes HIMSS thrive. Transparency is a strength in a positive society. If we’re not transparent with each other, we can’t advance. My grandfather taught me a long time ago that the three most essential phrases in business are “I don’t know, I’ll find out, and I’ll get back to you.” “I don’t know” is critically important.

What’s beautiful about healthcare is that you learn something new every day. It’s impossible to be in the health sector without learning something new every day unless you don’t ask a single question, read nothing, or stay in a room and shut the door.  

Just today, I learned something about HIMSS. I didn’t know because I was asking about a process. A question was raised, and I followed the thread through the organization and found one I’d never seen before, which was exciting.

I appreciate the philosophical and real questions you’re asking. We’re excited about HIMSS 2025 and the learning opportunities it will offer. It’s also about the big picture of what’s happening globally. We call it the Global Conference because it brings together Ministries of Health and NGOs worldwide. It all comes together. This is our largest membership meeting, and we’re thrilled that there’s at least a 35% increase in people signing up for HIMSS membership compared to last year.

Bashe: I’ll be attending this year. As always, thank you for the in-depth exchange. *****

In this insightful conversation, Hal Wolf, President and CEO of HIMSS, explores the critical forces shaping the sector’s future. As industry and governments navigate a rapidly evolving policy landscape under a new administration’s eyes, hospital systems, startups and policymakers must adapt to changing regulations, funding challenges, and digital transformation. Wolf highlights HIMSS’ role as a global leader in uniting a diverse ecosystem to advance health equity, interoperability, and patient-centered care.

A key theme of the discussion is how data and AI are transforming payer, provider and product innovation operations – how information can improve people’s lives. Wolf explains how AI-driven predictive models are integrated to optimize patient care and resource allocation. However, he also warns of ethical concerns—such as the potential for financial-driven decision-making that could prioritize revenue over patient needs. HIMSS plays a vital role in ensuring there is a balance between digital health innovation aligns with quality care and equitable access.

As digital tools, AI, and large language models (LLMs) become more integrated into healthcare, Wolf and Bashe discuss how these advancements can empower providers and patient-enhancing decision-making, improving operational efficiency and offering trusted, system-vetted health information.

As HIMSS prepares for its annual global conference, Wolf emphasizes its role in shaping industry priorities. HIMSS is not just an event; it’s a society that defines strategies, policies, and innovations that drive the future of health. With an expanding ecosystem of startups and industry veterans, HIMSS remains a pivotal force in bridging technology, policy and patient care.

The post The Future of Health Information and Innovation: A Conversation with HIMSS CEO Hal Wolf appeared first on Medika Life.

A young man with a neurodivergent disorder displayed emotion as he jumped up from his seat, tears running down his cheeks; it was nothing less than heart-wrenching. Those who understood cheered him on, and those who didn’t took the opportunity to try to bring him down with cutting remarks and foolish comments on blogs and TV sound bites. They paid a price for all that, and one quickly deleted her distasteful blog post after receiving significant blowback.

Famed magazine editor Tina Brown and her husband, Harold Evans, have a son with one of these disorders. She wrote an article in a recent issue of the New York Times in which she revealed one of her son’s actions after a party in an upscale area of Long Island. Brown’s son, who lives with her at home, is now 38, and rather than seeing him as disabled, it has opened her eyes to his “secret power.”

Brown’s son’s secret power, she said, was evident after the Hamptons party when he told the hostess, “Thank you very much. No one spoke to me, really, so it was a very boring evening. The food was OK. I doubt I will come again.” How many of us would be brave enough to have said that after one of these upper-crust power parties? Undoubtedly, few, if any, would dare utter those comments.

I once had a neurodivergent patient in a large hospital where he had been for several years and where the staff on the unit believed he was a dangerous man, given to rages. His diagnoses were many, including intellectual deficits, anxiety disorders, and the inability to accept the fact that he was not white.

Being relatively new at the hospital, I was summoned to the unit when the nurse described a terrifying scene of someone “rampaging through the unit.”

Yes, he was large but not very tall. His clothing was ill-fitting because they couldn’t find anything to hold up his pants, and he had a rope instead of a belt. What started the alleged rage that day? The staff had gone into his shared room and thrown out all of his comic books and his precious Frankenstein videotape. He identified with Frankenstein because, even with his intellectual disability, he knew people related to him that way, and he wanted something that would have hope in it.

Once I talked to him, we began to understand each other, and he knew he could trust me, I began to accompany him to the ward dining room, where he had always collected his food tray and immediately dumped it in the trash and asked to go back to the unit. Now, he would sit with me as I encouraged him to eat, and I would distract him with conversation. When I told him about famous Black basketball players, he became amazed and expressed his desire to have a poster for his room.

He had a severe case of social anxiety disorder that the staff chose to see as disruptive behavior and never explored the many facets of his personality. I managed, across a period of months, with the help of an intern, to reach the point where he could go to the dining room and eat with either my intern or me next to him.

Things progressed from there, and even though an experienced rehab woman said, “He’ll never leave this hospital,” indeed he did. He even went with a group to the mall. I can’t tell you how ecstatic he was the first time he bought a pair of sneakers for himself.

The “monster” wasn’t that at all, but a young man who was, in so many ways, terrified by the people around him and who tried to hide in his room as the only safe place he could find. The end of the story is truly heartening because they discharged him to a group home, where he actively engaged in all the activities, even accompanying the group to shop at the local supermarket.

We met there unexpectedly a few years later, and he yelled out to me. I felt an overwhelming sense of joy for him. His family was ecstatic that he had returned to the community and to the family that loved him. How many other patients like him are lingering in inappropriate settings and receiving too little attention?

Another patient I had at a similar hospital, who had been an abused, adopted child, had Klinefelter syndrome. Seven feet tall and with a love of making jokes and deceiving the staff with his little “lies” about hiding whiskey on grounds, he was a delight.

But the police on grounds didn’t see him that way, especially when three of them jumped him, and he broke one of their officer’s arms. They immediately shackled him and took him off in a police car to send him to a forensic unit. He didn’t belong there and he didn’t belong in that hospital either. I never knew what happened to him.

What Are Neurodivergent Disorders?

Primarily, we may associate neurodivergent disorders as autism, but it encompasses far more. Since the word was coined in 1943, researchers have been conducting an explosion of studies on autism. A developmental disorder now recognized as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by restricted and repetitive interests or behaviors as well as impaired social communication abilities.

More and more studies are shedding light on ASD, a complicated illness, providing information for all. Professionals and parents can benefit from a comprehensive awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by reading up on topics, including the disorder’s prevalence, its connections to hereditary factors, successful parent programs, and treatment options.

Some estimates put the prevalence of neurodiversity among adults at 8% worldwide. When people talk about neurodiversity, they usually mean a combination of conditions like dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

It is problematic for employers because these diagnoses are on the rise among adults already working. When faced with neurodivergent personnel, business owners may ask how they can best help their staff without negatively affecting the company.

Should we say “on the rise in adults,” or is it that the disorder is now being recognized as never before because it was an invisible disorder? Now, we are identifying more individuals with the disorders we previously failed to diagnose, and it’s not just about recognition but also about being willing to assist them with their needs in society.

The Disorders Under This Umbrella Term

How many neurodiverse disorders exist, and can an individual have more than one? Without a doubt, mental health professionals can diagnose individuals with multiple mental health disorders, so it would seem reasonable that anyone with one of these disorders could also have more than one. The list is long and some of the disorders are not often diagnosed.

Neurodivergent individuals may have some of the following symptoms:

Asperger’s syndrome is now part of the autism spectrum.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD)

DiGeorge syndrome
Down syndrome
Dyscalculia is a problem with numbers
Dysgraphia, a disorder of writing
Dyslexia is a reading disability
Dyspraxia with motor control issues
Problems with cognition
Mental health issues such as bipolar disorder, OCD, and others
Prader-Willi syndrome
Difficulties with processing sensory information
Social anxiety
Syndrome of tremors
Williams syndrome (WS)

Additionally, researchers have recently discovered that eating disorders should be included in the listing of neurodivergent ones.

Diagnosis, Treatment and Information

The diagnosis is often made by a mental health professional, where an individual may have been referred by either a pediatrician or other medical professional who has noted special needs in this individual.

In neurodiversity, the emphasis is not on “dysfunctions” or “deficits,” but on utilizing an individual’s distinct strengths to compensate for their weaknesses and assist them in adjusting to their surroundings, be it at home, in the classroom, or on the job.

Individuals with neurodiversity may require individualized support to achieve their goals. Changes to the classroom setting, such as allowing students to use noise-canceling headphones, increasing opportunities for mobility, or granting students additional time to complete tests, may be necessary.

A neurodivergent test is a battery of questions designed to ascertain whether an individual’s brain operates in a neurotypical fashion. Although the patient can do some of these tests at home, only a doctor’s examination can definitively identify a neurodivergent disorder.

Neurodivergent exams are mostly used for educational purposes. Seeking further information from a medical expert would be helpful for individuals who obtain high scores on neurodivergent tests.

There are many resources available online that will direct individuals to information on neurodivergent disorders, and they include:

Raising Children Net (Australia)

Children’s Health Council

American Autism Center

ADDitude

ChildMind Institute

Association for Autism and Neurodiversity

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

CHADD

LD Resources Foundation

Autism Speaks

This is not an all-inclusive list; others may be found online. When searching, please keep in mind that some of the offerings may be privately owned facilities or practices, not no-profit groups that provide information and direction for parents.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Facing an ultracompetitive market in one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities, UF Health is trying a new way to attract patients: a combination emergency room and urgent care center.

In the past year and a half, UF Health and a private equity-backed company, Intuitive Health, have opened three centers that offer both types of care 24/7 so patients don’t have to decide which facility they need.

Instead, doctors there decide whether it’s urgent or emergency care —the health system bills accordingly — and inform the patient of their decision at the time of the service.

“Most of the time you do not realize where you should go — to an urgent care or an ER — and that triage decision you make can have dramatic economic repercussions,” said Steven Wylie, associate vice president for planning and business development at UF Health Jacksonville. About 70% of patients at its facilities are billed at urgent care rates, Wylie said.

Emergency care is almost always more expensive than urgent care. For patients who might otherwise show up at the ER with an urgent care-level problem — a small cut that requires stitches or an infection treatable with antibiotics — the savings could be hundreds or thousands of dollars.

While no research has been conducted on this new hybrid model, consumer advocates worry hospitals are more likely to route patients to costlier ER-level care whenever possible.

For instance, some services that trigger higher-priced, ER-level care at UF Health’s facilities — such as blood work and ultrasounds — can be obtained at some urgent care centers.

“That sounds crazy, that a blood test can trigger an ER fee, which can cost thousands of dollars,” said Cynthia Fisher, founder and chair of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, a patient advocacy organization.

For UF Health, the hybrid centers can increase profits because they help attract patients. Those patient visits can lead to more revenue through diagnostic testing and referrals for specialists or inpatient care.

Offering less expensive urgent care around-the-clock, the hybrid facilities stand out in an industry known for its aggressive billing practices.

On a recent visit to one of UF Health’s facilities about 15 miles southeast of downtown, several patients said in interviews that they sought a short wait for care. None had sat in the waiting room more than five minutes.

“Sometimes urgent care sends you to the ER, so here you can get everything,” said Andrea Cruz, 24, who was pregnant and came in for shortness of breath. Cruz said she was being treated as an ER patient because she needed blood tests and monitoring.

“It’s good to have a place like this that can treat you no matter what,” said Penny Wilding, 91, who said she has no regular physician and was being evaluated for a likely urinary tract infection.

UF Health is one of about a dozen health systems in 10 states partnering with Intuitive Health to set up and run hybrid ER-urgent care facilities. More are in the works; VHC Health, a large hospital in Arlington, Virginia, plans to start building one this year.

Intuitive Health was established in 2008 by three emergency physicians. For several years the company ran independent combination ER-urgent care centers in Texas.

Then Altamont Capital Partners, a multibillion-dollar private equity firm based in Palo Alto, California, bought a majority stake in Intuitive in 2014.

Soon after, the company began partnering with hospitals to open facilities in states including Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, and Delaware. Under their agreements, the hospitals handle medical staff and billing while Intuitive manages administrative functions — including initial efforts to collect payment, including checking insurance and taking copays — and nonclinical staff, said Thom Herrmann, CEO of Intuitive Health.

Herrmann said hospitals have become more interested in the concept as Medicare and other insurers pay for value instead of just a fee for each service. That means hospitals have an incentive to find ways to treat patients for less.

And Intuitive has a strong incentive to partner with hospitals, said Christine Monahan, an assistant research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University: Facilities licensed as freestanding emergency rooms — as Intuitive’s are — must be affiliated with hospitals to be covered by Medicare.

At the combo facilities, emergency room specialists determine whether to bill for higher-priced ER or lower-priced urgent care after patients undergo a medical screening. They compare the care needed against a list of criteria that trigger emergency-level care and bills, such as the patient requiring IV fluids or cardiac monitoring.

Inside its combo facilities, UF posts a sign listing some of the urgent care services it offers, including treatment for ear infections, sprains, and minor wounds. When its doctors determine ER-level care is necessary, UF requires patients to sign a form acknowledging they will be billed for an ER visit.

Patients who opt out of ER care at that time are charged a triage fee. UF would not disclose the amount of the fee, saying it varies.

UF officials say patients pay only for the level of care they need. Its centers accept most insurance plans, including Medicare, which covers people older than 65 and those with disabilities, and Medicaid, the program for low-income people.

But there are important caveats, said Fisher, the patient advocate.

Patients who pay cash for urgent care at UF’s hybrid centers are charged an “all-inclusive” $250 fee, whether they need an X-ray or a rapid strep test, to name two such services, or both.

But if they use insurance, patients may have higher cost sharing if their health plan is charged more than it would pay for stand-alone urgent care, she said.

Also, federal surprise billing protections that shield patients in an ER don’t extend to urgent care centers, Fisher said.

Herrmann said Intuitive’s facilities charge commercial insurers for urgent care the same as if they provided only urgent care. But Medicare may pay more.

While urgent care has long been intended for minor injuries and illnesses and ERs are supposed to be for life- or health-threatening conditions, the two models have melded in recent years. Urgent care clinics have increased the scope of injuries and conditions they can treat, while hospitals have taken to advertising ER wait times on highway billboards to attract patients.

Intuitive is credited with pioneering hybrid ER-urgent care, though its facilities are not the only ones with both “emergency” and “urgent care” on their signs. Such branding can sometimes confuse patients.

While Intuitive’s hybrid facilities offer some price transparency, providers have the upper hand on cost, said Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice University in Texas. “Patients are at the mercy of what the hospital tells them,” she said.

But Daniel Marthey, an assistant professor of health policy and management at Texas A&M University, said the facilities can help patients find a lower-cost option for care by avoiding steep ER bills when they need only urgent-level care. “This is a potentially good thing for patients,” he said.

Marthey said hospitals may be investing in hybrid facilities to make up for lost revenue after federal surprise medical billing protections took effect in 2022 and restricted what hospitals could charge patients treated by out-of-network providers, particularly in emergencies.

“Basically, they are just competing for market share,” Marthey said.

UF Health has placed its new facilities in suburban areas near freestanding ERs owned by competitors HCA Healthcare and Ascension rather than near its downtown hospital in Jacksonville. It is also building a fourth facility, near The Villages, a large retirement community more than 100 miles south.

“This has been more of an offensive move to expand our market reach and go into suburban markets,” Wylie said.

Though the three centers are not state-approved to care for trauma patients, doctors there said they can handle almost any emergency, including heart attacks and strokes. Patients needing hospitalization are taken by ambulance to the UF hospital about 20 minutes away. If they need to follow up with a specialist, they’re referred to a UF physician.

“If you fall and sprain your leg and need an X-ray and crutches, you can come here and get charged urgent care,” said Justin Nippert, medical director of two of UF’s combo centers. “But if you break your ankle and need it put back in place it can get treated here, too. It’s a one-stop shop.”

Author: Phil Galewitz: pgalewitz@kff.org, @philgalewitz

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Not to take anything away from the Senator’s apparent concern for his constituents’ real, valid frustration with the health system, but is his villain the right one? Is it a fundamental misreading of the facts of the US health ecosystem to believe that there is any one villain in the system at all? The real, underlying reason that the US health system is so fragmented is that the system itself is the problem. And, as it must be, the system will be the source of any viable solution that makes navigating less challenging and more holistically unified.

Stop Blaming Individual Sectors — Look at the Aggregate

High drug prices are just one symptom of a health ecosystem already becoming increasingly fragmented several decades ago. The problem was well-established and recognized when economist Dr. Alain C. Enthoven wrote about it in the American Journal of Managed Care more than a decade ago, positing that inefficient allocation of resources negatively impacted quality, cost of care and medicines, and patient outcomes.

Since then, little has changed. In 2016, FINN Partners released a survey showing that the fragmented health ecosystem was placing an ever-greater burden on patients, the people the system is supposed to protect and serve — and was increasingly failing. Eight years later, the results of this survey will not have changed significantly.

For decades, payers, patients, policymakers, product innovators, and providers turned a blind eye to fragmentation. And while policymakers prefer to spotlight a popular villain — drug cost — the relentless search for villains won’t fix fragmentation. If we attack one piece of the ecosystem rather than look at the problem, we will fail to make meaningful change. While putting pharmaceutical company CEOs under the glare of the Senate HELP spotlight may provide a tremendous election-year photo-op, bipartisan grandstanding is antithetical to addressing the health system’s continued splintering.

If the System Were a Patient with Multi-System Failure, Would We Treat Only One Organ?

We now know beyond a doubt that the health system is fragmented and has a cost impact. It is time to move from this era of fragmentation into the “post-fragmentation” period. Rather than finger-pointing and finding scapegoats, what’s needed is a fuller understanding of how the system works — and fails to work — for the patient. This requires looking at the full picture objectively, without accusation, to understand better how the different players in the system can work together to support the same goal: a health system in which the patient, not the system itself, is the health system’s true beneficiary.

It’s a fact: prescription drug prices in the United States are higher than in other nations, averaging 2.78 times those seen in 33 different countries, according to the February 2024 RAND report. But are pharma companies the sole cause of this patient burden and health-system chaos? Absolutely not: drug costs comprise about 11 percent of the total $4 trillion in US health expenditures. In reality, provider and hospital services total almost half of US health spend (31.4 percent and 20.3 percent respectively).

Fragmentation Adds to Patient Care Burdens and Costs

Fragmentation leads to out-of-control spending across the system. According to a 2018 Commonwealth Fund study, Medicare recipients “with three to four chronic conditions and highly fragmented care are 14 percent more likely to visit the emergency department, and six percent more likely to have a hospital admission.”

If the US health system were a publicly traded corporation, this hemorrhaging of cash would have been decisively stopped years ago. Taken together, the $4 trillion in annual US healthcare costs can be laid on the doorstep of nearly every player in the ecosystem, from insurance companies to PBMs, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, government, hospitals, and venture capital, to name a few — even endless consumer demand and neglected preventive care.

Operating with a business-as-usual approach will carry steep costs in money and lives. When the system fails to engage people proactively with heightened risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other non-communicable illnesses, when it denies patients diagnostic procedures ordered by their physicians, when it shifts patients from working medications to substitute therapies due to a non-medical switch decision, curiously, some parts of the system benefit to the detriment of patients.

These situations shouldn’t be, as the consequences of the current line and the decisions they reward can be dire, leading to rising costs, diminished patient care, and even death. Ultimately, the chaos around care delivery comes from considering patients a necessary fly in the system’s ointment. The patient is not the health system customer. The system is a customer unto itself.

Can We All Focus On Why the System Exists — To Heal Patients?

We recognize the health system’s failings but must also identify its strengths and potential for improvement. This will allow us to reorient our thinking and ask, “Now, what do we do to put the patient back into focus as the ultimate customer and the preferred beneficiary of the system?”

Stanford Physician Ilana Yurkiewicz, an internist, hematologist, and oncologist, in her book Fragmented: A Doctor’s Quest to Piece Together American Health Care, published by W. W. Norton, argues that it’s actually fragmentation that’s the central failure of health care today, resulting in a system that uses more than twice the economic resources other developed nations dedicate toward health and which results in poorer life expectancy outcomes:

“There’s an unspoken assumption when we go to see a doctor: the doctor knows our medical story and is making decisions based on that story. But reality frequently falls short. Medical records vanish when we switch doctors. Critical details of life-saving treatment plans get lost in muddled electronic charts. The doctors we see change according to specialty, hospital shifts, or an insurer’s whims.”

No longer are we debating whether the system is fragmented or not. We must shift our mindsets and drop the mistaken belief that identifying bad players in the ecosystem will fix the problem. With ecosystem fragmentation as the diagnosis, what is the treatment path to better management? This is where “Health System Kinetics” (HSK) enters. HSK fosters collaboration and leverages health information technologies — AI, ChatGPT, GenAI, and LLMs — to create an eco-dynamic that prioritizes people’s well-being and works toward longer, healthier lives.

The Health System is Greater Than Its Sector Parts — Study its Kinetics

Health System Kinetics objectively studies factors and sector-to-sector relationships influencing individual and collective health outcomes. It includes biological, environmental, social, and economic determinants of health. Understanding health system kinetics will allow the health system to evolve for the better, benefiting its stakeholders and addressing gaps and inefficiencies in people’s care by fostering a proactive, positive approach.

Understanding why fragmented care is a system-wide illness is a starting point we passed long ago. Looking at the health ecosystem as an ever-changing aggregate — kinetics — rather than separate sectors at fault is the opportunity to move beyond the present chaos.

Fragmentation goes beyond the left hand, not knowing what the right is doing. Too often, it means that the left hand won’t acknowledge the right hand’s very existence. While rising costs concern everyone, it’s essential to keep our eye on the goal of keeping people healthier at home, out of the hospital, and, if possible, far away from illnesses. To do that, we must address the misalignment of incentives and lack of coordination in the health ecosystem.

Applying Health System Kinetics will allow us to understand better how we can do this to provide better patient care, reduce health professional burnout, and give patients with chronic conditions greater attention. The objective study of the interconnectedness of the parts of the healthc system will promote a better understanding of how these components work together now — and how they can be changed to work better together in the future. Failing to take this approach means we won’t see meaningful change, and that’s not an option.

Do Not Let the Virus Kill its Host — the Health System

We have diagnosed the illness that plagues our health system; it’s a virus called fragmentation. It’s time to examine our biases, behaviors, and business goals. The primary mission is to recognize that we are people — sometimes patients — all seeking to enjoy a healthier life. Suppose fragmentation is the wall that separates us from better access to care. In that case, health professionals in every ecosystem sector can be empowered to pursue their calling with passion and tear down that wall.

Looking for a villain in the health ecosystem, something lawmakers have been doing for the last several election cycles, may be suitable for campaigning but not for progress — not for continued innovation and patient care. Progress can only be achieved when we get past the mindset of the period in which we have been — the period of acknowledging the system is fragmented — and move into the post-fragmentation era, in which we view the system through the lens of health kinetics and eco-dynamics.

When we look at and understand how all parts of the system work together — or fail to –we enter an era in which we no longer debate who’s to blame. Proper understanding will allow us to compromise, adjust our aims, improve our practices, and finally, make changes that remove the health system as its own beneficiary, replacing it with the patient as the system’s customer.

[Special thanks to John Bianchi for his review of this health policy economics article that shifts the conversation from sector-to-sector blame to a forward-looking perspective; to industry friend and mentor John Nosta for encouraging me to put these thoughts into publication and to Dr. Dean and Anne Ornish, pioneers in preventive and consumer empowered health and co-founders of Ornish Lifestyle Medicine.]

The post We Know the Health Ecosystem is Fragmented, Resulting in Rising Costs and Poorer Patient Outcomes, But What Are We Doing About It? appeared first on Medika Life.

But what would I do if I could only attend one and not the other?  Sorry, you’ll have to crystal ball that answer. 

I’m dedicated to health innovation that can improve people’s health.  I recognize that the fragmented health ecosystem creates a self-inflicted system-wide chaos that diminishes the provider’s ability to help people seeking healing. It results in patients having to re-tell their medical narrative again and again to each health provider they engage.  It leads people needing preventive or follow-on care to fall through system cracks.  It means that people most at risk due to enduring and unjust health disparities are left to wither.  That injustice pains and angers me.

The Business of Industry Conferences

Who doesn’t have FOMO – the fear of missing out – as we see the explosion of selfies on LinkedIn, X, Thread and Instagram of industry friends and colleagues and realize we’re not among Nick Adkins’ #Pinksocks or Swaay Health group photo glam? It’s like being invited to a hot party, not showing up, only to hear later that it was “incredible” and how we missed out. That’s life. Even Bruce Wayne and Batman can’t be in the same place simultaneously.

Industry gatherings – conferences, summits, and meet-ups – are revenue-generating businesses, from selling lanyards to exhibit costs to sponsoring satellite sessions.  To accommodate attendees, the companies that organize these mammoth events need to drive efficiency to reach profitability.  They need to inform and entertain. Don’t begrudge them the right to make money – sustainable gatherings lead to enduring communities.  We all benefit from the consistent, collaborative exchange.

Logistics are Often Planned Years in Advance

These meetings are geo-positioned corresponding to audience size, and space is secured many years and years in advance.  HIMSS is a 36,000-person gathering.  In the United States, only three venues can likely accommodate that meeting size: Orlando, Chicago, and Las Vegas.  ViVE has almost 8,000 attendees, more location flexibility, and wisely, it is heading back to Nashville – the nation’s capital of health provider services.  As businesses, their timing depends on the competitive strategy to attract sponsors, speakers and attendees. Retaining attendees annually creates a powerful magnet to draw in others – friends of friends.

ViVE, only three years old, is a hit. The blend of major sessions held within the exhibit hall, evening social events, and size speak to people’s need to connect with thought leaders and find a place within the CHIME/ViVE community.

Competitive or Different Missions 

Our mindsets are too often structured to pit one against the other.  Don’t go there. These two health industry gatherings are very different in rationale, structure, duration of time, and desired outcome. I don’t favor one over the other and schedule for both.  Imagine if we started to choose among ATA, HIMSS, SXSW, and ViVE.  

It’s an interesting polemic – especially if you only have the budget to attend one or two of these gatherings.  If budget and time demand, I recommend picking two to three and investing your time in cementing a network of advisors, mentors, and community.  [NOTE: I tend to center my meeting schedule around CNS Summit, HIMSS, HITLAB, HLTH, and ViVE – though I attend others such as the Digital Health & AI Innovation Summit.]

Keep in mind the top speakers rotate among all these gatherings. It is their responsibility as institutional thought leaders to share their wisdom.  So, we must listen to and learn from leaders such as Rasu Shrestha, MD, Walter Greenleaf, Ph.D., or Tom Lawry, who are likely to attend or speak at many of these gatherings.  However, the attendees and the call-to-action required determine their message flow and should set your scheduling priorities.  

ViVE draws me in due to its intimacy and community.  Like CNS Summit (Collaborate for Novel Solutions), ViVe is “right-sized” to rub shoulders with key colleagues, move swiftly from session to session, and have an exhibit floor that doesn’t require cutting through the jungle.  It is a magnet for like-minded digital health grass-tops leaders who want to check in and connect about how the system can better align workflow processes.  Clear process results in better (health-system) performance.

Digital health in itself is misunderstood.  Apps and wearables are the tip of the information iceberg.  It is about digitizing the health system overall and connecting the provider system to the consumer – seamless care.  That remains an enormous undertaking for an industry sector that still clings to the old ways, like a three-year-old to a beloved teddy bear, despite being told to abandon its treasured fax machines.  Digital encompasses how we will deploy AI, ChatGPT and GenAI to improve workflow.  It demands that we position health equity as the core priority of these efforts.  It considers how we can connect consumers to their providers confidently and well within HIPAA parameters.

I like ViVE for many reasons – mainly because I can enter into conversations with people seasoned enough to influence corporate strategy or at least inspire each other and are eager to learn and hear from others who care equally about the patient experience.  I think ViVE enables attendees to revisit critical elements of the health system that determine business success. Don’t ever underestimate reflection. The CHIME/ViVE connection offers added value and brings a strong community mindset.

HIMSS is the Davos of Health Information

HIMSS is a 70-year-old society with 125,000 members worldwide.  Since 1962, it has held an annual global meeting, part of a bigger effort to serve patients by democratizing information with best-practice standards.

“HIMSS is where big ideas are discussed, innovation is created, and professionals make the connections that will change the future of healthcare. From the engineers and developers building new solutions to the technology leaders guiding health systems through major challenges like the ethical use of AI and cybersecurity, HIMSS conferences are a meeting of the minds that will create tomorrow’s health,” said Christine Buck, HIMSS chief marketing officer.

Yet, the HIMSS conference is much more than scale – 36,000 people focused on health information. It’s about where these attendees come from and their determination to shape health access and delivery standards.  They hail from 70 countries, and their titles range from Health Minister of Korea to call center manager from South Dakota.  They’re wearing US Armed Forces non-commissioned officer to bird colonel military ranks or t-shirts and jeans from the top dogs at global giants like CISCO, EPIC and Microsoft to health tech start-ups.

“My favorite part? The authentic, genuine, and casual nature of interactions with other humans in the health industry who are navigating the mutual hallways of mixed indifference and passion — the marketing formality gives way to our better nature of connection and collaboration,” says Matt Cybulsky Ph.D., host of edgy The Digital Health Roundtable.

HIMSS is a moving city, and expect to cover your step goal during its five-day 8 AM to 6 PM schedule, including hundreds of sessions curated, tracked, and peer-reviewed by HIMSS-member volunteers.  Along with a bolus of professional development, there are key NGO moments where government leaders announce new international health information management agreements. HIMSS is a society that encompasses best-practice solutions, professional development and public policy.

For example, during the meeting, Hal Wolf, president and CEO of HIMSS, and Geun Chan Lim, CEO of Korea Health Information Service, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) cementing a three-year relationship between HIMSS and the Republic of Korea for Electronic Medical Record adoption in hospitals throughout the country.  HIMSS transcends the definition of a meeting; it’s a professional society that works across industries and countries.

“HIMSS conferences and events provide our membership – and all our attendees – with unrivaled access to best-in-class thought leaders, educational programming, and groundbreaking speakers. HIMSS24 helped drive awareness of pressing health equity issues and social determinants of health while also creating a space for everyone from CIOs to nurses to build connections and collaborate,” adds Buck.

Apples or Oranges?

The idiom comparing two dissimilar objects was originally apples to oysters.  Things change over time. Originator John Ray penned his thoughts in a collection of sayings in 1670.  It wasn’t a competition between two fruits but a reminder that they’re different, so don’t compare. 

I was at ViVE.  I was at HIMSS. I value lessons learned – albeit different – from both.  Apples and oranges.  I like them both.

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Ninety Nations Are Expected to be Represented At HIMSS

Among those 90 countries will be Israel, well-known for its outstanding health system, novel engineering acumen and always-on entrepreneurial engine. Israeli startups have been instrumental in developing breakthrough technologies and treatments, from telemedicine to augmented intelligence, precision medicine, and virtual and medical imaging. These innovations continuously improve health within Israel, home to Sheba Medical Center, one of Newsweek’s leading global hospital systems. They are exported globally, contributing to the country’s economy and worldwide standing as a top business development partner.

When the war broke out in early October 2023, Israeli attendees planning to attend the Las Vegas HLTH meeting either rushed home to reunite with family members or canceled plans to travel.  HIMSS24 Orlando will be the reboot after six gut-wrenching months when the Israeli Innovation Las Vegas HLTH Pavilion was largely vacated and war broke out.  These resilient innovators will travel to Orlando for their long-awaited plans to connect with the global health information community.

A Private Equity Firm that Champions its Portfolio Companies Globally

eHealth Ventures Group (eHV), an Israeli-headquartered private equity firm with some $1 billion under management, is planning a special HIMSS delegation of 10 of its portfolio companies – enterprises that range from start-ups to in-market companies rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s most prestigious biopharmaceutical and health system players. Some companies joining eHV Partner Ophir Shahaf focus on improving health system use of information and operations; some apply the practice value of AI and GenAI to functions where sufficient human capital is unavailable; others are pioneering new ways to address pressing medical conditions.  All come to Orlando to meet and exchange ideas with US-based colleagues during HIMSS.

Hear Medika Life Editor Gil Bashe’s exclusive interview with eHealth Venture Partner Ophir Shahaf on Healthcare Now Radio: LISTEN HERE.

From Information to Clinical Innovation Israeli Innovators Head to HIMSS

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a progressive condition that often remains asymptomatic for years, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment. AccuLine has developed an accurate and non-invasive exam for the early detection of CAD to prevent millions of heart attacks. The user-friendly exam includes a four-minute measurement of vital signs, safely replacing traditional ergometry. This approach addresses the limitations of existing tools in terms of accuracy, invasiveness, and cost. The company has demonstrated promising clinical results with high precision and cost-effectiveness, supported by strategic partnerships with industry leaders, including Intratech, Sanolla, NovaSight, Lumenis, and Johnson & Johnson.

“In the fragmented health ecosystem, where patients may encounter barriers to accessing specialized care, the technology bridges this gap by offering a standardized and accessible diagnostic solution for CAD, ensuring equitable access to timely cardiac care regardless of geographic location or setting,” said Moshe Barel, Acculine CEO. Streamlining the diagnostic process and providing immediate results can accelerate time-to-care, enable clinicians to initiate prompt intervention, and improve patient outcomes.”

• Agamon Health is an imaging patient workflow management platform that leverages GenAI to connect providers and patients and coordinate the next steps in care management. By seamlessly coordinating interactions among radiologists, referring providers, nurse navigators, and patients, Agamon facilitates early diagnosis, enhances care quality, and boosts operational efficiency. Its platform accuracy has been honed, drawing from more than 20 million radiology reports, and has demonstrated a 55 percent increase in patient adherence and a 10-time return on investment.

“Care gaps are a common and unfortunate part of the health systems in the US because the system is siloed – from clinical and technical perspectives. In radiology, 20 percent of all radiology reports require some follow-up, and more than 60 percent of those patients don’t circle back, said Steve Linowes, Agamon HealthUS General Manager. This happens for several reasons. In many instances, referring providers aren’t connected to the health system that conducted the original radiology procedure, so there isn’t an easy way to communicate or have them order the follow-up procedure. This impacts more than 80 million patients annually and represents billions of dollars in lost revenue to health systems.”

• Insight Axis introduces a diagnostic tool designed for better management of neuropsychiatric disorders and improved psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. Led by a team of experts in electrophysiology, neuroscience, and mathematics, Insight Axis offers an AI-based platform that assesses treatment responsiveness, predicts medication compatibility, and characterizes disorders based on brain signatures. With no known biomarkers available for psychiatric disorders, Insight Axis provides clinicians with objective data from standard EEG tests integrated into its Quantum Physics and AI-based platform. This innovative system, backed by solid IP, promises to transform the approach to psychiatric care, ensuring more accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment recommendations.

• Thousands of neurosurgeries are performed globally daily. Each requires neuromonitoring coverage, and a specialized neurophysiologist oversees the surgeon to prevent potential nerve injuries. However, there is an insufficient number of these professionals to oversee each surgery, increasing nerve damage and paralysis risks for patients undergoing surgery without surveillance. Nervio created the world’s first autonomous neuromonitoring solution, reducing dependence on these high-demand professionals and potentially making neuromonitoring oversight available in every OR globally.

“Why does this matter to health systems, providers and patients?  A particular worry is post-injury post-spine surgery, a clinical concern now monitored using 30-year-old technology,” reflects Nervio CEO Ariel Weinstein, a long-standing entrepreneurial leader. “To increase physician and patient confidence, Nervio has created an expert-trained AI system that mirrors the vigilance of expert oversight. This technology reduces stress, risk and operating costs.”

• NimBio has developed an AI-based disease management platform to transform the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory Diseases (IMIDs). With its focus on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), NimBio is developing flare-up prevention technology through a 100% non-invasive remote inflammation management platform. This advanced technology, including a wearable sensor and AI-based predictive algorithm, predicts flare-ups before they occur, enabling intervention and treatment. NimBio collaborates with clinical and business partners, including Mayo Clinic and AMGEN, as it collaborates within the medical and therapeutic community to secure a unique place, timing, and perfect IMID treatment.

• Through automated data collection and its ultra-lightweight real-time locating system, QLOG enables hospitals to easily track equipment, medical supplies, and patients. By increasing visibility with its data automation solutions, QLOG helps healthcare organizations reduce costs, control processes, and assets, and improve safety and quality of care. The result is 45 percent better equipment utilization, 65 percent less supply loss and waste, and 90 percent improved compliance and safety. Leading health institutions are already deploying the QLOG in Israel and throughout Europe.

“QLOG looks to improve the way healthcare operates. We are proud to be making an impact, redefining the communication channels between the organization and the workforce, and defining how healthcare is managed,” said Dr. Amit Lehavi, QLOG founder and CEO, in announcing a successful funding round. “Our Healthcare Operations Platform displays remarkable financial impact and quality improvements across Israel and Europe. This has a direct positive influence on patient care by reducing nurse burnout and improved retention.”

• RespirAI Medical has designed an AI-powered wearable platform for long-term, at-home monitoring of chronic respiratory diseases. The device is based on a bio-coupling novel marker – measuring synchronization among breathing and walking, detecting COPD flare-ups before they flare out of control. Beyond COPD management, the platform offers health professionals the potential to identify additional respiratory and cardiac complications early and personalize medication management for these conditions.

“The RespirAI solution can improve clinical outcomes for health professionals managing chronic respiratory diseases,” says CEO Nimrod Bin-Nun. “By facilitating early detection of lung function changes and exacerbations, the RespirAI platform enables proactive intervention, reducing hospitalizations, alleviating symptom severity, and saving patient’s lives. The remote monitoring feature enhances patient convenience and lowers healthcare costs, minimizing the need for in-person visits,” he added.

• Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) impacts millions worldwide. Current care methods often focus on symptomatic relief or invasive procedures, overlooking the root mechanical imbalances contributing to CLBP. This fragmented approach leads to prolonged suffering, high healthcare costs, and limited access to adequate care. Symetrify addresses this gap in care by targeting the neuro-mechanical root cause of CLBP, providing efficient and non-invasive treatment that accelerates time-to-care decisions and improves patient outcomes. Software-based, Symetrify provides therapeutic effects while enhancing treatment capacity and efficiency for providers, focusing on patient engagement, follow-up, and retention.

“The workplace setting faces significant challenges with chronic lower back pain (CLBP), impacting millions. Current care methods often focus on symptomatic relief or invasive procedures, overlooking the root mechanical imbalances contributing to CLBP,” says Dana Chanan, CEO. “This approach leads to unnecessary suffering, high health costs, and reduces access to effective care. Symetrify addresses this gap by targeting the neuro-mechanical root cause of CLBP, providing non-invasive treatment to accelerate time-to-care decisions and improve outcomes.”

• Yonalink provides electronic data collection solutions (EDC) for clinical trial sponsors, hospitals, and contract research organizations, enabling the post-COVID ideal of decentralized clinical trials to become a reality. Its platform integrates data collection from patients’ medical devices, wearables and electronic health records (EHRs). It replaces manual processes to improve trial efficiency and reduce staff burnout—Yonalink pioneers EHR-to-EDC data streaming from a global network of more than 7000 medical centers. By simplifying data capture, management and transfer, Yonalink reduces the burden on clinical trial teams.

“By automating the data collection and management process and enabling remote data monitoring from any electronic health record, Yonalink makes clinical trial access available to any patient, anywhere,” reports Iddo Peleg, Yonalink CEO and Co-founder. “The system eliminates errors caused by manual data transfer, frees time for study staff to focus on more critical tasks, and provides sponsors with real-time data oversight to keep trial timelines on track.”

• The economic impact of migraine-related productivity loss is significant, with indirect costs to the US economy ranging from $22 billion to $78 billion annually due to missed workdays and diminished on-the-job efficiency.  Wizermed is developing a solution for migraine attack prediction before onset. Its AI-based platform, Migraine Predict, utilizes smartwatch technology to detect, predict, and manage migraines effectively. The platform can provide a daily “migraine forecast,” accurately predicting whether the next day will likely be migraine-free or if an attack is imminent. This reduces the anxiety and stress associated with the unpredictability of migraines, gives people a greater sense of control of their migraines, and enables earlier, proactive intervention to minimize the impact of a migraine.

“The capacity to foresee and alleviate the impact of imminent attacks holds significant potential for enhancing the well-being of migraine sufferers, who often feel their condition dominates their lives,” reinforces Wizermed Founder and CEO Guy Attar. “This solution empowers individuals with the means to reclaim control over their quality of life. Furthermore, this solution benefits employers by enhancing workplace productivity, reducing absenteeism, and fostering higher employee satisfaction. Notably, there’s potential to decrease the frequency and intensity of attacks, a critical consideration given the substantial prevalence of migraine sufferers in the population,” he adds.

While conflict prevails, many wonder how this impacts Israel’s innovation engine and access to investment.  According to the Israeli business publication The Israeli Business News – The Globes, “Israeli startups raised $500 million in January 2024, drawing from companies’ press announcements.”  The Globes estimates this figure might be even higher as many Israeli companies keep their investment news under the radar screen.

Overall, global investment in digital health, including health information, is down year-to-year from the exuberant COVID years. That trend is confirmed by Galen Growth, one of the world’s leading market intelligence firms; raising half a billion in month one of 2024, the Israeli health innovation sector shows resilience and strength.  HIMSS is an excellent opportunity to meet with these companies and others from the “Start-Up Nation,” whose ideas and intentions are to improve human health worldwide.

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In the first three days of this Los Angeles gathering, I’ve had the chance to pop in on countless sessions, swing by exhibits that occupy large and small footprints and chat with C-Suite voices from some of the nation’s most prominent health players and most promising start-ups.  But as Sheba Medical Center’s Chief Innovation Officer, Eyal Zimlichman, MD, MSc, thoughtfully reminded a filled-to-capacity room during one session: “Sometimes the challenge is not the technology or innovative approach.  It can be in the implementation.”

Several companies caught my attention during three days at ViVE.  Unexpectedly, the most impressive are enterprises that aren’t swinging for the bleachers of change but those who make incremental improvements in the health ecosystem, leading to better patient care and putting a lid on spiraling costs. More and more, there is a need for meaningful changes now.  What happens tomorrow is theoretical. Keeping the health system chugging ahead translates into keeping doors open to patients who might not have access to care.

What should readers do with this information?  Follow these companies.  Listen to what their senior executives say about how their approaches impact the health industry. Use their information to benchmark the “right now” that lays the groundwork for successful technologies that too often capture the buzz and have yet to show. As the adage goes, the “proof is in the pudding.”  These are companies that have a presence within the sector and demonstrate momentum.

Companies at the Forefront of Health Information and Innovation

Several companies invited Medika to swing by their exhibits or attend panel sessions.  These companies are working hard to help health systems improve workflow – recognizing that repetitive tasks can and should be automated. Highways have moved from coin-taking toll attendants to EzPass transponders. The benefits are clear – reduced traffic and smog. Give thought to eliminating hospital bureaucracy that burdens providers and consumers. 

The companies on the ViVE exhibit floor acknowledge that physician time – a precious resource – can be better used in patient care.  Others realize that the changes in technology and information systems are happening so fast that hospital systems must embed outsourced staff to keep current with transitions.  Innovation is only meaningful if used – otherwise, it’s merely conversational and conceptual.

ViVE is doing something needed and practical. It’s bringing together prominent players in health, companies that can make information valuable, and start-ups looking not to disrupt but positively evolve time-test but worn approaches. Here are some companies that caught my eye:

• The consumer appliance giant Best Buy presence at a health industry conference may seem out of place. They don’t have in-store clinics – they have gadgets and wearables. They have a Geek Squad ready to set up your home entertainment studio.  But they’re the perfect partner for hospital systems looking to discharge patients to heal at home and remain connected to their providers.  They are experts in helping seniors overcome the challenges of setting up and using remote monitoring technologies that incorporate blood pressure monitoring or ECGs.  They are pros in addressing tech questions virtually.  If aging and home care are to become a standard of care, Best Buy is ahead of the curve in helping health systems make it a possible leap.

• Technology should reduce workflow – not add to the headaches chief technology and information officers manage. Health systems must streamline repetitive operations and care processes. CereCore is a leading provider of IT services that help hospitals and health systems chart a course through the operational IT labyrinth. The company works with hospital systems to prioritize patient care and information streamline processes. Its “get it done approach” includes IT staffing, application support, technical professional and managed services, IT advisory services, and EHR consulting.  With more than 700 employees across the US, its workforce includes clinical and technical experts supporting 450 hospitals and implementing IT solutions across 4,000 care settings.

• Corti is a startup specializing in AI-enabled decision support tools for clinic and first responder environments. Corti develops solutions to improve efficiency and experience by analyzing emergency conversations using ambient clinical voice and real-time clinical discussions. Like large language models (LLMs), Corti trains on thousands of actual patient calls and clinical consultations, listens alongside professionals, and converts this learning into insights and suggestions using proprietary speech recognition and natural-language processing. Published data show that AI outperforms human call-takers in sensitivity and predictive accuracy. This advancement augments call-takers ability to triage and ensures faster and more precise emergency response.

• DigiCARE is an early company addressing a long-targeted goal of improving brain disease care.  Based on Indiana University research, a machine-learning algorithm powers its promising AI platform with an 80% performance accuracy and a one-year prediction horizon to detect all forms of unrecognized dementia. The platform mines already-collected data from electronic patient health records and sorts through structured and unstructured data, including patient demographics, diagnosis, medication history, and vast medical notes. The company is already working with health systems to deliver routine brain care for a growing aging population. Early detection of diseases such as Alzheimer’s treatments will accelerate new approaches to drug discovery and development.

• e4health fills expertise gaps in IT, HIM, coding, and CDI. When provider organizations face management issues and bandwidth concerns, the company provides expert resources to complete projects and achieve departmental goals on time and within budget. From legacy data conversion for new EHR implementations to staffing vacancies, e4Health delivers the highest levels of healthcare expertise alongside a relentless commitment to integrity and data accuracy. Their teams ensure consistent quality, accuracy, and productivity for the customers served.

• Like the “smart home,” eVideon is championing hospital smart room technology and digital workflow. The company’s flagship product, Vibe Health, automates clinical workflow, facilitates enhanced communication, and transforms care environments into personalized and interactive spaces. The solutions include an in-room Smart TV, digital whiteboard, digital door sign, and bedside tablet, redefining traditional care settings. These technologies integrate with the hospital’s Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system and other technologies, making real-time information accessible to patients, families, and the care team. Medika Life readers can access their Smart Room Technology Playbook— to understand how technology saves nurses time and improves the care experience.
• HCTec provides IT services to over 1,500 academic medical centers, health systems, community hospitals, critical access hospitals, and other healthcare provider organizations nationwide. HCTec teams offer health information technology expertise across clinical and business applications, data, security, and other technical services. With some 500 team members and decades of combined health experience, HCTec is highly KLAS-rated, providing healthcare IT staffing, managed services solutions, and EHR services.

America has a significant obesity challenge – a public health epidemic that is a tipping point to heart disease, diabetes and stroke. New medications called GLP-1 are a new class of medications and a partial solution – they address weight-key symptoms of the problem. They do not address the underlying diseases or modify the patient’s mindset long-term. Some other pathway is needed! Enter Intellihealth, a startup software solution that effectively scales obesity management and tackles weight management, risk management, comorbidities, diabetes, cancer, and heart and respiratory disease impact. The American Medical Association classifies obesity as a disease, but the US health system is no match for its prevalence.

• The “value-based care” buzzword continues to enter the health economics conversation.  Interwell Health, a kidney care management company, has impressive roots – formed from the merger of the value-based care division of Fresenius Medical Care North America with Cricket Health – and may be among the better examples demonstrating how information can guide physicians and staff to prioritize care decisions for people with chronic kidney disease care to end-stage kidney disease.  So far, the company has proven its ability to improve outcomes and deliver better quality of life for people while reducing the cost of care for payer partners and providing the resources physicians need to navigate a value-based world – all at scale.

• We need more information. TED Founder Richard “Saul” Wurman describes data dilemma perfectly in his bestselling book titled “Information Anxiety.”  The US healthcare system places tremendous weight on the shoulders of health providers to obtain, manage, and share clinical data. If health professionals need a remedy for their anxiety, MRO understands data exchange challenges between providers and payers.  MRO has been a key clinical data exchange player for some 20 years, modernizing health information analog and manual processes. The company is lightening the load for customers, and the proof is that it connects more than 200 EHRs, 200,000 providers, 35,000 practices, and 900 hospitals, drawing data from more than 1.3 billion clinical records.

NourishedRx is a purpose-centered digital health and nutrition company that has become a public health voice working to improve outcomes, lower medical costs and advance health-equity goals. Diet-related chronic conditions account for almost 20% of all US health care costs—particularly for people facing food insecurity and diet-related health conditions that can be tracked through blood pressure and HbA1c, NICU admissions and LBW births, pre-term births, depression, and more. Mission-centered NourishedRx is not a food bank! Its highly personalized model structures service through the lens of “food as medicine.” Its operating system is also a call to action—health and health equity—one meal, one individual, and one community at a time. Its customers are surprising—savvy payers who recognize that without access to healthy nutrition, vulnerable people at risk for non-communicable diseases are almost certain to tip into the abyss of illness.

Lauren Driscoll is the founder and CEO of NourishedRx and a Medicare Advantage expert. She founded NourishedRx in 2019 to support health plans’ efforts to address their members’ most actionable and critical non-clinical needs — nutrition and social isolation. Information can be linked to life-saving interventions. NourishedRx demonstrates that possibility.

There’s no clear consensus on whether ADHD is over- or under-diagnosed. However, it is universally understood that timely and accurate assessment can prevent emotional and academic struggles among children and teens.  Getting it right is hindered by a lack of standardized diagnostic tests. Qbtech is transforming objective ADHD care through a technology-first approach that augments professional care. Like many ViVE attendees in the busy hallways and crowded exhibit halls, Qbtech takes a practical solutions approach to health-sector challenges.  Its Food and Drug Administration cleared for marketing computer-based tasks monitoring system brings new perspectives to evaluation and treatment, and decision-makers welcome the 15-20 approach to initial assessment.  The system has been adopted across 43 US states and by organizations such as the NHS in the United Kingdom. Outcomes data appears in over 35 independent studies.

• Sendero is a management consulting firm that guides strategic planning, digital transformation, and organizational effectiveness. Sendero healthcare practice was developed to help clients navigate the industry’s complex and frequently changing operations, experience, and technology enablement challenges. The consulting group brings objective thought combined with years of experience to clients from project ideation through implementation so that health systems can maintain their focus on essential high standards and adapt to deliver solid patient experience, support employees, and engage in evolving waves of innovation. Objectivity and knowledge are precious resources.

• Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, the Chief Transformation Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at Sheba Medical Center, was on hand during VIVE.  Sheba is Israel’s largest medical center and a top-ranked Newsweek hospital. Dr. Zimlichman is the founder and director of the Sheba ARC (Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate) Innovation Hub. This global innovation ecosystem aims to redesign the health system through digital health innovation. Here, Sheba was wearing a different health system hat. ARC is creating innovation communities worldwide and in locations where, beyond transformation, innovation can address social determinants of health, such as economics, education, and life experience. 

Sheba is also a “paperless-wide” health system: no faxes or massive file systems.  The health system can impact more than physical health. They can inspire young people to pursue careers in technology and reduce the carbon impact of hospitals to improve the environment.

• Tegria is a global healthcare consulting and services company partnering with provider and payer organizations to unleash their potential to contribute to a healthier future collaboratively. Like others, it delivers end-to-end solutions to help clients avoid economic strife that is too common among health systems and secure growth. But here, they are not wishes or empty words.  Tegria has over 1,500 professionals with technology expertise working alongside 500 clients in North America and Europe.

“When we invest in technology, we invest in partnerships and define our priorities,” said Ray Gensigner, MD, Tegria chief medical officer, responding to Medika Life. “Technologies must demonstrate a clear potential to benefit patients and healthcare providers simultaneously. To be on my investment radar, technologies should have credible validation and promise to make a tangible difference,” he added.

• The financial reports of the hospital system reflect the growing number of struggling care systems. Information is the lifeblood of patient care – but it’s also the navigational tool for hospital executives to build sustainable systems. ViVe was the setting for breaking news.  TruBridge is a new player on the scene with a heritage that spans four decades.  Numerous companies joining legacy company CPSI as acquisitions have united under this new brand identity.

While the name is new, the company continues to offer highly regarded revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions that enhance productivity and integrate financial operations across acute to post-acute and ambulatory settings. But rallying all its companies under one corporate identity clarifies for customers how TruBridge services, products and talent weave together and project the scale and strength of a mega sector player.

• On the go? 98point6 Technologies. has refocused its talent and time, making its AI-powered technology and software available to providers to expand access to care and improve patient engagement since the sale of its Care Delivery Division a year ago to Transcarent. In many ways, this renewed business focus secures 98point6 place as one of the nation’s leading virtual care platforms for patients and their physicians to connect when on the move. Its flagship 98point6 Technology Platform provides cloud-based software combining augmented intelligence with automated practice standards and EHR integration.  

At a time when primary care services are needed more than ever to stem the tide of non-communicable illnesses, 98point6 Technologies are a needed bridge between brick-and-mortar physicians’ services and consumers who now think hybrid and expect the world to respond to their flexible needs.

• Viz.ai harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve patient outcomes. Its FDA-cleared algorithms analyze medical imaging data, including CT scans, EKGs, and echocardiograms, and have the potential to provide real-time insights that accelerate diagnosis and treatment. The Viz Platform autodetects possible disease presence across therapeutic areas, including neurovascular, cardiovascular, trauma care, and radiology. Diagnosis sits at the heart of treatment – do that faster and more accurately, and physicians can do their best work with greater confidence and less stress.  This is not a “success is just around the corner technology.”  Already, Viz.ai has been adopted by more than 1,500 US hospitals – perhaps on its way to becoming a sector standard.

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The concept of the future is always inviting and exciting. Futurists are rarely wrong.  It isn’t easy to judge what remains intangible. The difference between invention and innovation is scaled customer application.  AI, ChatGPT, and GenAI applied play to the strengths of the curious and bold. Using these technologies democratizes information for humanity’s benefit. The tools can improve care, increase workflow efficiency, and lower spiraling health costs.  This is all happening right now. 

The companies included in this ViVE summary are helping the health system and their customers deliver transformational health technology today. That may seem less “edgy” than tomorrow’s shiny object, but all ideas are judged by their impact and sales. Follow these companies who are paving the way for improved care delivery.

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Media colleague Eric Wicklund, associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation, Technology, and Pharma for HealthLeaders, has penned a ViVE preview piece with a power grabber: “CAN VIVE 2024 SOLVE HEALTHCARE’S BIGGEST DILEMMAS?” That headline question isn’t rhetorical and doesn’t require an answer.  Resolution is not the responsibility of the ViVE co-organizers CHIME Health and HLTH.  ViVE puts the collaborative opportunity for health ecosystem players to face the challenges and opportunities in motion.

At the heart of these dilemmas is how payers, patients, product innovators, policymakers, and providers source and maximize health information.  No doubt everyone is jumping on the AI, ChatGPT, and GenAI bandwagon, excited that technology will solve the problems of system-wide fragmentation.  But like any tech shift or bolus of information, it all comes down to what innovation theorist John Nosta calls the “Introduction of the Cognitive Age.”

While some express trepidation that this technological revolution is the dawn of all fears that smart machines will replace health professionals, Nosta suggests that the “Cognitive Age leverages AI as a partner, augmenting and enhancing people’s ability to access and act with heightened intellectual and even technical (i.e., physical ability).

Once again, ViVE has teamed up with Galen Growth to provide insights on digital health in the US health systems. Galen Growth connects the importance of partnership and recent trends influencing not only the US health system – but also the close reader how health information and innovative technologies will transform the delivery, quality, and cost of patient care – including the influence on clinical evidence, decentralized clinical trials, and connective and home care.

Access the Galen Growth 2024 Digital Health Report here: LINK

ViVE is the space where all these conversations – the good, bad, and ugly – of the (predominately US) health ecosystem can be explored, and ideas can be identified and pursued.  VIVE partners with Galen Growth – the global digital health research and analytics specialist. It uses its proprietary database HealthTech AlphaTM to track more than 680 million data points, documenting 14,200 digital health ventures worldwide to produce its “Digital Health Innovation | 2024 Report.”

“In an era of rapid technological advancement, the 6,129 hospitals within 407 Health Systems1 across the United States are at the forefront of transforming healthcare delivery for diverse communities nationwide, notes Julien de Salaberry, a co-founder and CEO of Galen Growth. As the Digital Health landscape evolves, Health Systems play a pivotal role in bridging gaps, enhancing patient outcomes, and addressing persistent pain points.”

But the most significant challenges to accessing the potential of these new digital health technologies are not in ideas themselves – rather the innovators’ understanding of how the US health system works (or is dysfunctional); too often, the founders of these companies are unaware of how to engage leading hospital systems – find champions, integrate within the system, and address cost benefits and ongoing support issues.  Failure to navigate the complexity of countless decision-makers too often leads to ventures running out of capital and vanishing.  The Galen Growth Digital Health Innovation Report documents the roadway to potential success.

CTOs and CIOs within significant health systems are not immune to unprecedented challenges facing hospital economics and the cost of technology. Digital health leaders also recognize that they will hit a brick wall without clearly expressing ROI.  Health systems require measurable outcomes and evidence-based results from digital health partners, and to succeed mutually, they are creating incubators, venture groups and partnership models.

Health systems – hospitals, long-term care communities, and home care providers – will make giant leaps very shortly, drawing on information and technological changes.  The Galen Growth Report issued at ViVE on Monday, February 25^th, is the analysis and roadmap to understand better the economic priorities and investments driving these changes.

What is evident from the Galen Growth Digital Health Innovation Report is that while the total dollars of investment in digital health saw a steep decline from the exuberant investment during the height of the COVID pandemic, the category has gained greater importance among health systems seeking to make significant advances in how patient-care, work-flow processes, preventive care and reimbursement analyses play out.

AI, ChatGPT and GenAI investment is not aspirational – the focus is mainly practical and operational.  Those accessing the full report during ViVE will immediately gain valuable information to guide internal planning. Medika Life will update this article tomorrow with a link to the full report.

Will ViVE solve – as Eric Wicklund teases readers – the health system’s “biggest dilemmas?” Is that even it’s mission?  Likely not. But the people who attend ViVE will be looking for insights and information that can guide solutions. The Galen Growth “Digital Health Innovation | 2024 Report” will be one of the big takeaways that will spark conversation, ideas, and hopefully, as Eric reflects, some concrete solutions.

The post Galen Growth + ViVE 2024 Champion Digital Health Innovation as a Salve for an Ailing US Health Ecosystem appeared first on Medika Life.