HIMSS – Global Meeting Ground for Health Info Innovators to Secure Partnerships and Advance Care

Just as the world is rebooting as the COVID cloud perceptually passes, last year’s HIMSS in Las Vegas reinforced how the health IT community returned with a passion for learning what’s just around the corner and set a practical mindset for maximizing investments in infrastructure to improve care and reduce cost. HIMSS24 is expected to build on the success of the prior year, and HIMSS CEO Hal Wolf and his leadership team – who steer the global professional society covering policy, education, information security, health system best practices, and much more –expect to welcome more than 35,000 health information and care professionals from some 90 countries to Orlando.

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.