Trellus Health Share Discussion Threads

[wan] 23/8/2021 08:00

Pleased to see the announcement that the initial demonstration project has been signed/underway, and hopefully we will see others commence soon too.

Also of note was the estimate of the size of the opportunity, assuming Trellus move into other chronic conditions -

The Directors estimate that chronic and mental health conditions and IBD, represent over $3 trillion and $30-50 billion in total annual costs in the US, respectively.

For longer term investors (and healthcare systems/payors) the rewards could be substantial -

GROWTH STRATEGY
The Company expects its initial demonstration projects in the New York metropolitan area to generate demonstrable health economics and return on investment, which will in turn drive demand from payers and generate wider opportunities to scale contracts regionally and nationally across the United States. Once the business model has been successfully demonstrated in IBD in the US, there will be a medium-term opportunity to replicate the approach to other chronic conditions and to rollout other international markets (e.g. UK and Canada).

In addition, the Company intends to build a robust anonymised longitudinal data repository on its IBD patients, which can be leveraged to improve platform performance through predictive analytics, while fueling scientific discoveries and influencing healthcare policy. The Company plans to enter strategic industry partnerships with pharmaceutical companies to leverage its proprietary, anonymised longitudinal database to develop new products and inform clinical trials for existing and prospective drug treatments.

[wan] 20/8/2021 07:33

Two stories worthy of investor attention -

Who will prevail as the medical and technology worlds collide?
BY JOE CORRIGAN 19 AUGUST 2021

Joe Corrigan, head of intelligent healthcare, Cambridge Consultants, part of Capgemini Invent, examines the ‘collision’ of the medical and technology worlds.

With the slow inevitability of tectonic plates, the medical and technology worlds are colliding. From a distance, it seems that nothing is happening. But the ground is rising. New ways of working are being enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), data and edge computing. Doctors, patients and researchers are – like all of us – immersed in consumer-focussed digital services, which adds to the relentless pressure. This means that when a new user-centric medical service is launched, there can be sudden, seismic shifts in behaviour. Being able to foresee or cause these quakes will determine who ends up at the top of the mountain.

Nevertheless, as we go forward it will no longer be enough to simply ship the drug – companies will have to consider how it fits into the patient’s lifestyle and shape a service accordingly. This means coming to terms with the interpretation of real-time data. The ability to develop AI models that continually ingest data from devices to learn from and rapidly iterate product is familiar to the likes of Amazon but unfamiliar to pharma. For now.

The emphasis will pivot to demonstrating outcomes that are not set in stone solely by clinical trials but are rethought and readdressed by consumer behaviour. Outcomes that are influenced by whether the patient takes the drug or experiences real-world benefits. The key opinion leaders – the doctors and other healthcare professionals – will be the kingmakers here, along with patients. They may very well prefer the service to a competing drug because it considers behaviours that improve outcomes.

Medical devices are entirely different in that for each condition there are unique biomarkers that can be used to derive user actionable insights. And as I mentioned above, the support for the biomarkers comes from the KOLs in those markets. And when those user insights can be demonstrated to provide value to the end-user through outcomes, it becomes a truly differentiating opportunity for a manufacturer. Each patient group and subset of that group becomes a market with an independent platform value. So, we are likely to see commoditisation of certain services such as sharing data and secure storage, but clear differentiation and value that derives from niche applications that sit on those platforms.

In its paper – ‘Six winning roles for MedTech to thrive in the future of health’ – Deloitte identifies its most influential trends: data-sharing, interoperable data, access, empowered consumer, behaviour change and scientific breakthrough. Most of these are fuel to the fire of the tipping point of transformative data abilities I’ve described. Coming advances in AI, technology and interoperability will enable the next stage of evolution… the big switch to a data structure that allows for the network effect, the ‘Google moment’, and market domination. It’s time to listen to the tremors and act on them.

Full article -

NICE launches public consultation on tech evaluation programmes
19 AUGUST 2021

NICE has today launched a public consultation on proposed changes to the way it develops recommendations across its health technology evaluation programmes.

From today until 13 October 2021, NICE is seeking feedback on proposed changes to its health technology assessment methods, and processes. The consultation is the culmination of the most wide-ranging and comprehensive review NICE has ever carried out, which has involved health system partners as well as industry, healthcare professionals, academia, and patients.

The proposed changes signal how NICE is evolving alongside technological advances in medicines and data synthesis to continue to deliver excellence for patients, the NHS and the life sciences industry. These changes aim to provide greater predictability for industry, greater transparency for stakeholders and enable swift decision making for our committees.

The over-arching ambition of the proposals are to provide:

Earlier access to valuable new innovative treatments.
More equitable access to treatments for those with severe diseases.
Greater clarity and predictability of health technology assessment outcomes.
Enhanced flexibility in the use of a comprehensive evidence base, including use of real-world data.
Support for the life sciences vision of making the UK a more attractive place for life sciences companies to succeed and grow.

NICE is also seeking feedback on its eligibility criteria for devices, diagnostics and digital technologies and the aim and routing criteria for topics for evaluation through NICE’s Highly Specialised Technologies programme.

Meindert Boysen, deputy chief executive and director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE, said: “Operating at the interface between the world in which new treatments are developed and the NHS in which they are used, NICE occupies a unique position in managing the lifecycle of innovative health technologies.

“Our methods and processes are central to an internationally attractive life sciences offer in which we work collaboratively with our partners across the regulatory and life-sciences landscape on speeding up access to promising innovative new health technologies, including through the Cancer Drugs Fund, Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway, the forthcoming Innovative Medicines Fund and activities of the Accelerated Access Collaborative such as the MedTech Funding Mandate.

“Ensuring that our methods and processes are clear, transparent and predictable, these proposals further emphasise our commitment to making the journey for promising new health technologies even faster, and patient access fairer.”

NICE has confirmed that, following the completion of this review, it will move to a dynamic, modular approach to updating its methods and processes combined with improved horizon scanning for emerging methodological developments and challenges. The aim is to proactively adapt to new innovations and secure seamless evaluation and rapid access. Future modular updates for the methods will include health inequalities, digital technologies, genomics and antimicrobials alongside processes for managing technologies with multiple indications and rapid entry to managed access.

Full article -

[davr0s] 18/8/2021 18:57

Ah ok - just seen your post. Thanks

[wan] 11/8/2021 11:03

Food for thought -

Will the Future of Healthcare be in the Hands of the Tech Giants?

by Abigail Saltmarsh
August 10, 2021

With global healthcare spending expected to reach US$10 trillion by 2022 and technology making it easier to connect with patients, it is unsurprising that big-name players are entering the market. In recent times, Google, Apple and Microsoft have all made forays into the industry and now Amazon looks set to make waves this summer.

Digitization will be the linchpin to the path of dematerialization, demonetization and democratization, allowing care in real-time and across. He added:

“The pandemic taught us all that agility is central to the management of the virus as well as our lives. The ability to adopt and change isn’t just a physical construct that impacts tangible things. Agility must also be a mental construct that allows us to unlearn and relearn new ways forward—and technology is central to this idea. I believe the big tech companies will be a ‘partner in care’ and given their global reach this seems likely.”

Full story -

Management of chronic conditions will be (and already is) featuring. And we also know that Trellus will be expanding its services and offerings to additional chronic conditions.

In this regard, if you have an expandable digitally-delivered solution that's value-based, critical/unique proven proprietary technology/IP, backed up by results of improved healthcare outcomes (watch this space), that can also be rolled out to other international markets, one can see huge potential. And indeed the potential for further technology partnering opportunities ahead (over and above healthcare plans/payors), not to mention strategic pharma partnering.

And put another way, such an offering may be a good fit for large self-insured employers, such as tech giants, but with a wider ambition!

Recall that Trellus Health expects to generate initial revenue in 2021 through a number demonstration projects with healthcare payers in the New York City metropolitan area. The Company’s digitally-delivered solution and value-based recurring revenue model will present attractive unit economics, high margins, cash generation, and forward visibility as a function of the number of engaged patients in the program.

[cisk] 05/8/2021 20:16

DavR0s5 look at post #100.

[davr0s] 05/8/2021 19:45

So I've got a tiddly position as part of an EKF "dividend" but it's subject to lock-in. When I checked with HL they say that the lock-in is indefinite and there is no timetable to release them. Anyone know anymore as I've never come across this scenario before

[wan] 05/8/2021 07:58

Trellus Health - Precision Medicine Meets Resilience-Driven Care.

The following is insightful -

Personalizing IBD Patient Care: From Risk Stratification to Individualized Therapy
Blog | August 04, 2021
Corey A. Siegel, MD, MS
Scientific Advisory Board Member
Trellus Health

[wan] 02/8/2021 10:39

Most readers will know that once Trellus Health's business model has been successfully demonstrated in IBD in the US, there will be a medium-term opportunity to replicate the approach to other chronic conditions and to rollout other international markets e.g. the UK.

The following recently piqued my interest -

Aled Stevenson
Managing Director, UK at Trellus Health

Experience

Trellus Health
Managing Director, UK
Company Name Trellus Health
Dates Employed Jul 2021 – Present
Employment Duration 2 mos

AstraZeneca
Regional Business Manager
Company Name AstraZeneca
Dates Employed Mar 2002 – May 2021
Employment Duration19 yrs 3 mos

[wan] 02/8/2021 10:07

Trellus Health listed on AIM in May 2021, so May 2022.

[adobbing] 02/8/2021 09:47

Thanks.
Yes, result of EKF holding.

So if I understand that correctly, they become “accessible221; around 17th December 2021?

[wan] 02/8/2021 09:32

Forgot to add that no action should be required!

[wan] 02/8/2021 09:31

One assumes that it may be what you are due i.e. your dividend in specie shares from holding EKF? -

The Company's shareholders on the register as at close of business on 17 December 2020 ("Relevant EKF Shareholders") will receive one A Share (each a "Dividend Share") for every 16.25 ordinary share held in the Company.

Relevant EKF Shareholders will become the beneficial owners of their respective Dividend Shares upon completion of the transfer of the Dividend Shares to Broadway Nominees Limited (“Broadway”), at which time an ‘omnibus’ share certificate in respect of the Dividend Shares will be issued and held by Broadway, to be held on trust by it on behalf of the Relevant EKF Shareholders for a period of:

365 days following admission to trading on AIM

[adobbing] 02/8/2021 09:18

Still showing 92 x TRELLUS HEALTH LIMITED A ORDINARY in my account with £0 value.

Please could somebody remind me what is happening with these, do I need to take any action?

[wan] 23/7/2021 12:07

Interesting overview of the digital health sector -

H1 2021 Digital Health Funding: Another Blockbuster Year…In Six Months
H1 2021 secured $14.7B in digital health funding, already surpassing all of 2020’s funding. The half closed with 372 deals and an average deal size of $39.6M, spearheaded by 48 mega deals which accounted for 59% of total H1 2021 funding. Public exit activity ballooned with 11 closed IPOs and SPACs, with another 11 SPACs expected to close in 2021.

The digital health investment climate in one word: Up.
Funding, up.
Deals, up.
Deal sizes, up.
Acquisitions, up.
Public exits, up.

Reaching New Heights
Just six months ago, 2020’s full year digital health funding numbers blew us away, and by Q1 2021, we staked our claim that digital health was all grown up. It’s been a wild ride watching Q2 2021 blow Q1 out of the water. We’re most inspired by the digital health companies making the most of this momentum to leap forward in the direction of massively changing healthcare for the better.

From our perch, we’ll balance our excitement with a vigilant eye toward the real world implications of digital health’s fast-paced activity in the private and public markets. We know today’s environment presents as much opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors as it does risk, and it’s important that neither party gets caught flat-footed once digital health settles into a new funding stride.

The fundamentals—new solutions to big problems, high-quality teams, laser focus, and strong investment syndicates—will endure as the driving forces of digital health’s maturation and impact on the entire healthcare sector. As we look forward, we know that digital health’s journey to impact is a marathon, not a sprint.

Full update -

[wan] 22/7/2021 10:25

Update...For a change, the process of lodging my share certificates with Barclays was straightforward and seamless. So, credit where it is due.

Link Group are behind the curve though in alerting me via 'post' that they had received an instruction to transfer the shares out of my name and that it was a potential fraud and to contact them immediately if I did not authorise it (given the implications, a telephone number given that's no long available, and the other phone number not answered, I am not sure they understand what immediately means!)

Their letter arrived 'after' the successful lodging with Barclays and the shares showing in the account. Put another way, the transfer and sale (I have not sold any, and won't be for the foreseeable) could have taken place several days before the letter arrived!

[wan] 22/7/2021 09:34

How Trellus Health Elevates Chronic Disease Care: An Interview with Dr. Marla Dubinsky, MD
Blog | July 21, 2021

Dr. Marla Dubinsky, MD discusses how Trellus Health uses resilience-driven care to improve health outcomes, empower people living with chronic health conditions, and how breaking down barriers that prevent access to gold-standard care benefits everyone — patients, providers, and payers.

What is Trellus Health?
Trellus is a digital health company for chronic conditions with a mind-body focus and scientifically validated approach proven to build and strengthen resilience, change disease interfering behaviors, and improve outcomes for patients. We are the first and only connected digital health platform for chronic conditions that integrates physical and mental health — both of which are essential to achieving well-being.

By leveraging technology to drive communication and collaboration across multiple healthcare teams, Trellus can help people with chronic conditions improve resilience. In short, Trellus is a framework or a lattice that supports patients so that they can experience positive health outcomes and thrive.

In fact, the name Trellus was meant to embrace these principles of connectivity and positivity. A trellis is an interconnected supportive structure that allows plants and flowers to grow and thrive. The “us” at the end of our name represents the team and that connecting people is an essential part of the equation, and empowering patients to be equal partners in care.

What unmet market need drove you to start Trellus Health?

Full interview -

[gocanes] 19/7/2021 13:59

Investor presentation this Thursday @ 10am -

Matthew Walls, CEO and Paul Foulger, CFO will provide a live investor presentation via the Investor Meet Company platform at 10am BST on Thursday, 22 July 2021.



The presentation is open to all existing and potential shareholders. Questions can be submitted pre-event via your Investor Meet Company dashboard up until 9am the day before the meeting or at any time during the live presentation.



Investors can sign up to Investor Meet Company for free and add to meet GENinCode plc via:hxxps://www.investormeetcompany.com/genincode-plc/register-investor

[gocanes] 19/7/2021 13:59

Cardiovascular disease company, focused on clinically-proven genomic precision testing products, to seek admission to AIM through an IPO



GENinCode plc, the cardiovascular disease ("CVD") risk assessment company focused on predictive genetics for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, is delighted to announce its intention to seek admission of its issued and to be issued Ordinary Shares to trading on AIM, a market of the London Stock Exchange plc ("Admission"). On admission, the Company is expected to have a market capitalisation of approximately £42 million.

The Company's product portfolio draws on genomic precision testing using polygenic (multiple-genes) technology, advanced molecular testing, genotyping and sequencing. Through a simple blood or saliva sample, the Company can analyse a patient's medical information and genetic variants associated with CVD to determine a Genetic Risk Score which is used for the subsequent assessment of a patient's cardiovascular disease risk. The Company also provides risk assessment for thrombosis (genetic predisposition to blood clotting). The Company's SITAB system, a proprietary software, bioinformatics and algorithmic platform with online cloud-based reporting, is used to process and record test results and genetic information using algorithms and artificial intelligence to assess a patient's risk of a cardiovascular event. SITAB reports results directly via a web portal to healthcare practitioners, cardiologists and physicians, in a user-friendly format.



The current standard of care for primary prevention and assessment of the risk of CVD has been in use and largely unchanged for many years. It is based on risk assessment equations which evaluate 'classic' or 'traditional' cardiovascular risk factors such as age, gender, smoking, blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure among other factors for the onset of CVD. The equations enable physicians to categorise patients as being at low, moderate or high risk of a CVD event, usually over the subsequent 10-year period or sometimes using a 'lifetime' horizon from which the patient is then assessed for lifestyle changes or treatment.



It is recognised that these 'classic' or 'traditional' risk assessments are imperfect with events not infrequently occurring in those individuals categorised at 'low' or 'intermediate' risk. The advent of genetic risk assessment for CVD is now able to help identify and reclassify those individuals traditionally categorised in the 'low' or 'intermediate' risk populations who are at higher genetic risk of a CVD event than their current standard of care risk assessment suggests. This enables earlier in life preventative measures to be adopted to lower the future risk of a CVD event.



With CVD mortality levels continuing to rise globally, there is an increasing need for cardiologists to apply genetics to help advance patient prognosis and diagnosis to treat the onset of CVD. The Company's products combine predictive models of genetics and patient data using classic cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and are designed to improve predictive capability and genetic risk assessment to provide a personalised and thereby tailored treatment pathway. Recent studies and scientific reports show the correlation between genetic load/burden and the onset of CVD. The Directors believe that GENinCode's technology is at the forefront of genetic risk assessment in the CVD space.


The Company's key products are CE-Marked with the core products Cardio inCode and Thrombo inCode having IP protection in the major growth markets of Europe, the UK and the United States. The Company has now commenced its commercial expansion programme in Europe, the UK and the United States.



On 28 April 2021, the Company announced a partnership to provide genetic testing from labs based at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals. Following this, it was announced on 14 June 2021 that a product commercialisation agreement had been entered into with EVERSANA in the US. The Directors believe that the partnership with EVERSANA, a leading provider of global commercial services to the life science industry, will provide a significant opportunity for the Group to progress its commercialisation plans for the US.


The Company's commercialisation strategy in the US is a significant part of GENinCode's long-term growth and commercial strategy. The Directors expect Cardio inCode to be reviewed by the FDA as a De Novo device. The Company submitted an initial application to the FDA in February 2021 for Breakthrough Device designation for its Cardio inCode product. The FDA review is ongoing with a decision expected in Q3 2021.

[wan] 14/7/2021 10:05

Prior to Trellus listing, on the EKF thread I posted that there were large players interested and investing in the IBD space. The following is one example -

STELARA® (ustekinumab) Demonstrated Sustained Symptomatic and Corticosteroid-Free Remission Rates in Adults with Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis at Nearly Three Years in Long-Term Extension of Phase 3 Trial
Jul 09, 2021
United States
55.2 percent of patients were in symptomatic remission and 96.4 percent of patients were corticosteroid-free at week 152

New data from the UNIFI study is one of 22 Janssen abstracts, including five oral and three digital oral presentations, at the 16th Congress of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation



SPRING HOUSE, Pa., July 9, 2021 -- The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced new three-year data from the long-term extension (LTE) of the STELARA® (ustekinumab) Phase 3 UNIFI study. The data demonstrated the majority (55.2 percent) of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who initially responded to treatment with STELARA sustained symptomatic remissiona rates at nearly three years (week 152).1 Furthermore, a majority (96.4 percent) of the patients in symptomatic remissiona at week 152 were corticosteroid-free. These data are being presented today as a digital oral presentation (DOP83) at the 16th Congress of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation.1

"Despite recent substantial therapeutic gains, many patients living with ulcerative colitis still struggle to find lasting relief from their disease symptoms, especially without the use of steroids that can be associated with debilitating side effects when used long-term," said Bruce E. Sands, M.D., M.S., Chief of the Dr. Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital and the Dr. Burrill B. Crohn Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology) at the Icahn Institute for Medicine at Mount Sinai.b "The LTE of the UNIFI study underscores the importance of studying therapies long-term, with results showing ustekinumab as both an effective and enduring treatment option for patients living with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis."


Our Commitment to
Gastroenterology
Welcome to the Janssen Immunology Gastroenterology Newsroom! Below, please find the latest on our Gastroenterology news, a message from our leaders, social feeds, and more information about our progress and commitment to developing innovative medicines for diseases such as Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Janssen’s Commitment to Gastroenterology
A Message from our Gastroenterology Disease Area Leaders

Dear All,

At Janssen Immunology, we remain steadfast in our commitment to address unmet need, uncover novel treatment approaches, and work collaboratively to deliver transformational therapies for patients with gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like CD and UC. We understand that significant unmet need remains in these conditions, and that many patients around the world are struggling to find the right treatment, maintain symptom relief and achieve remission. These patients are the motivating force that drives us to continue to pioneer research and achieve our vision to restore health for all patients with GI diseases.

Learn more about our research below!


It's one reason why I keep the Trellus Health Website strap line in mind - Precision Medicine Meets Resilience-Driven Care which I have added to the header post.

[wan] 14/7/2021 08:17

Telehealth: A quarter-trillion-dollar post-COVID-19 reality?
July 9, 2021 | Article

Strong continued uptake, favorable consumer perception, and tangible investment into this space are all contributing to the continued growth of telehealth in 2021. New analysis indicates telehealth use has increased 38X from the pre-COVID-19 baseline.

Update: July 9, 2021
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth usage surged as consumers and providers sought ways to safely access and deliver healthcare. In April 2020, overall telehealth utilization for office visits and outpatient care was 78 times higher than in February 2020 (Exhibit 1).

[wan] 14/7/2021 08:15

Jul 13, 2021

Doctors And Human Resources Investing In Telehealth
Forbes Technology Council
Eran OrrForbes
Forbes Technology Council

When Covid-19 hit the United States, telehealth became front and center as a method to treat patients remotely, providing care to patients while keeping them and the doctors safe. According to a McKinsey & Company article, telehealth rose 46% in 2020 compared to 2019 when only 11% of U.S. patients used the remote service. The article also notes that since telehealth adoption rates of both patients and doctors are increasing rapidly and telehealth is becoming popular for more than just urgent care, there is $250 billion of health care revenue that could "potentially be virtualized."

According to CB Insights (via Fierce Healthcare), telehealth investment reached a peak at $4.2 billion in 139 deals for the first quarter of 2021, which is almost double of what it was last year, at the same time.

Health care is taking a new turn and finally catching up to the 21st century.

Companies understand that health and well-being (physical and mental health) affect employees’ job performance. To create ongoing support for their employees, companies worldwide are using telehealth solutions to treat patients for ongoing symptoms. An example of this is the recent announcement that Amazon has signed up multiple companies to their telehealth services, Amazon Care.

With the recent investments in telehealth, I expect that the industry will grow substantially. Patients enjoy being treated in their own homes and will not be so quick to return to in-office appointments, unless necessary. Covid-19 just kick-started an industry that was destined to grow and match the rise of technology.

What Covid-19 brought out of the woodwork is how technological advances can be used creatively to achieve the same result as what was once done in person. And sometimes people can achieve even better results when the work is done from afar.

Full story -

[wan] 09/7/2021 07:18

Two stories that particularly caught my attention -

Digital health funding in 2021 smashes last year's record with $14.7B
Published July 7, 2021

Dive Brief:
The first half of 2021 alone brought in $14.7 billion in digital health funding, quickly zooming past the previous annual record set last year, according to Rock Health.

The first half saw 372 deals with an average size of $39.6 million, spearheaded by 48 megadeals of $100 million or above that made up almost 60% of the half's total funding.

And that interest isn't limited to the private sector: Public exits also snowballed, with 11 completed IPOs and mergers with special purpose acquisition companies (an increasingly popular albeit nontraditional route to going public), compared to just seven exits in 2020. The consultancy expects another 11 SPACs to close in 2021.

Dive Insight:
The coronavirus catapulted digital health into the mainstream last year, resulting in a flurry of big deals, high-profile exits and historic levels of funding flowing in. That momentum has only accelerated in 2021, according to the report. Just halfway through the year, funding has already surpassed the annual record set in 2020, with the first half of 2021 comprising the two largest quarters of funding activity in the U.S. digital health market ever.

Monthly funding in June alone of $3.1 billion was almost triple that of June last year, which brought in $1.1 billion as funding first began to accelerate after initial coronavirus lockdowns.

"The digital health investment climate in one word: Up," researchers wrote in the report.
Full article -

This one was also notable -

Wellforce announces migration of the health system’s digital healthcare ecosystem to AWS
by Dr. Shafiq Rab, Chris Noonan, Shirley Golen, and Steve Malme | on 08 JUL 2021

Wellforce is migrating its entire digital healthcare ecosystem to create a digital platform on Amazon Web Services (AWS). This platform consists of the infrastructure for Epic, as well as a complex integration of more than 300 supporting healthcare and business applications. Today, 800 people within the system involved in the build, preparation, and coding of the system have access to the full ecosystem. Wellforce’s goal is to go live on two clinical systems this September and launch fully in spring 2022.

Once live, Wellforce is expected to be the largest organization to run the entirety of their Epic infrastructure on the cloud. Migrating away from an outdated, non-interoperable system of individual servers increases opportunities to scale and use artificial intelligence (AI) and other platforms to enhance the access and delivery of care. Having Wellforce’s entire ecosystem in the cloud also provides a redundant environment and increases access as well as opportunities for collaboration, research, and education.

“We are creating a frictionless and culturally competent care environment for patients, physicians, and the entire care team by migrating our entire digital healthcare ecosystem to the AWS Cloud. This enables our Wellforce team to integrate data-driven intelligence into everyday health and care that is more secure, resilient, and simple to use,” said Rab.

By taking the lead in digital healthcare transformation, Wellforce is estimated to save as much as 20 percent annually (approximately $3 million USD) through the modernization of the healthcare IT ecosystem using the cloud. This innovative approach serves as one of the first examples that healthcare systems across the nation, and world, can replicate.

Full story -

[wan] 02/7/2021 07:57

Biden admin 'absolutely supportive' of telehealth once crisis ebbs, Becerra says
Published July 1, 2021

Rebecca Pifer
Reporter

Dive Brief:
The Biden administration's top health policy official reiterated his support for expanded telehealth access after the COVID-19 national emergency expires, as Congress considers a slate of bills that would permanently nix regulatory barriers to virtual care.
"We are absolutely supportive of efforts to give us the authority to utilize telehealth in greater ways," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said at a virtual event last week on digital health hosted by The Washington Post.

Becerra also stressed that, though affordable telehealth should be available to all, HHS would be doubling down in making sure there's accountability for quality of care. "We're going to be doing a lot of bird-dogging, a lot of oversight," he said.

Dive Insight:
Telehealth use skyrocketed in the early months of COVID-19 as Washington rolled back restrictions to digitally delivered care, allowing patients, kept out of doctor's offices by state restrictions and fears of virus transmission, to turn to virtual care in droves. As COVID-19 cases waned amid increased vaccination, so too have telehealth visits declined. Still, they remain significantly elevated compared to pre-COVID-19 levels.

Congress is currently deliberating what expanded virtual care flexibilities should remain after the COVID-19 national emergency. Bipartisan lawmakers have expressed support for nixing originating site and geographic requirements to coverage that made it difficult to use telemedicine widely and allowing traditional Medicare to reimburse broadly for the service.

The Alliance for Connected Care is currently tracking 43 bills that include significant telehealth or remote monitoring provisions introduced over the course of COVID-19.

Becerra, the first Latino to hold the role, reiterated Thursday that HHS supports pathways to broader telehealth use in Congress, but stressed it was important to ensure equitable access in doing so.

Full story -