Aetna and Oak Street Health want to help Medicare patients

Primary care for Medicare patients shouldn’t be so difficult right? That’s what Aetna and Oak Street Health think. The two are teaming up to improve care for said patient population in Illinois. Through their partnership, Chicago-based Oak Street will be able to see Aetna Medicare Advantage PPO and HMO patients. Currently, the agreement only applies to those living in Illinois. Founded in 2012 by three former members of the healthcare practice at The Boston Consulting Group, Oak Street operates 24 primary care clinics throughout Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Thirteen of them are in Illinois.

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Verily Introduces Viewpoint Workbench to Boost Biomedical Research

Verily | October 09, 2023

Verily, an Alphabet subsidiary focused on precision health technology, has unveiled Viewpoint Workbench, a new enterprise-grade platform created to consolidate multimodal data and expedite biomedical research. Workbench offers a secure collaborative setting for data generators, researchers, and biopharmaceutical organizations to oversee and analyze their data. This platform is a component of Verily Viewpoint, a comprehensive suite of solutions that enable the generation of evidence necessary for expediting the availability of safe and effective therapies to individuals in need. Scott Burke, Chief Technology Officer, Verily, said, Researchers are gathering more data of more types than ever, but it is challenging to effectively store, access, and analyze it while complying with data governance mandates. [Source – Business Wire] Scott Burke added that Workbench can adapt to any organization and helps researchers use data to advance scientific understanding. Workbench integrates technology and optimal methodologies honed over several years of constructing data infrastructure for extensive research undertakings, including National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program, Accelerating Medicines Partnership Parkinson's Disease (AMP PD) program, and Project Baseline Health Study. Dr. James Lu, MD, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder of Helix, emphasized the importance of a platform that can effectively integrate multiple data layers to advance their work significantly. He expressed enthusiasm about integrating Verily's Workbench, which will facilitate collaborative research and yield more informed insights. Additionally, Manish Raisinghani, MBBS, Ph.D., President and CEO of Target ALS, stressed the need to maintain momentum in accelerating ALS drug discovery. He mentioned that Workbench aligns with their ambitious initiative to create a comprehensive biosample and dataset collection for ALS and to provide unrestricted access to scientists worldwide, thus promoting progress in their research endeavors. Workbench enables secure collaboration among data generators, research sponsors, and biomedical researchers. Users can analyze multimodal data, ensure data governance through access control, and engage with a growing network of researchers to advance scientific progress and promote reproducible research. About Verily Verily, an Alphabet health technology company, specializes in research, healthcare delivery, and health financing. Its mission is to advance precision health and promote healthier lives by operating at the intersection of technology, data science, and healthcare. The company develops tools to accelerate evidence generation, creates products for more personalized care, and introduces approaches to enhance cost predictability.

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Health Technology

Home Care Delivered, Inc. Completes Acquisition of Medline Industries, LP's DMEPOS Supplier Business Unit

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

Home Care Delivered, Inc. a leader in providing medical supplies including diabetes/CGM, incontinence, wound, urological, and ostomy products, is excited to announce the successful acquisition of Medline Industries, LP's DMEPOS supplier business unit. This strategic move will significantly enhance HCD's market presence, expand its geographical footprint, and provide access to a broader customer base while reinforcing relationships with patients, healthcare plans and providers, and manufacturers. "The transaction represents a major milestone for HCD by leveraging over 25 years of distinguished expertise in medical supplies," said Gordy Fox, founder and chief executive officer of HCD. "This acquisition aligns with our commitment to delivering personalized and compassionate customer experiences while leveraging Medline's DMEPOS supplier assets, and continuing to provide our industry expertise and best-in-class customer service." said Brad Mariam, executive vice president, Medline. With the transition of Medline's DMEPOS supplier assets to HCD, a company that shares in our commitment to exceptional service and patient care, Medline will continue to focus on its core role as an industry leader in the manufacturing and distribution of quality medical supplies. [Source: PR Newswire] "By integrating Medline's DMEPOS supplier assets, we are accelerating our growth strategy, delivering an avenue for expanded cost-efficiencies and member adherence," said Lowell Price, senior vice president of business development and chief growth officer of HCD. "This strategic move aligns with our commitment to delivering superior customer service, additional product offerings and ensuring reliable delivery to our members. HCD is well-positioned to continue to elevate customer experiences and reinforce our market presence." About Home Care Delivered, Inc. Home Care Delivered is a leading direct-to-consumer provider of insurance-covered medical supplies of diabetes testing, incontinence, urology, ostomy and wound care supplies delivered directly to the patient's home. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Glen Allen, Virginia, Home Care Delivered is dedicated to providing best-in-class customer support and quality supplies for patients and caregivers nationwide.

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Health Technology, Digital Healthcare

Aspect Imaging to bring Improvements in NICUs for Vizient

Aspect Imaging | September 25, 2023

Aspect Imaging, a global leader in MRI systems for neonatal patients, has been awarded an Innovative Technology contract by Vizient, the nation's largest provider -driven healthcare performance improvement company. This contract recognizes the unique qualities of Aspect Imaging's Embrace Point of Care Neonatal MRI System and its potential to bring improvements to the healthcare industry. The Embrace Point of Care Neonatal MRI System is designed specifically for the imaging needs of prematureand newborn infants, making it a critical tool in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The Embrace is the world's first FDA-cleared and CE-approved MRI system for neonatal patients. It is designed to be placed directly within NICUs, overcoming the size and risk limitations associated with adult MRI scanners. The system includes features such as a temperature-controlled patient bed and a Whisper Quiet sound profile to meet the specific care needs of neonatal patients. This technology enables safer and more accessible MRI imaging for fragile neonatal patients and provides critical information to the clinical care team. Chief Commercial Officer at Aspect Imaging, Wendy Slatery, stated, It is an honor to have the Embrace recognized by the clinical experts at Vizient, as an Innovative Technology, and an exciting opportunity to bring valuable solutions to Vizient customers. We are looking forward to working with Vizient members seeking to expand and elevate neurocritical care of the smallest patients while reducing patient risks and staff time associated with transporting newborns to a traditional MRI. The Embrace MRI gives the neonatal medical team access to information from the life’s first hours and throughout the patient’s time in the NICU, on which critical care decisions will be based. [Source: Business Wire] Vizient's provider customer-led councils recommended the Embrace system for an Innovative Technology contract after evaluating its potential to enhance clinical care, patient safety, and healthcare worker safety, or improve business operations in healthcare organizations. The recognition and award of this contract highlight the potential of the Embrace Point of Care Neonatal MRI System to improve neurocritical care for the smallest patients while reducing risks associated with transporting newborns to traditional MRI facilities. About Aspect Imaging Aspect Imaging, a pioneering force in the field, stands as the global frontrunner in crafting and advancing compact MR imaging systems tailored for both research and clinical use. Their groundbreaking technology centers on compact, high-performance permanent magnets, introducing transformative MRI solutions to tackle unmet requirements in research and medical contexts. These innovations ensure the delivery of the finest quality images, whether at the benchtop or in point-of-care scenarios.

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Healthcare Analytics

AirLife Completes Acquisition of Avanos Medical’s Respiratory Health Business

Business Wire | October 04, 2023

AirLife, a leading North American manufacturer and distributor of consumable medical devices for anesthesia and respiratory care formerly known as SunMed, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Avanos Medical, Inc.’s (NYSE: AVNS) (“Avanos”) respiratory health business, including the BALLARD*, MICROCUFF* and endOclear® product lines. The acquisition adds three complementary brands, the R&D expertise behind them and two manufacturing facilities into AirLife’s growing platform. The transaction advances AirLife’s strategy to enhance its leading portfolio of the most trusted products in anesthesia and respiratory care and serve even more customers as a one-stop source for the highest-quality consumable breathing solutions that support the best patient outcomes. “We’re thrilled to complete this exciting milestone in AirLife’s evolution as we strengthen our leadership as a premier, completely dedicated consumable breathing products company,” said Hank Struik, AirLife CEO. We are especially pleased to welcome the exceptional team that has driven the success of these market leading brands to our company. As some of the most trusted closed suction and endotracheal consumables used to treat patients in critical care, this addition to AirLife unlocks new opportunities to accelerate our growth, serve more healthcare practitioners and drive innovation across our comprehensive portfolio of leading brands. [Source – Business Wire] Goodwin Procter LLP is acting as legal counsel to AirLife. About AirLife AirLife, formerly known as SunMed and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan with manufacturing and distribution sites in the United States, Mexico, China and Europe, is a leading medical device manufacturer, offering one of the most comprehensive portfolios of consumable anesthesia and respiratory care products. AirLife’s product portfolio spans the continuum of care from first responders to hospitals and home care, with safety, patient comfort and clinical performance in mind. AirLife’s comprehensive portfolio of trusted anesthesia products and respiratory care include premier brands such as Salter Labs®, Ethox Medical™, Ventlab™, Westmed™, AirLife™ and Vital Signs™. Currently, AirLife has over 1 million square feet of manufacturing space, providing comprehensive expertise in all plastics materials and conversion—supported by a world-class Quality Management System. Frazier Healthcare Partners, a leading healthcare investment firm, acquired a majority ownership stake in AirLife in 2021.

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