Healthcare Analytics
Xenex | September 11, 2023
United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has issued a De Novo authorization to Xenex Disinfection Services, Inc. (Xenex) for its LightStrikeTM+ device, an advanced high-intensity, broad-spectrum ultraviolet (UV) light robot.
The LightStrike+ devices are designed for microbial reduction on non-critical medical device surfaces in healthcare environments, following manual cleaning and disinfection practices. They are authorized for use in various healthcare settings, including unoccupied operating rooms and hospital rooms. These devices have an impressive track record, with over 1,200 healthcare facilities worldwide employing LightStrike robots for over 37 million cycles.
The new LightStrike+ device, capable of microbial reduction in as little as 2 minutes, represents the culmination of over a decade of knowledge accumulation from healthcare facilities' best practices, supported by 45 peer-reviewed studies demonstrating its safety and effectiveness, a portfolio of 193 patents, and unparalleled technical and epidemiological expertise.
Dr. Mark 'Tuck' Stibich, Xenex's Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, emphasized the long-standing collaboration with healthcare partners spanning more than a decade to enhance patient safety and public health.
As an infectious diseases epidemiologist, Dr. Stibich expressed concern about antibiotic resistance within hospital environments and the potential for FDA authorization to facilitate the broader adoption of the LightStrike+ tool in combating pathogens.
Perilous pathogens persist on surfaces within healthcare facilities, notwithstanding diligent manual cleaning endeavors. The LightStrike+ robot employs a xenon lamp to generate high-intensity pulsed UV light, which effectively diminishes the presence of these pathogens on surfaces and plays a pivotal role in interrupting the transmission chain from one patient or healthcare worker to another. Xenex's FDA authorization is substantiated by comprehensive testing conducted on more than 10,000 samples of vegetative bacteria and Clostridiodes difficile (C. diff) spores.
This authorization establishes a novel medical device product classification, with the LightStrike+ robot being its inaugural and sole product. It is a landmark in the FDA's regulatory framework for UV robots designed to diminish pathogens on non-porous, frequently touched surfaces within healthcare settings.
Furthermore, Xenex's Chief Executive Officer, Morris Miller, acknowledged the challenges hospitals face when evaluating UV technologies, citing the prevalence of unverified and exaggerated claims by some manufacturers. He underscored the significance of FDA authorization in instilling confidence among hospital decision-makers, assuring them of the accuracy and validation of Xenex's claims regarding the LightStrike+ device.
Numerous world-renowned hospitals, such as HonorHealth, Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ochsner Health System, Stanford Health Care, and Texas Health Resources, have integrated LightStrike robots into their comprehensive disinfection strategies.
About Xenex
Xenex is a global leader in pioneering strategies and solutions grounded in UV technology. Its fundamental mission revolves around enabling its partners to safeguard lives and reduce human suffering by eliminating the dangerous microorganisms that cause infections. The company benefits from substantial support from renowned investors, including EW Healthcare Partners, Piper Sandler, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Targeted Technology Fund II, Tectonic Ventures, and RK Ventures.
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Healthcare Analytics
WellSky | October 13, 2023
WellSky has officially declared its acquisition of Corridor, a comprehensive technology-enabled service platform tailored to address the most formidable challenges in the post-acute care industry.
This strategic move is intended to aid care providers in enhancing their efficiency and overall performance across various domains, encompassing clinical, financial, operational, and compliance aspects. The acquisition has been facilitated through the purchase of Corridor from HealthEdge Investment Partners, a private equity firm with a dedicated focus on healthcare.
Bill Miller, CEO of WellSky, highlighted providers' need for quality care support and reduced administrative burdens. He stated,
As we looked to strengthen our services offerings, Corridor emerged as an ideal partner. Together, WellSky and Corridor help more post-acute care organizations succeed against industry challenges.
[Source – Business Wire]
Des Varady, CEO of Corridor, expressed that for over three decades, Corridor has remained dedicated to its mission of enabling clients to optimize their performance and resources through robust technology-based solutions. He conveyed his enthusiasm for Corridor's continued commitment to advancing this mission as an integral part of the WellSky team. By gaining access to WellSky's technology-driven solutions, focusing on enhancing outcomes, reducing expenses, and enhancing patient and family satisfaction, Corridor is better positioned to serve its clients more effectively.
With the integration of Corridor into its portfolio, WellSky aims to broaden its spectrum of services in medical coding and revenue cycle management.
About WellSky
Known for its proven software, analytics, and services, WellSky, a prominent U.S. healthcare technology company, drives better outcomes and cost savings across the healthcare and community care spectrum. It empowers providers, payers, health systems, and community organizations to streamline processes, enhance collaboration, leverage data analytics, and improve results by integrating clinical and social care.
About Corridor
The Corridor Group Holdings, LLC (Corridor) is a prominent post-acute healthcare sector entity offering top-tier technology-driven outsourced coding, revenue cycle, and educational solutions. It specializes in improving documentation quality and getting better client reimbursement outcomes, including for large health systems, national chains, and smaller, independently managed agencies.
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Health Technology, AI
Andor Health | November 07, 2023
Emory Healthcare has collaborated with Andor Health to mitigate the risks of patient falls and address other safety concerns within the hospital setting while implementing virtual patient observer technology within its healthcare facilities.
Andor Health, the creator of ThinkAndor, will employ generative AI technology to access data from various systems, including ambient listening and real-time visualization, to identify common safety risks such as falls and self-harm. In addition, Emory Healthcare will commence a pilot program for the virtual sitter technology in November at two of its hospitals. This program will involve the remote monitoring of at-risk patients on medical and surgical floors, as well as in the emergency departments.
Jason Atkins, RN, Vice President and Chief Clinical Informatics Officer for Emory Digital, a part of Emory Healthcare, says.
Andor Health's virtual patient observer/virtual sitter technology expands our virtual health initiatives across Emory Healthcare while reducing the burden of nurses and other team members.
[Source – Cision PR Newswire]
Andor Health's virtual observers collaborate with registered nurses stationed in a control center to employ voice-activated technology to engage in remote conversations with at-risk patients. These interactions involve reminding patients to remain in their beds, prompting them to seek assistance, or offering relevant guidance.
Raj Toleti, Chairman and CEO of Andor Health, emphasized that recent technological advancements, such as generative AI-based virtual sitting and ambient monitoring, offer promising opportunities to alleviate operational challenges, mitigate staff shortages, and reduce costs. These innovations enable healthcare systems to concentrate on providing high-quality patient care. Healthcare organizations like Emory Healthcare can efficiently monitor patients and optimize staff effectiveness through large-scale virtual sitting, harnessing the capabilities of virtual hospitals as supplementary support.
About Andor Health
Andor Health believes in transforming how healthcare teams establish connections and cooperate. Its cloud-based platform, using both machine and human intelligence, accesses information within electronic medical records and provides immediate, actionable insights to healthcare teams, whether they are within or outside the organization. By enhancing communication processes, its solutions expedite the time to treatment, reduce clinician fatigue, and improve patient outcomes.
About Emory Healthcare
Emory Healthcare is one of the prominent academic health systems in Georgia. At the systemic level, it maintains 2,796 licensed patient beds and hosts a cadre of over 3,450 physicians who practice across over 70 specialized fields. Moreover, it extends its reach by serving a broader population through a collaborative initiative at the St. Francis–Emory Healthcare Hospital in Columbus, ten regional affiliate hospitals, and a closely coordinated network of physicians.
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Health Technology
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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