Alvaka Networks Bolsters Cybersecurity Via Sessions & Blog |
Upcoming Lunch & Learn sessions from Alvaka Networks include:
Become a Lead Generation Super Hero with Google Adwords,
on March 23, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Google's Irvine campus; and
Meltdown & Spectre: Software Updates, New Firmware, &
Lots of Problems, on March 27, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Alvaka's Irvine offices.
Meanwhile, in his post, Average Ransomware Attack Infects 16
Workstations, 5 Servers and 22 Users, Alvaka CEO Oli Thordarson reports that data
from 2017 shows that 29% of companies with 1,000 to 5,000 employees are
getting struck by ransomware. "If companies that size - who presumably
have the resources to guard against this scourge - are getting hit, then
avoidance does not bode well for smaller firms," Oli notes. (Oli Thordarson, Orange County)
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AT&T Puts Connected Health Innovation on Display |
At the recent HiMMS18 show in Las Vegas, AT&T showcased "some of the coolest, newest
solutions" the company is bringing connectivity to in the healthcare space. This includes: the MXD-LTE, from Mytrex Inc., a cloud-based Personal Emergency Response System; the Astute CTR-01, a new LTE CAT M1 cellular health hub by Astute Medical; AED Sentinel, a technology-based remote AED monitoring system by Readiness Systems; and AlertGPS, a leading innovator in connected enterprise safety technology.
Also, AT&T and Aira are developing and testing a solution designed to help
people who are blind or have low vision better manage their prescription medication.
And, Clairvoyant Networks chose AT&T to provide connectivity to its new line of caregiver solutions, and Dictum Health chose AT&T to provide mobile connectivity for its Virtual Exam Room product line. (Judi Manis)
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Axene Health Explores Amazon, Berkshire & JP Morgan Alliance |
Members of Axene Health Partners (AHP) recently sat down to discuss how the health benefits and delivery
alliance of Amazon, Berkshire, and J.P. Morgan might work and what innovations they could introduce. AHP identified
and discussed five key areas: How would the alliance establish networks for such a geographically
wide group? How could Amazon leverage their analytic
prowess? Can the alliance use this opportunity for process/ efficiency improvements? Is there a chance this could lead to greater price
transparency? Can the alliance control healthcare costs by addressing lifestyle/ wellness issues? and more.
Read the discussion here. (John Price, Bay Area)
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CEI Prepares for 10th Annual PACE Party |
The Center for Elders' Independence will celebrate its 10th PACE Party
on May 3, at the University Club in Berkeley. The evening promises a night of spectacular views, inspiring entertainment, and
fundraising, which will help give at-risk seniors access to high-quality personalized medical care, healthy meals, socialization, training and
access to technology, and resources for caregivers. (Lisa Trowbridge, Bay Area)
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Ceresti Health Proclaimed an Innovator by Inc. Magazine |
In the article, How This Tiny Health Startup Wants to Improve the Lives
of 5.5 Million Dementia Patients, Inc. magazine spotlights Ceresti Health and its use of technology to relieve the stress
associated with in-home care of dementia patients. Article excerpts include: "Ceresti aims to boost caregivers' confidence and skills through digital education,
monitoring tools, and human support. The business focuses on dementia patients also living with chronic conditions. (More than a third of
dementia patients have coronary artery disease or diabetes, for example.) That's where medical costs are highest. It is also where
caregivers with no nursing experience face the gravest challenges, because they are managing the health of people who are unable to express
their symptoms. Ceresti is the second act of Dirk Soenksen, whose first company, Aperio, created digital slides used by pathologists to view
tissue samples. Soenksen, an engineer by training, raised $50+ million for Aperio and sold it for an undisclosed sum to Leica
Biosystems in 2012. . . Ceresti's first pilot is with Landmark Health, a home-based medical care provider that will soon be operating in 10 states.
The trial has gone so well that Landmark plans to roll Ceresti's product out to potentially thousands of patients." (Dirk Soenksen, Orange County)
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Cigna Launches "Answers by Cigna" Skill for Alexa |
Cigna is entering the voice control space with the launch of "Answers by Cigna" skill for Amazon Alexa.
Cigna is the first global health service company to offer a skill aimed at personalizing and simplifying health benefits information.
The new hands-free skill is designed to demystify language about healthcare by providing instant and easy-to-understand answers
to 150+ commonly-asked healthcare questions. The Answers by Cigna skill for Alexa is available to everyone in the Amazon Alexa
Skills Store or by saying, "Alexa, enable Answers by Cigna." To use it, users can simply ask their health-related questions,
like "What's a formulary?" or "What's a premium?" and receive an easy-to-understand response. (Chris De Rosa, Orange County)
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County of Santa Clara to Require Manufacturers to Fund Sharps Waste Collection |
The County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors has passed legislation requiring sharps manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies who produce
and distribute medicines that require home injection to develop and fund a free, comprehensive program to safely collect and dispose of consumer-generated sharps products. This would include nearly 100 disposal kiosks located in pharmacies, law enforcement facilities,
community centers, senior centers, and other convenient locations. In addition, there will be hundreds more locations where residents can pick up a prepaid sharps container for free mail-back along with online mail-back services for homebound residents. Outreach and publicity in
the native languages of Santa Clara County’s diverse population is a further requirement of the law.
Also, the County announced a new multidisciplinary transgender health clinic through Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, which will open in the Fall of 2018. (Tyler Haskell, Silicon Valley)
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CoveredCA Analysis Projects 3-Year Cumulative Premium Increases Up to 90% |
An analysis sponsored by Covered California finds that every state in the nation is at risk for higher than normal premium increases due to continued policy changes and uncertainty at the
federal level. In the absence of any federal action to address the current environment, the report estimates that premium increases across
the nation could range from 12% to 32% in 2019 and have a cumulative premium-increase total between 35% and 94% by 2021. The report is a national economic analysis of potential premium increases, state-by-state impacts, and estimates of positive
effects of federal policies. It also identifies steps that can be taken to reduce the risks of these significant premium increases. Among the solutions is an analysis of the positive impact that a federal reinsurance program could have in 2019 if implemented soon. (Kathy Keeshen, Sacramento)
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ElderConsult to Present Dementia Conference & Resource Fair |
On April 13 and 14, ElderConsult Geriatric Medicine will present Living In the Moment Dementia Conference 2018,
in Campbell, CA, featuring two half-days of experts in their fields discussing many
issues common to dementia. Elizabeth Landsverk MD will make the keynote
presentation both days. The event is appropriate for both elder care
professionals and families with loved ones living with dementia. Along
with the conference will be a Resource Fair, with trusted companies and agencies
providing information and services to attendees, including Alegre Home Care,
Mission Hospice & Home Care, and Pathways Home Health. (from ElderConsult: Elizabeth Landsverk MD; from Alegre: Charles Symes; from Mission: Dwight Wilson - all Bay Area; from Pathways: Barbara Burgess, Silicon Valley)
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Good Samaritan Hospital Receives $21 Million Gift |
Good Samaritan Hospital received a $21 million gift from Charles T. Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire
Hathaway. Mr. Munger has served as chairman of the board of trustees at Good Samaritan Hospital for the past 31 years.
The gift will support the emergency department expansion project and address seismic improvements to the hospital facilities.
The ED project will include the expansion of the waiting area and increase the number of patient beds from 12 to 24 beds. (Andy Leeka, Los Angeles)
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Gorman Health Group Provides 2018 MA Market Trends |
Gorman Health Group (GHG) has published a white paper -
2018 MA Market Trends - providing insights into national and state-level Medicare Advantage enrollment trends as of February 2018. At a 34% nationwide penetration, just over one-third of all Medicare beneficiaries are currently enrolled in MA plans - on track to hit 50% by 2025.
Meanwhile, the
Gorman Health Group 2018 Forum will take place April 25-26, in Las Vegas, providing an intensive cross-functional examination of the state of government healthcare programs to support health plans, providers, and their business partners. (Dave Sayen, Bay Area)
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IIC Featured on CBS News for Its Population Health Efforts |
CBS 2 News and Susan G. Komen Los Angeles recently chose Inglewood Imaging Center (IIC) as a strategic cancer
access filming location to help spread awareness on population health
and breast cancer. The video, which aired several times on CBS 2, explains that while the general population has a 90% survival rate for breast cancer, it
drops to 75% for African American women, due in part to black women often ignoring the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. The video
features IIC CEO Brad Schmidt, who opened the advanced imaging center in Inglewood, a predominately African-American part of Los Angeles that
had been underserved. IIC is now one of the places where Komen sends women that are either uninsured or underinsured, one of many
partnerships that ensures that every woman can get a mammogram. The video was part of the coverage of the recent Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" in L.A., which drew 6,000+ participants and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. (Brad Schmidt, Los Angeles)
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Kaiser Permanente's Medicare Website Deemed "Top Benchmark" |
For the sixth consecutive year, Kaiser Permanente (KP)'s
Medicare health plan
website is rated one of the top Medicare websites in the nation for providing consumers with an easy, positive, and high-value experience, according
to an independent research firm. HealthMetrix evaluated 160 Medicare Advantage websites for Medicare WebWatch national certification in 2018, and KP's is one
of nine given "top benchmark" status, the highest rating. To achieve this, 50 website features were analyzed, including plan-specific
content, external content resources, member connectivity, design and navigation, and transparency and privacy disclosure. (Walt Meyers, Bay Area)
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King & Spalding Announces Webinars & Receives Accolades |
Upcoming webinars from King & Spalding (K&S) include: U.S. Supreme Court / Administrative Law Update: The New
Administration's Policy Goals, its Judicial Appointments, and Opportunities for Advocacy, on March 29, at 10 a.m., and Making the Most of Worksheet S-10: How Hospitals Can Fully Capture Their Uncompensated Care, on April 10, at 10 a.m.
Meanwhile, The Daily Journal has named a K&S matter among the top
verdicts in California: In the matter, Herford v. Johnson & Johnson, et al., the plaintiff alleged she developed mesothelioma as a result of using Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder which she claimed were contaminated with asbestos. On
Nov. 16, 2017, K&S obtained a complete jury defense verdict in the case, which was the first of its kind to be tried, and is considered a bellwether for similar
cases across the country. The jury found that J&J and its talc supplier had not acted negligently and their products contained no manufacturing,
design, or warning defects. Earlier this year, the Courtroom View Network named the
Herford verdict the No. 1 Most Impressive Defense Verdict of 2017.
Also, the latest issue of K&S
Health Headlines includes "Monitoring Company to Pay $550,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations." (Marcia Augsburger, Sacramento, & Travis Jackson, Los Angeles)
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Nelson Hardiman Successfully Challenges State's Claim Against Hospital |
Nelson Hardiman (NH) successfully defended a hospital in a million-dollar dispute with the State of California over an incentive it had earned for
being an early adopter of electronic health records. After a routine audit, the State alleged that NH's client had counted patients
wrongly and should only have received $3.27 million of the $4.21 million it had been paid. The discrepancy turned on complex definitions about
what constituted a patient day. Specifically, the State alleged that psychiatric bed days were not eligible to be counted in the total bed
days for EHR purposes. NH argued that the billing and cost report reporting of the psychiatric bed days for the client were
countable under the State's program. The administrative law judge agreed with NH's position and cut the refund request down to approximately
$192,000. (Harry Nelson, Los Angeles)
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On Lok to Present Benefit Gala & Active Mind/ Healthy Brain Series |
On the evening of May 18, On Lok will present Celebrates!,
an event benefiting the organization's wide-ranging programs for seniors, including healthcare, social activities, wellness and fitness, and nutrition and meal delivery. In addition to conversation, live entertainment, drinks, and food tastings, the evening will feature Liam Mayclem, the Emmy Award-winning host of "Eye on the Bay" and "Eat Drink SF."
Also, On Lok is collaborating with the UCSF Memory and Aging Center and the Global Brain Health Institute on
a free lecture series discussing aging, active minds, healthy brains, and maintaining your physical and cognitive health. Sessions are every Thursday throughout the month of May, from 5-6 p.m. (Grace Li, Bay Area)
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PsycheAnalytics Accepted Into StartUp Health |
Dave Haddick, CEO of PsycheAnalytics, shares that his company has been accepted into StartUp Health,
which will give it a significant boost in resources and expertise. StartUp Health is investing in 10 Health Moonshots, with the long-term
goal of improving the health and wellbeing of everyone in the world. StartUp Health has the world's largest digital health portfolio (200+
companies worldwide). Dave also shares an article from the California
Health Report , which says that over $2.5 billion from the Mental Health Services Act of 2004 (MHSA) that has been distributed to California counties remains unspent. Millions in interest has also accumulated in the county accounts with no way to spend the interest. Mental health services under MHSA include the following spending categories: community support, prevention, innovation, workforce training, and capital facilities; PsycheAnalytics' products qualify for MHSA funding under prevention, innovation, and training. This funding is in addition to Medicaid payments to treat patients with behavioral health needs, which is also far underspent. PsycheAnalytics'
first customer is Solano County, one of the first three counties to receive a fiscal audit of its MHSA spending. PsycheAnalytics is pleased with the timing of the report, as they are seeking equity funding and this amount of unspent money "will look like low-hanging fruit to an
investor," Dave says. (Dave Haddick, Bay Area)
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Select Data Provides HIPAA Compliance Checklist |
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SOS Earns NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Status |
Four Share Our Selves (SOS) clinics were recently recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance and awarded NCQA
Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition, Level 3. The SOS Community Health Center, SOS and PEACE Health Clinic, SOS-El Sol Wellness Center,
and the SOS Children & Family Health Center achieved this accolade by using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly
coordinated care and long‐term, participative relationships.
Meanwhile, SOS and Susan G. Komen Orange County are teaming to provide free health education and exercise classes, in a nine-week
program taking place on Friday mornings, starting March 30. Topics covered will include mammograms, breast health, breast cancer, nutrition, stress
management, menopause and hormone therapy. (Karen McGlinn, Orange County)
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The Health Trust Announces Getting to Zero Mini-Grant Opportunity |
Getting to Zero Santa Clara County (GTZ), a program co-run by The Health Trust, is seeking to fund a second round of projects
to specifically support the reduction of stigma - one of four priorities that are supported under the GTZ mini-grant
strategy. In 2016, the GTZ initiative was launched and made possible with funding provided by the Santa
Clara County Public Health Department. The initiative aims to have "zero new HIV infections, zero deaths from HIV, and zero stigma
related to HIV." GTZ awards one-time mini-grants over the course of the project to promote community agencies' ability to
recognize and respond to the greatest needs impacting individuals at-risk of, or living with, HIV.
Applications
are due on March 30, 2018, by 5 p.m. (Todd Hansen, Silicon Valley)
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TECH MEMBERS' HEALTHCARE NEWS |
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Catasys Expands OnTrak-HA |
Catasys, Inc. has expanded its OnTrak-HA program with a leading regional health insurer in Illinois to include anxiety and depression for eligible commercial and Medicare members. Since 2016, OnTrak-HA has covered eligible commercial and Medicare members with substance-use disorders (SUDs) and eligible individual and public marketplace plan members with anxiety, depression, and SUDs. Catasys uses artificial intelligence and big data predictive analytics to identify health plan members suffering from untreated behavioral health disorders, whose overall health can be significantly improved, and high medical costs substantially reduced through their program. (Rick Anderson, West Los Angeles Technology)
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Easy Breathe Shares Study: CPAP Makes You More Attractive |
Easy Breathe reports that a study has revealed that consistent CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) treatment for sleep apnea can make you appear more physically attractive: After two months of nightly CPAP treatment, patients looked noticeably more youthful, well rested, and attractive. In addition, 68% of volunteers said that patients also looked more alert. The study, conducted at Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Michigan, revealed that consistent CPAP treatment not only subjectively enhanced beauty, but researchers also found "objective changes in facial surface volume and color." Through high-tech digital photogrammetry, researchers found decreases in forehead surface volume, which means basically that patients showed a reduction in wrinkles, and cheek and under-eye redness were shown to have been reduced. (Nick Weiss, West Los Angeles Technology)
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Sidebench Partners with WITH Foundation |
Sidebench has announced a new collaboration with WITH Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting comprehensive
healthcare for adults with developmental disabilities. Jointly, they will host a pilot workshop on March 22, bringing designers and developers together with people with developmental disabilities to facilitate opportunities to hear their needs and perspectives, and ultimately, to build new technologies for forward-thinking accessible design. (Kevin Yamazaki, West Los Angeles Technology)
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SleepSmart Pillow Launched on Indiegogo |
SleepSmart Pillow, built by Pressure Profile Systems, Inc., recently launched on Indiegogo. Designed for side sleepers, the pillow uses innovative adjustable technology, including 'Sophie,' an intelligent sleep coach who monitors your sleep quality and helps you track your
lifestyle behaviors in the SleepSmart app. Sophie analyzes your REM cycle through the pillow, as well as data you manually provide
about your lifestyle choices to help you become the master of your own sleep. Of note, the pillow only transfers data (transmits energy) after
you wake up or when you sync the data with your phone. (Jae Son, Ph.D., Downtown Los Angeles Technology)
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