Experts argued that value-based care is here to stay and will play a major role in the future of healthcare during MedCity’s Invest conference in Chicago. A panel of four agreed that the success of value-based care depends on organizational commitment — it’s a quixotic mistake to think these alternative payment models can gain traction overnight.

Last week, New Mexico-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services and Midwest-based UnityPoint Health signed a letter of intent to merge. One consultant thinks these kinds of announcements will continue in the coming years, but a significant chunk of these intended mergers will end up being called off due to health systems realizing they’re not ready to make the sacrifices needed to reap the benefits of a megamerger.

Steve Driver is an interventional cardiologist as well as medical director of digital therapeutics at Advocate Aurora Health, which last year merged with Atrium Health. In this episode, he talked about a pilot involving Omada Health targeting a prediabetes population, among other things.

M&A activity among health systems picked up last year — key trends included cross-market mega-mergers and academic medical centers expanding their community hospital networks. Despite tough economic conditions, Kaufman Hall experts expect this activity to continue growing in 2023.

Financial analysts have said that 2022 may have been the worst year for hospital finances in decades. This year looks like it will be yet another year of financial underperformance, with rural providers in especially dire circumstances.

In 2022, the healthcare sector is on track to meet or exceed the more than 50.4 million patient records that were breached last year. As we look ahead to 2023, increasing cybersecurity budgets will be a necessity for healthcare organizations, despite their tight financial circumstances.

The patient is alleging that the patient portal he used to communicate with his doctors at Advocate Aurora and to schedule appointments used a pixelated code that also enabled logging in via Facebook and then shared data with Facebook.

Consolidated healthcare systems – even cross market systems – don’t have to raise their prices to have anticompetitive effects. They can leverage their size by using the volume of their purchases to extract discounts and other concessions from payers, national suppliers, and from labor pools.

Among the technologies represented by the group are medtech sensors tracking blood pressure, ostomy patient complications, tremor progression in Parkinson’s disease patients, balance, cerebrospinal fluid levels, and more.

Investors noted the challenges of changing patient behaviors using digital solutions at the engagement track at HLTH, hosted by MedCity News. They also shared what health systems and insurers are looking for in a potential partner. 

Xealth, which was spun out of Providence, recently raised $24 million in a series B round. Advocate Aurora Enterprises led the round, bringing its health system backers to 14.

The government’s proposed changes to HIPAA aim to provide guardrails against data breaches and misuse, but some of the modifications may not work as intended. Three healthcare experts delved into the ways in which certain proposals could provide inappropriate access to health data during a recent panel discussion.

Though telehealth will continue to account for a large portion of healthcare IT budgets in 2021, there are other technology-based services driving provider interest. These range from cloud deployment to vaccine scheduling solutions as providers navigate the new landscape created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Advocate Aurora Health has launched a subsidiary focused on making investments in companies that enhance health and wellbeing. The subsidiary has already made its first move, leading a $25 million funding round for a telenutrition provider.

Healthcare mergers decreased in the first half of 2020, but not to the extent expected as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Reports by Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Kaufman Hall showed a decline in mergers and acquisitions, but still reported sustained interest from buyers

In a panel discussion during MedCity INVEST Thursday, investors discussed how the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements have impacted the way they interact with companies.

Our annual INVEST conference, where investors and startups meet, kicks off today as a virtual event. Chris Coburn, chief innovation officer of Mass General Brigham, is a featured speaker and startups in the area of health services will present in the first track of our INVEST Pitch Perfect contest.

Months into the Covid-19 pandemic, the pace of new investments for startups has picked back up. Five VCs shared what’s changed and how they’re working in the midst of the crisis.

Gain insights from the perspectives of healthcare investors from Maverick Ventures, Cultivation Capital, Advocate Aurora Health and Flare Capital on investment trends in 2020 at the online conference July 20-24. Register now and save.

How have traditional venture capital and strategic investors adjusted to the reality of Covid-19? Learn how investment goals and strategies are being reshaped in this panel discussion. Register now for the Earlybird rate.

Premier and 15 of its member health systems acquired a minority stake in Texas-based mask manufacturer Prestige Ameritech.

Time is running out to save on MedCity INVEST, the national conference highlighting investment trends in healthcare and spotlighting startups across health IT and life sciences.

The new center, which is expected to open in April, will be located in Elgin, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago.

The health system has joined forces with Foxconn Technology Group, Johnson Controls and Northwestern Mutual to create the $100 million Wisconn Valley Venture Fund, which will invest in startups in the healthcare, technology, manufacturing and financial services sectors.