Bridge Connector, a technology company offering data-driven workflow automation to solve health IT interoperability challenges, has secured an additional $10 million in funding from Axioma Ventures. This brings its total capital raise to $20 million in 13 months of being in business.
Bridge Connector is working to change the way healthcare communicates by connecting disparate data systems quickly and cost-efficiently with their integration-platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) and other solutions, and it plans to close on a series B in fourth quarter 2019. Its business model aims to create an ecosystem where all healthcare organizations, regardless of size, can equitably reap the benefits of connected data systems.
“Bridge Connector is growing at a fast pace because of their unique and specialized solutions to our partners’ needs,” says Howard Jenkins, founding partner of Axioma Ventures and former CEO and president of Publix. “Bridge has exceeded all expectations in quality and in growth, and we fully support the great work that is taking place.”
After being in business just over a year, Bridge Connector has been recognized for their work through several awards, recent ones being the Ohana Partner Award from Salesforce at HIMSS19, the 2019 South Florida Business Journal H. Wayne Huizenga Start Up Award, and they were named to the 2019 Nashville Business Journal‘s Best Places to Work.
David Wenger
“We launched with five people. And in our first year of business, we have grown to 70 team members, with plans to be over 100 strong by the end of this year. ‘Growth’ has been our motto driving everything,” says Bridge Connector founder and CEO, David Wenger.
Wenger is referring to a shared sense of urgency to achieve data interoperability in healthcare, because it has been identified repeatedly by health care executives as one of the most critical areas for improvement as the market shifts to value-based payments, and the lack of interoperability is one of the most pressing issues facing providers and payers today.
Instead of taking months to deploy a traditional integration, Bridge Connector’s products can connect disparate data systems in a matter of days, with a “no-code” platform. Their solutions enable workflow automation in business and clinical use cases, and transparency and true interoperability among providers, payers and most importantly, patients, who increasingly desire more control over their own data to make better-informed care choices and improve outcomes.
“Interoperability is within reach when we re-think health IT integrations from a ‘workflows’ problem-and-solution standpoint,” said Wenger. “This results in a quicker time to value that the market is demanding. We partner with the largest health care organizations in the world, and we are just getting started.”
Bridge Connector will use the new round of funding to further their technology advancements, differentiate product verticals, and continue growing their teams in sales, technology and product.
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has received a $3.6 million primary award for the SPROUT-CTSA Collaborative Telehealth Research Network. This five-year grant is focused on supporting the development of telehealth research efforts, metric development, identification of best practices and the development of collaborative policy and advocacy materials across the country. It builds on work underway as part of the SPROUT (Supporting Pediatric Research on Outcomes and Utilization of Telehealth) collaborative, an established network of institutions and pediatric providers operating within the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is a sub awardee of the grant. The other sub-awarded institutions are the University of Colorado – Children’s Hospital Colorado, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and Mercy Clinic in St. Louis, Missouri.
S. David McSwain, M.D.
“This is a huge step forward in the development of safe and impactful telehealth programs across the country,” said primary investigator for the grant S. David McSwain, M.D., MUSC Children’s Health physician and MUSC associate professor of pediatric critical care and chief medical information officer. “Academic research into the real impact of telehealth services is a critical component of developing and growing programs with the greatest potential to improve our health care system. Many physicians and other health care providers are hesitant about incorporating telehealth into their practices because it’s difficult to separate the theoretical benefits from the real value.”
In 2015, McSwain collaborated with a small group of pediatric physicians across the country to form SPROUT, which has since completed and published the nation’s first broad assessment of pediatric telehealth infrastructure across the country.
“That was a critical starting point,” said John Chuo, M.D., associate professor of clinical pediatrics at CHOP, co-chair of SPROUT and site primary investigator. “When we started SPROUT, we realized that we couldn’t conduct studies on pediatric telehealth unless we actually knew which institutions were providing which types of services. That information wasn’t readily available, so we made it our first investigation.”
While much anecdotal or small-scale evidence exists about the benefits of telehealth, including cost reduction, improved quality of care in some patient populations and improved access to care for some rural and underserved populations, barriers to fully demonstrating the gains made via telehealth care delivery persist. For example, there are few best practices in existence for conducting multisite telehealth research involving patient care outcomes, limited access to research trials for rural populations and limitations to care access for special populations such as children or the elderly.
“At the national level, there is no academic authority currently spearheading multi-center telehealth research studies,” said Christina Olson, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and site primary investigator at the University of Colorado – Children’s Hospital Colorado. “We have piecemeal efforts happening in terms of research, national policy development and payer guidelines. This network will provide tools, resources and guidance to accelerate the development of telehealth studies across the country. We will support champions of telehealth to become champions of research as well.”
The grant is a Collaborative Innovation award through the National Center for the Advancement of Translational Science (NCATS). The program will operate in collaboration with CTSA (Clinical and Translational Science Award) sites across the country to facilitate research development and support current and future telehealth researchers to develop projects and apply for funding. As opposed to supporting a specific clinical research study, this grant seeks to establish an easily accessible support structure around telehealth research: tools, resources, guidance, collaboration, education and advocacy materials that will be valuable to anyone across the country who wants to study telehealth programs.
“We expect this network to become the preeminent source for evidence-based policy and outcomes data,” said Brooke Yeager McSwain, M.Sc., R.R.T, health policy consultant for the project and manager of the South Carolina Children’s Telehealth Collaborative. “Our national and state legislators have seen the benefits of telehealth for certain populations and regions. We have to demonstrate to them that this works across the country and has the potential to dramatically impact health care delivery models, particularly in value-based care.”
Alison Curfman, M.D., medical director of pediatrics at Mercy Virtual and a co-investigator of the grant, spends much of her time thinking about better ways to partner with children and their families for overall better health. “We have to ensure that children have access to every type of care that they need at the right time, no matter where they live. The technology is here. The commitment of the early-adopters is here. Our next frontier is proving to other pediatric providers across the health care spectrum that telehealth is about so much more than convenience.”
The American Medical Association (AMA) and Sling Health, a student-run biotechnology incubator, are expanding their joint efforts to allow the voice and experience of physicians to inspire technologies that resolve unmet needs in healthcare delivery and clinical medicine.
The two organizations have launched the Clinical Problem Database to compile insights from physicians on needed improvements to clinical efficiency and patient care. These real-world experiences are shared with Sling Health’s network of young entrepreneurs to foster cutting-edge medical technology development with attention to the clinical challenges faced by physicians.
“Physicians and entrepreneurs are passionate about transforming health care, and by engaging collaboratively they can advance innovation that makes the health system work better for everyone,” said Michael A. Tutty, Ph.D., M.H.A., group vice president of professional satisfaction and practice sustainability at the AMA. “Through our collaboration with Sling Health, the AMA is helping physicians and medical students take on a greater role in driving technology forward that responds to real clinical needs. Gaining insights from physicians will help make medical technology an asset, not a burden.”
“The best medical technologies directly tackle pressing clinical needs, enabling higher quality, less expensive, and more efficient care,” said Sling Health President Stephen W. Linderman. “Working with the physicians nationally through the AMA, teams of innovative students across the country are able to create new medical technology to address problems impacting providers on the front lines of patient care. We look forward to expanding our collaboration with the AMA and enabling students everywhere to advance clinical care.”
Too often, physicians are treated as an afterthought during technology development. Overlooking physician requirements is one reason medical technology may not live up to its promise. An AMA study demonstrates that nearly half a physician’s office day is filled by clerical tasks performed on cumbersome technology. This burden has left physicians feeling they are neglecting their patients as they try to keep up with an overload of type-and-click tasks.
Recognizing the importance of physician feedback for health care entrepreneurs to improve solutions, the Clinical Problem Database will be an added feature on the AMA’s Physician Innovation Network (PIN), an online community that connects and matches physicians with digital health companies and entrepreneurs. Through the use of the PIN platform, the voice, experience and needs of physicians can be heard and incorporated into new products as they are developed.
Since PIN was launched in 2017, more than 3,000 physicians and medical students, as well as about 1,800 entrepreneurs, have participated in the online network and there are already stories of successful physician-entrepreneur connections. Physicians matched with entrepreneurs through PIN have consulted in a range of areas, such as improving operating-room workflow, assisting to eliminate the guesswork for spinal punctures, piloting emerging solutions and identifying developers to co-develop solutions for pressing needs.
The AMA says it is committed to “successfully integrating technology into healthcare and attacking the dysfunction in healthcare by removing the obstacles and burdens that interfere with patient care. The AMA continues to work on every front to help physicians engage and shape innovation.”
The Innovation Studio at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) announces 10 semi-finalists of the first ever Gamifying Pediatrics Hackathon, which took place April 12 through 14, 2019, at BCG Digital Ventures (BCGDV) in Manhattan Beach (CA), the global corporate venture and incubation arm of the Boston Consulting Group.
This free event brought together 185 participants, including physicians and nurses on the front lines of pediatric medicine, engineers, developers, and experts in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and gaming. The Hackathon’s aim is to encourage development, incubation and implementation of new digital health tools and immersive experiences that will serve the needs of both patients and providers in the pediatric healthcare space.
“Curated collisions are the secret of effective innovation. Our hackathon surrounded smart, passionate developers with clinical leaders, tech industry experts and healthcare executives, allowing for random interactions that enabled the creation of incredible innovative solutions,” said Omkar Kulkarni, chief innovation officer of the CHLA Innovation Studio, whose recently formed Digital Health Lab is addressing three areas within pediatric healthcare: (1) enhancing digital therapeutic care for patients; (2) improving clinical education and training for doctors, nurses and patient families; and (3) transforming the patient and family experience so that the clinical setting is more appealing and less frightening for young patients.
Over the course of 48 hours, Hackathon participants pitched 47 ideas and formed 22 teams that created rough prototypes, presenting their ideas to a judging panel of CHLA experts on the final day. Ten teams were selected as semi-finalists who will advance to the Incubator phase, where they receive free mentorship while developing their prototypes over the next six months.
Each will present at CHLA Demo Day, a final competition, in October. The 10 teams include: Pb Buddies; Positive Place; Team BiBli; Global Smiles; CODE: BLUE; Children’s Hospital Companion / StoryHealers; Poo-Pee Interactive; Speak iT; Team Virtual Real Heart; and Mila, which also received Digital Ventures Audience Choice award, a recognition that includes a $1,000 prize and advisory services from BCG Digital Ventures. More about the 10 semi-finalists here.
At CHLA Demo Day, up to three teams will be chosen as finalists, each receiving up to $15,000 in seed grants, plus the opportunity to pilot their products at CHLA. In addition, the finalists will receive the opportunity have their product introduced at HLTH, one of the nation’s largest health innovation conference, taking place in October in Las Vegas.
“The hackers’ passion for gamification in healthcare is truly inspirational,” says Nate Beyor, Partner at BCG Digital Ventures. “Teams shared a range of prototypes, from administrative support all the way to regulated digital therapeutics, and with this breadth of opportunities, there is no doubt that VR/AR will play a role in the hospitals of our future.”
When hiring professionals for clinical documentation improvement (CDI) programs, managers seek candidates with a background in both clinical and health information management (HIM) knowledge—challenging a common perception that a clinical background alone is sufficient, according to a recent survey by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Respondents also said that while registered nurse and certified coding specialist are the most frequently required credentials, one of the highest preferred is AHIMA’s certified documentation improvement practitioner (CDIP) credential, indicating a growing understanding of the value and need for a higher level of educational certification, according to the research.
The article, “The State of CDI,” in the April issue of the Journal of AHIMA, analyzes key takeaways from the AHIMA survey conducted by the AHIMA Clinical Documentation Improvement Practice Council and performed to identify the current landscape and practices in the CDI industry.
The survey examined the type of organizations where CDI employees work, the departments under which teams are managed, professional backgrounds and the common credentials of CDI professionals.
Results found that most CDI programs fall under the HIM department. More than half of survey respondents also stated they hire HIM and certified coding professionals for positions in their CDI programs.
“The advancement of CDI programs and practices is essential to the delivery of quality patient care,” said AHIMA CEO Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD, CAE. “The survey results show that not only do managers in these programs understand CDI professionals must have both a coding and clinical background, but that it’s becoming increasingly important for these professionals to have advanced credentials. With their knowledge and experience, HIM professionals are well positioned to lead the CDI path forward.”
The survey also examined the type of health records reviewed by CDI programs, with inpatient records accounting for the majority. The second-highest was a combination of inpatient, outpatient and professional records reaffirming that the industry is beginning to shift toward CDI reviews of outpatient health records. Full survey results are available to members here.
PointClickCare, the leading cloud-based software vendor for the long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) and senior living sectors, announced today the launch of PointClickCare Companion. The new mobile app leverages the powerful design possibilities of iOS to significantly improve the way senior living providers track and manage the delivery and documentation of care services, medication, and billing. In addition to Companion, PointClickCare will be showcasing a variety of significant new enhancements to its senior living platform while at the Argentum Senior Living Conference.
PointClickCare companion
“After gathering direct input from senior living communities, as an Apple mobility partner, we’ve harnessed iOS, the most robust development platform available to thoughtfully and confidently create a mobile experience that addresses providers’ complex needs while still keeping the simplicity and the user experience in mind,” says Travis Palmquist, vice president and general manager of senior living, PointClickCare. “As a result, we believe Companion’s sophisticated user interface and streamlined workflow capabilities will drive mobile-led business transformation and help to redefine and improve how communities provide resident care.”
By simplifying the critical task of patient documentation in an easy-to-use iOS app, PointClickCare Companion delivers unique benefits without interrupting the resident caregiver interaction, and provides senior living communities several significant outcomes, which include:
Enhanced resident experience: With immediate access to information on their iPhone or iPad, caregivers may reduce the time typically required for documenting a task. Tasks can be completed accurately and efficiently, in a timely and less clinical manner, increasing resident satisfaction with the service they are receiving.
Improved financial health: Senior living communities can quickly identify, capture, deliver and bill for ancillary services, as well as justify additional service billings (scheduled or unscheduled), with accurate documentation.
Expanded talent retention: Companion’s user-friendly tools empower staff to manage their day by simplifying the medication distribution and documentation process with intuitive workflows. Many activities of daily living (ADL) can be completed in 30 seconds or less at the point of care. Caregivers can spend more time focusing on patient care and less on administrative tasks
These outcomes can be further enhanced when Companion is integrated with other PointClickCare solutions, such as its point of care (POC) and electronic medication administration records (eMAR) modules.
By Amy Heymans (Cueva), founder and chief experience officer, Mad*Pow.
Amy Heymans (Cueva)
The scene: a brisk, sunny spring morning by the Charles River in Boston. More than 300 of the health industry’s brightest minds gathered from across the globe for two days of presentations, workshops, discussions and connections. The ninth annual Health Experience Design Conference, hosted by Mad*Pow’s Center for Health Experience Design, took place on April 2 and 3, 2019, and focused on designing for transformative change in health.
Mad*Pow launched the HXD Conference in 2011 to fill a void at the crossroads of health and design, and to explore how human centered design and innovation could transform health. Each year, HXD brings together a diverse community of executives and practitioners in design, innovation, research, strategy and technology to help accelerate the transformation of our health system. Presentations from high-profile thought leaders and health futurists provide inspiration and energy, and thoughtfully designed workshops and interactive activities spark discussions and form connections.
The theme of HXD 2019 was “Real World Change: Improving Health through Design and Innovation.” This theme was explored through presentations and workshop tracks on designing for health behavior change and systems change, health equity and disparities, service design in the healthcare space, and financial wellbeing. Eleven diverse and compelling keynote speakers addressed the conference from the main stage, including Steve Downs, chief technology and strategy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Karen Dillon, New York Times best-selling author; Cheryl Dahle, founder and CEO of Flip Labs; Vanessa Mason, research director of Institute for the Future; and Travis McCready, president and CEO, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.
Steve Downs challenged attendees to consider how we might use technology to re-imagine and re-shape the fundamentals of everyday life to improve health. For this to succeed, we must establish health as a core value and explicit design goal, and embed it deeply within everything we design.
Karen Dillon, author of NYT best seller How Will You Measure Your Life, encouraged each attendee to ponder the course of their life and whether their resource allocation matches their goals. She urged the audience to consider whether they find intrinsic motivation in their jobs, and whether they’re standing for something they’re proud of.
Cheryl Dahle detailed her work with Flip Labs to tackle the global overfishing problem, and used this example of transition design to highlight the similarities between various complex human systems. Vanessa Mason examined shifting power dynamics in healthcare, including changes in gender norms as they relate to the tech industry, health struggles faced by millennials, and mental health and gaming addiction.
If it isn’t already clear, the headlines are signaling that the era of healthcare innovation is upon us and moving swiftly. Managed Medicaid plans could be losing out on millions of contracted lives (and money) by lagging in the adoption of digital telehealth resources to improve access to care and patient outcomes. Leveraging an eConsult solution is a proven way to increase access to high-quality care while lowering system cost, ensuring innovation scoring opportunities are not missed.
Innovation is the new constant
Although the pace of innovation in healthcare has traditionally been slow, organizations are increasingly seeking new ways to innovate in order to support value-based care models. Recent partnerships formed between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase, CVS and Aetna, Cigna and Express Scripts, and so on strongly indicate that innovations rooted in providing better care for lower costs are paramount to the success and growth of healthcare.
Payers whose ongoing strategies are not placing precedence upon innovation will be left in the dust. Not only will this be costly for access and quality, it can jeopardize managed Medicaid payers’ chance of re-procuring and expanding contracts.
Managed Medicaid Plans must innovate to reach objectives
Managed Medicaid plans need innovations to improve the value and efficiency of healthcare provided. To ensure they’re getting the best value, state Medicaid programs re-procure contracts with managed care payer groups on a perpetual basis — sometimes as frequently as every three years. States use these periods as an opportunity to seek updated solutions to long-standing or emerging challenges, often assigning points to questions that speak to innovations in care delivery for Medicaid recipients.
Key Medicaid challenges
Barriers to care and access within Medicaid programs are often among the most important issues states and managed care plans are attempting to address. The Kaiser Family Foundation 2017 survey of Medicaid managed care plans reported high rates of difficulty in recruitment for some specialties and listed provider supply as a leading challenge.
Timely access to care is key to healthcare goals, as delays in accessing necessary care exacerbate health conditions, in turn leading to more costly treatment and poor outcomes. This lack of care access worsens a health crisis that could have been easily avoided with more proactive (and less expensive) care.
A key takeaway from 2018’s 11th annual Medicaid Managed Care Summit was that, “Reforming healthcare in the U.S. is not about spending more money, but about moving around the dollars that we’re already spending.” Adoption of eConsult platforms allows health plans to solidify their value-based initiatives and Medicaid payers to expand access to needed specialist services, bring new physician access points to urban and rural areas and leverage the latest in technology and sophisticated referral protocols to help meet members’ care needs.
Bridge Connector, a technology company offering data-driven workflow automation to solve health IT interoperability challenges, has secured an additional $10 million in funding from Axioma Ventures. This brings its total capital raise to $20 million in 13 months of being in business.
The Innovation Studio at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) announces 10 semi-finalists of the first ever 
PointClickCare
