BUFFALO, N.Y. An Anti-Racism and Health Care Equity initiative designed to address and mitigate the effects of systemic racism and inequality inhealth care has been launched by the Department of Surgery in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo.

Cornel West, PhD, Harvard University professor, bestselling author, political activist and public intellectual, will speak via Zoom at Beyond the Knife, the initiatives first public event, from 4-5 p.m. on Feb. 18 .

This event is free and open to the public. Register and submit questions for the question-and-answer at https://tinyurl.com/y49bh3qu.

The virtual conference represents the first of what will be an annual lecture series, initially funded by UBMD Surgery, focused on social justice and health care inequity.

As part of the kickoff, Dr. Mehmet Oz, professor of surgery and television talk show host, recorded this promotional video about it. A panel discussion featuring Jacobs School students, medical residents and faculty, who also are members of UBMD Surgery, will follow the lecture. Additional information is available on the Department of Surgery website.

The UB Department of Surgery is committed to sustained action toward a more diverse and equitable world, said Steven D. Schwaitzberg, MD, professor and chair of surgery and president of UBMD Surgery. Inviting Dr. West the preeminent voice on this topic for 40 years is a demonstration of the seriousness with which we approach this task. Creating an annual endowed lectureship, paired with a slate of robust new initiatives, is a demonstration of our long-term commitment. Thisis our collective responsibilityas physicians and surgeons in the 21st century.I have every confidence that, working together, we can create real and lasting change.

JamesButchRosser, Jr., MD,a renowned general surgeon and author, will serve as master of ceremonies and moderate the question-and-answer session. Rosser, an activist and thought leader on racial dynamics in medicine, is working with the UB Department of Surgery to launch this effort.

We, as health care professionals, must not buryourheads in the sand in the aftermath of George Floyds death, said Rosser. The public must know that we are one of them and we are ready to do our part.This is urgent work: toaddress the monumental issues before us and map out specific actions to move the national conversation forward.

Schwaitzberg added that COVID-19 has stretched the health care system to the brink while illuminating entrenched inequities that determine health status on the basis of neighborhood and skin color.

With African Americans and Hispanics suffering and dying of COVID-19 at a disproportionate rate, and given the underrepresentation of people of color in surgery, this initiative seeks to comprehensively address these issues and mitigate the effects of systemic racism and inequality in our own community and beyond, he said.

Our department prides itself on its expert faculty, working every day to provide the best in patient care and cultivate todays residents into future leaders in surgery, he continued. We aim to bring surgery to a new level. Every aspect of our mission patient care, research and education must be grounded in an understanding of health care disparities and the effects of institutional racism. We call on all medical schools to determine their strategy and contribution. It is long past time for all departments of surgery to reflect on what measures need to be taken and to get to work.

Schwaitzberg said that the departments programmatic response to racism and health care inequity is already underway and includes:

Establishment of a new research opportunity this summer for underrepresented medical students interested in surgery.

Development of a new curriculum for surgical trainees focusing on the effects of racism and implicit bias. This new curricular emphasis seeks to placeoperative/clinical discussionswithin the larger matrix of social inequality.

Establishment of a mentorship program to allow underrepresented future surgeons increased opportunities to work closely with established local surgeons in the operating room.

A virtual learning mentorship program, currently underway, which is working to spark the imaginations of high school students in Western New York and to recruit them into STEM and medical careers.

Establishment of meaningful partnerships with the residents and organizations of the neighborhoods where UBs affiliate hospitals are located, Buffalos Fruit Belt and the Delavan-Grider community.

Development of a pilot elective rotation for medical students focused on health disparities for surgical trainees.

The following link contains more information about the Department of Surgerys diversity and inclusion initiative.

Continue reading here:

UB Department of Surgery launches Anti-Racism and Health Care Equity Initiative with Cornel West as inaugural speaker - UB News Center

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) There wont be many fans at the Super Bowl this year, but four people in the crowd will be UPMC health care workers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers in partnership with the NFL picked the four vaccinated health care workers to be rewarded with an all-expense paid trip to Sundays game in Florida.

The Steelers shared a video of the workers being surprised with the news.

These healthcare heroes came in for a meeting. They left with a trip to the #SuperBowl, the Steelers tweeted.

UPMC Shady Side Director of Respiratory Care Services Breen Smith, one of the four health care workers selected, said the experience was humbling.

Nearly 8,000 of the 25,000 fans at the Super Bowl will be vaccinated health care workers. Theyll wear masks, social distance and follow the NFLs COVID-19 protocol.

See original here:

UPMC Health Care Workers Surprised With Trip To Super Bowl - CBS Pittsburgh

The unions representing the nations health care workers have emerged as increasingly powerful voices during the still-raging pandemic.

With more than 100,000 Americans hospitalized and many among their ranks infected, nurses and other health workers remain in a precarious frontline against the coronavirus and have turned again and again to unions for help.

Its so overwhelming. Its unlike anything Ive ever seen before, said Erin McIntosh, a nurse at Riverside Community Hospital in Southern California, a part of the country that has been among the hardest hit by a surge in cases. Every day Im waist-deep in death and dying.

In her hospitals intensive care unit, Mrs. McIntosh said, nurses have sometimes cared for twice as many patients. Were being told to take on more than we safely can handle.

Her union, the Service Employees International Union, and another union, National Nurses United, which has a powerful presence in California, have pushed back against the states decision to let hospitals assign nurses more patients during the crisis.

HCA Healthcare, the for-profit hospital chain that owns Riverside, responded that it had recruited additional nurses and was keeping its employees safe.

Health care workers say they have been bitterly disappointed by their employers and government agencies response to the pandemic. Dire staff shortages, inadequate and persistent supplies of protective equipment, limited testing for the virus and pressure to work even if they might be sick have left many workers turning to the unions as their only ally. The virus has claimed the lives of more than 3,300 health care workers nationwide, according to one count.

We wouldnt be alive today if we didnt have the union, said Elizabeth Lalasz, a Chicago public hospital nurse and steward for National Nurses United. The countrys largest union of registered nurses, representing more than 170,000 nationwide, National Nurses was among the first to criticize hospitals lack of preparation and call for more protective equipment, like N95 masks.

Despite the decades-long decline in the labor movement and the small numbers of unionized nurses, labor officials have seized on the pandemic fallout to organize new chapters and pursue contract talks for better conditions and benefits. National Nurses organized seven new bargaining units last year, compared to four in 2019. The S.E.I.U. also says it has seen an uptick in interest.

Nurses across the country from various unions have participated in dozens of strikes and protests. National Nurses held a day of action on Wednesday with demonstrations in more than a dozen states and Washington, D.C., as it starts negotiations at hospitals owned by big systems like HCA, Sutter Health and CommonSpirit Health.

Hospitals claim the unions are playing politics during a public health emergency and say they have no choice but to ask more of their workers. We are in a moment of crisis that weve never seen before, and we need flexibility to care for patients, said Jan Emerson-Shea, a spokeswoman for the California Hospital Association.

At the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago, the deaths of two nurses from the virus helped galvanize employees to strike for the first time last fall, said Paul Pater, an emergency room nurse and union official with the Illinois Nurses Association. People really took that to heart, and it really fomented a lot of disdain for the current administration at the hospital.

In their most recent contract, nurses there won provisions ensuring the hospital would hire more staff and keep sufficient supplies of protective equipment, Mr. Pater said. Weve been able to make, honestly, just huge strides in protecting our people.

The hospital did not respond to requests for comment.

Some nurses remain highly skeptical of the unions efforts, and even those who favor organizing acknowledge there are serious limits to what they can accomplish. Im not sure that the union is enough, because it can only take us so far since staffing conditions remain overwhelming, said Mrs. McIntosh, the Riverside nurse.

Many health care workers view vaccines as the beginning of the end of the pandemic. But large numbers especially those who work in nursing homes and outside hospitals, who tend to have higher rates of vaccine hesitancy are refusing to be immunized. During a crisis that disproportionately threatens health care workers of color, one recent analysis found that they are getting vaccinations at rates far below those of their white colleagues.

The unions find themselves treading a fine line between encouraging their members to get vaccinated and protecting them against policies that would force them to do so.

There are still unanswered questions, said Karine Raymond, a nurse at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and a New York State Nurses Association official. The union believes that all nurses should seriously consider being vaccinated, said Ms. Raymond, who would not say whether she personally would accept the vaccine. But, again, its the individuals choice.

The nurses and their unions do want to keep pressuring employers to safeguard workers and patients. Just because a vaccine is rolling out doesnt mean that we can let up on other important protections, said Michelle Mahon, a National Nurses United official, during a Facebook Live event last month.

The past year has created conditions ripe for organizing to address longstanding issues like inadequate wages, benefits and staffing, a problem exacerbated by health care workers falling ill, burning out or retiring early for fear of getting sick. The unions have successfully been able to use the pandemic to rebrand those same conflicts as very urgent safety concerns, said Jennifer Stewart, a senior vice president at Gist Healthcare, a consulting firm that advises hospitals.

They have also shifted many nurses view of their employers, she said. The perceptions and the experiences are being crystallized and starting to be viewed through a certain lens. And I think that lens is very favorable to unions.

At Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C., safety concerns created by the pandemic added urgency to the nurses push to join forces with National Nurses United.

Some questioned the unions ability to deliver better working conditions and raised concerns about the union creating divisions within the hospital. A group of 25 Mission nurses signed a letter before the vote saying an outside third party, like the N.N.U., is not the solution.

But last September, 70 percent of nurses approved the union, one of the largest wins at a hospital in the South in decades. Susan Fischer, a Mission nurse who helped lead the organizing drive, called National Nurses United instrumental in helping us find our voice.

She said the union was already proving its worth, pushing management in bargaining talks this month to provide better access to protective equipment and to assign nurses fewer patients.

In a statement, HCA, which owns Mission Hospital, said its highest priority was to protect workers and that the unions were exploiting the situation in an attempt to gain publicity and organize new dues-paying members.

In addition to staging protests and strikes, unions have defended workers who are speaking up against their employers. Some unions have sued hospitals, including one lawsuit against Riverside by the S.E.I.U. Similar cases have been dismissed in court, and HCA called the Riverside suit a publicity stunt.

Industry executives say the unions are unfairly blaming hospitals for the horrors of the pandemic. While some had difficulty providing protective equipment early on, hospitals have done their best to follow government guidelines and to protect workers, said Chip Kahn, the president of the Federation of American Hospitals, which represents for-profit hospitals.

Mr. Kahn said the unions were leveraging the crisis to achieve their agenda of organizing workers. Theyll push whatever pressure points they can to try to force their way into hospitals, because thats what they do.

About 17 percent of nurses and 12 percent of other U.S. health care workers are covered by a union, according to an analysis of government data, and rates of union coverage have remained largely unchanged during the pandemic. The share of hospital workers with union representation has declined from above 22 percent in 1983 to below 15 percent in 2018, reflecting a decades-long decline in organized labor.

Some unions, including the outspoken National Nurses, have often seemed to occupy the fringes of the labor movement. For years it was better known for advocating proposals like Medicare for All, which would replace private insurance with government-run health care, and for enthusiastically backing Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont for president.

The pandemic, and the unions decision to endorse Joseph R. Biden Jr. after Senator Sanders left the race last year, have tempered that reputation. Mission nurses said that politics was not part of the allure of National Nurses United. Of all the unions we couldve gone to, they had the best track record, Ms. Fischer said.

The Biden presidency may give the unions an opportunity to flex their newfound muscle. Mary Kay Henry, the international president of the S.E.I.U., was among the labor leaders who met virtually with Mr. Biden last year.

In my 40 years of organizing health care workers, I have never experienced a time when people are more willing to take risks and join together to take collective action, Ms. Henry said. Thats a sea change.

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Health Care Unions Find a Voice as the Pandemic Rages - The New York Times

by: Alex Brown, Inside INdiana Business

Posted: Feb 3, 2021 / 10:51 AM EST / Updated: Feb 3, 2021 / 11:06 AM EST

INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis is partnering with an Indy-based venture studio to expand the reach of health care-related innovations. The institute says through the partnership, Boomerang Ventures will also benefit from the expertise of its research scientists.

Boomerang Ventures focuses on funding and launching startups and concepts to help improve health care. The institute says together, the partners will work to develop and commercialize innovations from Regenstrief research scientists.

Todd Saxton, vice president for business development atRegenstrief says bringing any type of concept, even those that are well thought out and backed by evidence, to market can be complex.

With its depth and expertise, Boomerang Ventures will help us take the discoveries made in our research to the next stage, refining and connecting these promising concepts to professionals and markets to help them flourish, said Saxton. It is one promising approach in an array of ways to move from research to impact. We look forward to working closely with Boomerang Ventures to advance our research for the betterment of peoples health and health care systems.

Boomerang Managing Partner Oscar Moralez says the partnership will help bridge the gap between the research and business worlds.

Follow this link:

Partnership created to accelerate health care innovation - WISHTV.com

The group of 10 reunites every year to watch the Super Bowl together. This year, they'll be watching it at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. A group of frontline health care workers with ties to Charlotte, North Carolina, are headed to Tampa, Florida, for Super Bowl LV.

Ten friends and physicians who trained in emergency medicine at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center won free tickets to the big game after the National Football League (NFL) announced it would give 7,500 vaccinated health care workers an opportunity to attend the Super Bowl.

"I got an email that physically had my ticket this morning, so that was just a whole new level of, ok, this actually is real, Dr. Jill Antoniazzi, assistant professor in emergency medicine at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, said. And actually seeing the chatter amongst our friends and the happiness we're just like through the moon."

Dr. Manoj Pariyadath, associate professor of emergency medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, said their intern class became like a second family in as they trained together.

Their love of medicine brought the group of 10 together, but Pariyadath said their love of sports is what reunites them every year.

"We sort of picked the Super Bowl, one, because it's not a typical family obligation-type date, Pariyadath said. But two, we bonded over football."

Even though the physicians are now spread out across the country, they make a point to watch the Super Bowl together every year.

The tradition started in 2002 and has continued every year since the group graduated in 2005, and the reunion has grown with their careers and families.

Pariyadath said the group was planning to watch the game together in Wilmington this year until they found out they won tickets to the Super Bowl.

Antoniazzi said one friend in the group handwrote a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and shared their story of friendship, football, and medicine.

We finally got the news that we were going, and I think giddy is the right word, Pariyadath said. Ive been that way ever since I heard that.

The physicians have spent the last year working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, taking special precautions to protect their patients and their own families.

"Having this bright spot where, you know, I can say that I've just been, you know, thinking about being with my friends and being at the Super Bowl, it's just added a lightness that is much, much needed, after the year that we've been through, Antoniazzi said.

The NFL is taking precautions of its own to make the in-person fan experience safe for those in attendance. The physicians have all been vaccinated, but they arent letting their guard down.

"We don't plan on getting too crazy in Tampa, Pariyadath said. We're going to stick together, wear our masks, social distance, even though we are vaccinated."

Paryidath said he feels blessed that his group of friends and physicians have this opportunity, especially after what theyve been through in the last year.

"We get excited about hanging out together, he said. "This is just going to be sort of icing on the cake to be able to do that at the Super Bowl."

Read more:

Frontline health care workers with ties to Charlotte win free tickets to Super Bowl LV - WCNC.com

As the novel coronavirus pandemic swept the country last year, hundreds of thousands of patients turned to telehealth in order to continue accessing care while remaining as safe as possible.

Telehealth was held up as a "panacea," said Adaeze Enekwechi, a board member at the Public Health Institute and the Alliance for Health Policy, at the final installment of the American Telemedicine Association's EDGE policy conference on Tuesday.

"And the first thing that occurred to me was, 'There's no way this is a panacea for everyone or everything,'" Enekwechi said. "We just have to be honest about that."

Indeed, as panelists pointed out, although telehealth has made some strides in addressing health access disparities, it has also exacerbated others.

"There's still a have and have-not system when it comes to broadband," said Mignon Clyburn, former commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission. And when people don't have access to quality Internet, she added, "that further hampers their access to quality telehealth care."

To that end, several of the groups represented at the conference announced the launch of the Telehealth Equity Coalition, which is aimed at advocating for greater access to virtual care.

The coalition, composed of the ATA and the Health Innovation Alliance, along with Hims & Hers, Adaptation Health, the National Health IT Collaborative for the Underserved, and other major players in the space, will take a data-driven approach to identifying opportunities and advocating to improve telehealth policy.

"If there was ever a time to address digital equity, it's now," said Amy Sheon, president of Public Health Innovators.

Panelists noted that health disparities go beyond medical care alone that housing, transportation and,of course, connectivity can play major roles in an individual's wellbeing.

"I hope to see a broader conversation about the intersectionality of some of these," said Enekwechi. "How do all of these interact?"

"Broadband is a super-determinant of health," said Clyburn. "We wasted a lot of time debating whether broadband was a necessity, but we should have been addressing wide affordability and adoption gaps."

"The Internet is a must. Connectivity is a must. Whatever our recalibrated new normal will be, it will not be what we saw pre-pandemic," Clyburn continued.

And infrastructure alone will not be enough, Clyburn said. "You can have all the fiber in the world at my doorstep, but if I can't afford it, then I will never be connected."

"We need to have serious conversations about how we narrow this divide," she said.

She stressed the importance of centering what communities need in the conversation not to go into a situation with preconceived notions about the best next steps.

"We need to be in a listening mode," she said. "We need to put our egos in check, but if we do so, everybody's objectives will be realized. I cannot emphasize how important that is."

As policymakers and advocates move forward toward equity, Clyburn reiterated: "Forever andalways put communities first."

Kat Jercich is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.Twitter: @kjercichEmail: kjercich@himss.orgHealthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.

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Hims & Hers, ATA, and 10 others launch Telehealth Equity Coalition - Healthcare IT News

Common causes of stroke include:

An ischemic stroke (blood clot blocking blood flow in the brain) often can be traced to cardiovascular conditions such as atrial fibrillation, atherosclerosis and carotid artery disease.

Treating these underlying conditions can help prevent another stroke. Our stroke neurologists work with the specialists at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute to reduce your stroke risk.

Patients with atrial fibrillation (A-fib), an irregular heart rhythm, that isnt caused by a heart valve condition, are at high risk for stroke. In A-fib, the chambers at top of the heart the atria dont pump out all the blood, making blot clots more likely.

More than 90% of stroke-causing clots that originate in the heart come from the left atrial appendage. This pouch of flesh on the heart serves no known purpose. For many patients, closing the appendage with a minimally invasiveleft atrial appendage closure procedurecan reduce their stroke risk and allow them to stop taking blood thinners.

Carotid artery disease a buildup of plaque in the arteries that deliver blood to your brain causes an estimated 20% of strokes. Many patients can take advantage of a minimally invasivetranscarotid artery revascularization (TCAR)procedure. TCAR currently is used on patients who may have difficulty with traditional open surgery to remove the plaque.

A stroke typically happens suddenly with no gradual progression that allows for preparation, grieving and coping.

Many patients will recover quickly and fully from a stroke. Some may have post-stroke conditions such as difficulty swallowing, weakness and paralysis, incontinence, difficulty speaking or understanding, emotional challenges or poor attention span.

If a stroke was on the right side of the brain, there may be left-side weakness, impulsiveness, overconfidence in abilities and vision issues to deal with. A stroke on the left side of the brain can be associated with weakness on the right side of the body, along with difficulty speaking, reading, writing or understanding language, and a cautious behavioral style.

TheNorton Neuroscience Institute Resource Centeroffers a number of services to patients recovering from strokes.

With the changes and stress that come with caring for a loved one who has survived a stroke, caregivers and family members also may be at risk for depression, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. Our stroke support groups are for survivors and their family members, friends and caregivers.

Norton Healthcares rehabilitation servicesoffer specialized outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy at locations downtown, on the Norton Brownsboro Hospital campus and on the Norton Healthcare St. Matthews campus.

Cressman Neurological Rehabilitationon the Norton Brownsboro campus offers access to some of the most advanced technology and specialized services in one location to help with gait, balance, strength, flexibility, speech, fine motor skills, swallowing, driving, cognition, vision and more.

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Stroke Recovery - Norton Healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the U.S. healthcare system in unprecedented ways. In a webinar hosted by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit organization promoting health policy reform, experts look at some of the lessons that the new U.S. administration can learn from the pandemic.

The Commonwealth Fund a nonprofit private organization dedicated to improving access to healthcare, particularly for more vulnerable groups hosted a webinar discussing the steps that the new United States administration can take to achieve this goal.

The discussion featured experts from the organizations Task Force on Payment and Delivery System Reform, and tackled how healthcare in the U.S. is organized, paid for, and delivered.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

The webinar featured the following experts:

The discussion was moderated by Dr. David Blumenthal, MD, president of the Commonwealth Fund and former professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Some of the priorities and recommendations that the experts discussed included:

In this article, MNT highlighted some salient points from the discussion, particularly around rebuilding trust in the medical establishment, promoting health equity, and diversifying and strengthening primary care.

The speakers also discussed a value-based healthcare model as a potential alternative to the current fee-for-service model that predominates in the United States. Value-based healthcare focuses on the idea that healthcare providers should not be rewarded based on the number of healthcare services that they provide, but on the health outcomes of their patients.

The panelists responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Dr. Blumenthal: How can changes in our workforce help us be more prepared for an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic and others that we may anticipate in the future?

Karen Dale, RN, MSN: The first thing is to think about the healthcare workforce in a more comprehensive way. If we widen our lens, we will consider both those people who are clinicians, and those other personnel, such as community health workers, peer supports, and others, who are so important in helping people navigate the healthcare system in a way that is more easily accessible and more readily understood.

Two bonuses come from taking that approach. [Firstly,] community health workers and other nonclinical personnel when they are part of the system and recruited from the communities they serve are more likely to build trust and easy engagement with those communities because they reflect who lives there and that diversity. [Secondly,] we would be helping create jobs and economic security.

[F]rom the task funds perspective, we should be funding those efforts. So, having something like a national program that focuses on the continued education, recruitment, and training of nonclinical personnel would be important.

Dr. Blumenthal: Should we transition towards a different form of payment, one that emphasizes value, not volume, and that may be more resilient and more effective? What is the role of value-based payment, what have we learned about it from the pandemic, and what should be its role going forward?

Dr. Mark McClellan, MD, Ph.D.: [W]e started the process of [recommending transitioning to a value-based payment system] before the pandemic, but [COVID was a] wake-up call for needing to move to a different mechanism of financing our healthcare, to get what we want. Care thats upstream, care that can do the kinds of things that Karen was describing, reaching out proactively to people at risk, rather than just trying to keep your door open because utilization is down and you have to lay off staff.

I think COVID was a huge wake-up call, and [] we now have lots of examples of how [value-based care] can be done really well. Many organizations around the country are doing what Karen described. I was talking with a healthcare group today thats moved into one of these advanced alternative payment models, way away from fee-for-service, where theyve prepositioned at-home COVID tests for all of their high-risk beneficiaries. And if any of them have any COVID symptoms, they do a telehealth call right away to get an evaluation.

[] If they [do test] positive, there [] are some treatments for people who havent been vaccinated yet, who are in high-risk groups, and they get put into a pathway to get access to monoclonal antibodies. [] Were seeing some of the same programs being implemented for addressing vaccination.

So, thats the kind of healthcare we want, taking that beyond the pandemic context, we need to move more care upstream, with community health workers, with assistance from apps and digital technology to help identify people who have risk factors and meet them where they are. [] Moving beyond traditional medical services to address social needs all of that is hard to do without moving away from traditional fee-for-service.

So thats why the report makes some very strong recommendations for the pandemic and beyond, to accelerate the adoption of alternative payment models.

Dr. Blumenthal: How can the federal government assist healthcare systems in actively confronting and fighting racism and building back trust among populations of color?

Karen Dale, RN, MSN: In order to build trust, I often say [] that health happens at the speed at which trust exists or is being built. If you are simply going to tell me what I should do and how I should do it, and Ive never had a seat at the table in the design, the discussion about the policies and its implications, [] then Im not sure I will trust you.

We also need to reckon with our history of racism in this country, and not try to wash it away but, rather, face it squarely. And when we do that, we acknowledge that its not that everyone is a bad person because they have bias, but we know that we have bias, and thats a human trait. However, being aware enough, and making changes in our practice, our behaviors, and our decisions thats where the rubber hits the road.

[The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)] should have an office of engagement, which is one of our recommendations, so that were saying: Its required for you to engage and have those whom you serve at the table! It changes the conversation.

We know over years of research and just from looking at corporations that, when you have diverse boards and leadership, it makes a huge difference in how decisions are made and what the decisions look like.

So, having this office of engagement would be huge to send that message. We can also do more and have more requirements around collecting data, using data and sharing it, and being much more transparent with the information we gain over time about the disparities and the plans of improvement.

When all of that is right out there, we can have meaningful discussion, we can talk about change, and it will all [improve] the trust of those we intend to serve.

Dr. Blumenthal: How can the pay-for-value system be adapted to promote health equity?

Dr. Mark McClellan, MD, Ph.D.: [M]ost of the efforts that have looked at [defining value] carefully do include equity as a high priority. [] The recommendations in our report include putting a bigger emphasis on setting up programs in a way that reflects the input and participation of those they serve. []

If [we are using] measures for accountability, [] that accountability should include accountability for equity.[]

If we had more explicit measures built-in, and designed our value-based care reforms and the payment reforms to support them, to reinforce taking those on directly, just imagine how much more progress we could make!

So, whether its vaccination in the COVID context, or maternal mortality, or cardiovascular disease outcomes, or access to [] substance use disorder care, you can imagine a limited number of measures that could really change how the value-based system takes these on directly.

Karen Dale, RN, MSN: [In our report w]eve included some process measures around social care so, are you referring those patients who are facing food insecurity, who need certain items such as diapers, etc.? so we have those other measures to capture whether this practice is focused on the social care component more holistically.

Health inequities affect all of us differently. Visit our dedicated hub for an in-depth look at social disparities in health and what we can do to correct them.

If we share the data with that practice [], if we share our analysis to say, based on race, ethnicity, language, and other factors, heres a report for you where you have clear disparities, if were doing that on an aggregate level over our membership [] just in the same way that were sending them report cards about how theyre doing on their value-based measures, [] then were giving them information that they didnt necessarily have before.

And if we provide them with tailored technical assistance, then [the practices] are now getting the support they need, the coaching, and the ability to see how theyre doing with creating change.

[I]f we reduce some of the administrative burden, [practices] have more time to look at data and [continue to improve] in terms of their outcomes.

Prof. Blumenthal: What are some of the things that we could do to strengthen primary care and get them to participate in the vaccination of their panel?

Dr. Julian Harris, MD, MBA: [W]e have an opportunity to broaden the pipeline, particularly as we think about expanding representation from communities of color among the ranks of physicians, [and] across all of the subsectors or subspecialties within medicine.

I think primary care is particularly challenging because of the way that weve structured reimbursement. [W]e can significantly increase what we reimburse or how we compensate primary care providers if theyre doing all the right things to both improve quality for the patients that they serve and help them manage the health of populations.

If we think about the delta between reimbursement for primary care versus specialty care, it really is a deterrent for students who have significant student loan debt, who have to make trade-off decisions, and who, in many cases, may be the first person in their family to go to college, not to mention to pursue a graduate degree.

Some of the things we need to do to make primary care more broadly attractive will also help actually diversify those who end up selecting primary care as their chosen profession, because were closing that gap between primary and specialty care.

This enables folks to make different kinds of trade-off decisions as they think about how to close what is an economic and wealth gap in the country as well, between communities of color and others.

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

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Rebuilding trust after COVID-19: U.S. healthcare experts weigh in - Medical News Today

Registered nurse Beth Day is known for her tireless work and commitment to helping others.Taking on long hours and extended shifts amid the worst months of the pandemic, she loves what she does, never expecting to be thanked, in such a big way."I'm very grateful to be able to do this, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people," Day said.Day and three other TriHealth nurses are headed to the 2021 Super Bowl. They're just four of nearly 7,500 vaccinated front-line health care workers that'll attend the big game with free tickets and game day experiences directly from the NFL."I've been to a couple of Bengals games but nothing that was of any significance like the Super Bowl," Day said.Nurse Manager Stephanie Long helped select Day for this major opportunity. She'll be representing TriHealth's Good Sam hospital at Evendale."I've worked with Beth for 10 years, she always has a positive attitude, always willing to do anything you need her to do," Long said. "With all the COVID chaos she was willing to go anywhere that was needed."Soon she'll be off to Tampa, rooting on her team of choice."The Chiefs, all the way!" Day said.Knowing her efforts to keep people safe played a small part in making a game like this one, even possible.

Registered nurse Beth Day is known for her tireless work and commitment to helping others.

Taking on long hours and extended shifts amid the worst months of the pandemic, she loves what she does, never expecting to be thanked, in such a big way.

"I'm very grateful to be able to do this, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people," Day said.

Day and three other TriHealth nurses are headed to the 2021 Super Bowl.

They're just four of nearly 7,500 vaccinated front-line health care workers that'll attend the big game with free tickets and game day experiences directly from the NFL.

"I've been to a couple of Bengals games but nothing that was of any significance like the Super Bowl," Day said.

Nurse Manager Stephanie Long helped select Day for this major opportunity. She'll be representing TriHealth's Good Sam hospital at Evendale.

"I've worked with Beth for 10 years, she always has a positive attitude, always willing to do anything you need her to do," Long said. "With all the COVID chaos she was willing to go anywhere that was needed."

Soon she'll be off to Tampa, rooting on her team of choice.

"The Chiefs, all the way!" Day said.

Knowing her efforts to keep people safe played a small part in making a game like this one, even possible.

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4 Cincinnati health care workers awarded free trip to 2021 Super Bowl - WLWT Cincinnati

At the end of December 2019 and through early January 2020, Chinese health authorities repeatedly told the public that the outbreak of what would come to be known as COVID-19 was under control and that there was no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.

But in the new FRONTLINE documentary Chinas COVID Secrets, a health care worker from Wuhan Central Hospital, one of the hospitals hardest hit in the pandemics early weeks, says it was an open secret among hospital workers that the disease, which authorities were then calling a viral pneumonia, was spreading from person to person.

Everyone knew it was human-to-human transmission. Even a fool would know, the interviewee says. FRONTLINE is protecting the individuals identity because Wuhans health care professionals have been forbidden from talking to international media without authorization.

So, why say there is no human transmission? This made us very confused. Very confused and very angry, the interviewee says.

It was not until January 20, 2020, that the Chinese government confirmed human-to-human transmission of the virus, but the Wuhan Central Hospital worker began suspecting it around the 5th or 7th of January there were so many people who had a fever. The interviewee said that by the 9th or 10th, the hospitals respiratory department was full: I realized that this thing had become big. It was out of control.

This interview marks the first time someone from Wuhan Central Hospital has spoken to international journalists about what was happening in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak. According to the health care worker, as Chinese government officials and leading respiratory experts downplayed the virus to the public, hospital leaders prevented doctors and nurses from sounding the alarm.

The hospital told us that that we werent allowed to speak to anyone. They wouldnt even let us wear masks. They said they were afraid of causing panic among the patients, the health care worker told FRONTLINE in the above excerpt.

Some health care professionals later told Chinese media they tried voicing concerns to the authorities, but local and provincial officials ignored them. As the documentary notes, the period cited by the Wuhan Central Hospital worker coincided with 12 days of annual political meetings in Wuhan attended by city and provincial officials.

There are indications that Wuhan city officials did not want information about this outbreak to spread, because, you know, they really want things to go as smooth as possible to make themselves look good, AP reporter Dake Kang says in the above excerpt.

There also could have been an order from the top down where they were saying, you know, basically, Get this under control but dont tell anyone, because we dont wanna alarm anyone. Its very possible that there was kind of a systemic failure, Kang says. Its a perfect storm of multiple failures happening at the same time in different parts of the government bureaucracy.

FRONTLINE reached out to the local and provincial governments for comment but did not receive a response. Chinas central government insists it took the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough measures in responding to the coronavirus and acted in a timely manner. The government also said that on Jan. 7, 2020, President Xi Jinping issued epidemic response instructions, although the details of those instructions have not been made public. By the time Chinas government confirmed human-to-human transmission of COVID-19 on Jan. 20, 2020, the virus had spread beyond Chinas borders.

The health care workers account is just one element of new reporting in Chinas COVID Secrets. Premiering Feb. 2, the documentary draws on leaked documents, secret recordings and firsthand accounts to reveal the gulf between what Chinese scientists and officials knew in the early weeks of the outbreak and what they told the world.

I believe that the true history needs to be remembered, the health care worker says. We need to learn the lessons so that this doesnt happen again.

For the full story, watch Chinas COVID Secrets, a coproduction with the BBC directed and produced by Jane McMullen. The documentary premieres Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, at 10/9c on PBS stations (check local listings). It will also be available to stream in FRONTLINEs online collection of documentaries, on YouTube and in the PBS Video App.

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'Out of Control': Wuhan Health Care Worker Sheds New Light on How COVID's Early Days Really Unfolded in China - FRONTLINE

SCITUATE, R.I. (WPRI) Holley Tucker received the surprise of a lifetime last week.

The Scituate resident and manager at one of the states field hospitals learned Friday that she was one of 76 New Englanders invited to attend Super LV in Tampa this Sunday.

Tucker and 75 other health care workers from all six New England states were invited by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Its an honor for us to celebrate these health care workers by giving them a well-deserved break for a day and an opportunity to enjoy the Super Bowl, a reality that is only made possible because of vaccines, Kraft said in a statement. We hope that in doing so, others are also encouraged to get vaccinated as they are able.

Last month, the NFL announced they were inviting approximately 7,500 vaccinated health care workers to the game as a way to thank and honor them for their service throughout the pandemic.

We want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of the health care heroes who have risked their well-being to ensure ours. They are truly superheroes to us, Kraft said.

Tucker, who has worked at several of Lifespans hospitals throughout the pandemic including the field hospital in Providence, said while the past year hasnt been easy, this reward was unexpected.

I had no idea, Tucker said. I was totally overcome by every emotion I cant believe it.

Its been a really challenging year, its really pushed us to our limits, she continued.

Tucker and the other selected health care workers will board the Patriots plane and head to Tampa Sunday morning.

Once they arrive, the health care workers will attend the NFL TikTok Tailgate concert, which is being headlined by Miley Cyrus.

Tucker said while shes been to a Patriots play-off game, she never expected she would see a Super Bowl.

When asked who shes rooting for, the Patriots fan said its tough call, but she will always have love for Tom Brady.

Hes a very talented quarterback, she said. Hes won six Super Bowls for us, so how can you be mad? Both quarterbacks are very talented and both teams are very talented, so Im excited to watch them both play. I think they both have a lot to prove as one starts his career and one ends his career. Either way, its going to be a fantastic game.

Tucker also told 12 News this Friday is her birthday. She said this is one of the best birthday presents shes ever received.

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RI field hospital nurse one of 75 New England health care workers to attend the big game - WPRI.com

While LA County is dealing with COVID-19 vaccination problems such as short supplies, long lines, and a complicated sign-up system, its a different story in Long Beach. There, the city is already vaccinating teachers and grocery store workers. Thats on top of health care workers, long-term care residents and staff, and people 65 and older. Long Beach has its own public health department, so it can set different rules than the rest of the county.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia tells KCRW that vaccination shots have gone to 6500 educators from Long Beach Unified School District, plus 500-600 key staff at the citys community college. On Monday, critical frontline and custodial staff at California State University Long Beach got shots too.

The education sector, along with some of the privates and the independent schools, has been going really well. And something we're really proud of here in the city is getting more teachers vaccinated, he says.

If campuses are going to open for in-person classes, teachers and stuff must be vaccinated, and the supply right now is a big question, Garica says.

We really need more supply from the feds. And certainly the state's working on that. If we were able to vaccinate, let's say our K-12 teachers or K-5 teachers, I think we're much more likely to have some type of campus reopening this semester. But it's really going to be dependent on the school district, on the teachers, and how safe folks feel.

He adds what also matters are personal protective equipment and proper ventilation in classrooms.

Health care and food service workers

Health care workers are for the most part done, or over half of them are on their second doses. We have 100% of our skilled care facilities are done and staff and residents are all of course on their second dosage right now, Garcia says.

The city has also vaccinated its firefighters, police officers, emergency service workers. Now the concentration is on teachers and food workers.

We're moving right now into second doses. But we continue every single day, also focused on that 65-plus population. And you're just not hearing some of the same horror stories that you're hearing [from] other places across the country of the state.

How was Long Beach able to do this so quickly?

We made a decision early on that I think was really important. And when vaccines first started coming in, a lot of health jurisdictions made these decisions about, Well we're going to take what comes in, and we're going to plan it out over a certain period of time, so we don't run out. We're going to plan the next three weeks out and set aside this many per day for the next three weeks, Garcia recalls.

He explains Long Beachs different approach: We got the vaccine, and we said, Let's run out like tomorrow. Let's get it out as fast as possible. And if we run out, that is a good problem to have. And so that is a riskier approach in some ways. But it's worked for us. And so it's given us the opportunity to get the vaccine out the door faster and move through the tiers quicker.

Size is another factor. The city of Long Beach is smaller than the city of LA, and Long Beachs health department is smaller than LA Countys.

I mean, I have a lot of love and support for the leaders of the county system right now. They're doing a huge, huge amount of work and getting all these folks vaccinated. But yes, having our own health department allows us to make decisions faster and move quicker, and quite frankly, correct problems as they arise, Garcia says.

Supply is Long Beachs biggest challenge

We are vaccinating what comes in. But we could be vaccinating 10 times what we're doing right now if we had just more vaccines, and so we would be flying through all of these tiers. So whatever comes in, we get out the door, says Garcia.

He says hes hopeful about more organization happening at the federal level, and that Gov. Gavin Newsom has made changes in the last week or two that will allow vaccines to move more quickly statewide.

Hero pay and grocery store closures

The company Kroger says it's closing two stores in Long Beach after the city mandated hero pay a $4 per hour raise for grocery store workers during the pandemic. The raise is temporary, but 200 people could lose their jobs because of store closures.

It's completely just wrong and really shameful that this is what Kroger is doing. The supermarket chains are doing better than they ever have. And anyone that's gone into a grocery store and seen one of these workers, how can you look someone in the eye and tell them that they don't deserve a few extra dollars an hour as hazard pay during this pandemic? says Garcia. Hazard pair, heroes pay was something that supermarkets were doing over the summer when the situation was not even as bad as it is today.

He says the Long Beach City Council unanimously adopted this extra pay and he signed it into law. Immediately they took us to court, they tried to get a temporary restraining order. They lost. The judge did not grant their temporary restraining order on the ordinance. And now, we are going to continue to go to court later this month to protect these workers.

He adds that Long Beach will also work with people who might lose their jobs and try to get them placement at other stores or whatever support they need.

He says theres overwhelming support across the state. Just since we passed heroes pay, the city of Los Angeles adopted it. Oakland just adopted it last night. San Jose just adopted it last night. And there's a handful of other cities that are looking to do the same. So this is a movement across the state. And it's absolutely the right thing to do.

Kroger says these two stores were failing anyway, and that Long Beachs action overstepped their traditional management union bargaining process.

Yes. And they also said, I believe in their press release, that they're linking closure of the stores to the heroes' pay. So I think what they're saying is they would rather not pay and support their workers. We're going to be in court later this month, says Garcia.

A personal loss for Mayor Garcia

Garcia's mom and stepfather died of COVID-19 this past summer.

My mom was a health care worker. And so kind of her advice, even before the pandemic, and the way that she cared about science and about doing the right thing and supporting medicine, I think has really strengthened my ability to actually do the job, says Garcia.

I tell people all the time that when I see someone getting a vaccine, I view that as an opportunity to see that person's life, and that is a life-saving opportunity. And I know that my mom as a health care worker would have been at the front of the line getting her vaccination. And so I wake up thinking every day, you know, what can I do to help people, keep everyone and their family together?

Originally posted here:

Long Beach moves from vaccinating health care workers to teachers. Mayor says their strategy is different from other cities - KCRW

Washington President Biden on Thursday signed a series of health care-related directives he described as reversing "the damage" done by former President Donald Trump, which including taking action to rescind and target anti-abortion rules.

"I'm not initiating any new law, any new aspect of the law," Mr. Biden said in brief remarks from the Oval Office.

The president said he is "restoring the Affordable Care Act and restoring the Medicaid to the way it was before Trump became president, which by fiat he changed, made more inaccessible, more expensive and more difficult for people to qualify for either of those two items."

Mr. Biden's executive order allows for HealthCare.gov, the federal health insurance marketplace, to open for a special enrollment period from February 15 to May 15, which will allow Americans more time to sign up for health insurance coverage. The order also directs federal agencies to review rules and policies to ensure they do not hinder Americans' access to health care, such as those that may reduce affordability of health coverage or undermine the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

Mr. Biden also issued a presidential memorandum unwinding the Mexico City Policy, known as the global gag rule, which prohibits U.S. dollars from flowing to international non-governmental organizations that provide abortions, advocate to legalize and expand abortion access, or provide abortion counseling.

The rule dates back to 1984, under President Ronald Reagan, but has been revoked and reinstated by Democratic and Republican administrations, respectively. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama rescinded the policy, while Mr. Trump re-enacted and expanded it.

Mr. Biden's memorandum also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to review potentially dismantling a similar policy in the U.S. that bars money from Title X from going to health care centers that provide abortion services.

The president, who was vice president when Obamacare was enacted, vowed during his presidential campaign to protect and expand the 2010 health care law, as a group of Republican states and the Trump administration fought to kill Obamacare in a case pending before the Supreme Court. Mr. Biden has stressed that the coronavirus pandemic underscores the need for access to health care.

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Biden signs executive orders to expand health care access - CBS News

Pune, India, Feb. 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report, Healthcare Analytics market size is projected reach USD 80.21 billion by 2026. Global Healthcare Analytics market was USD 11.59 billion in 2018 and is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 27.5% during the forecast period set between 2019 to 2026.

Healthcare analytics market in North America was valued at USD 53.44 billion in 2018 and is also ex-pected to observe the highest growth during forecast period.

Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/healthcare-analytics-market-102641

Developed Healthcare Infrastructure to Facilitate Growth

The emergence of big data in healthcare can be a vital factor in boosting the healthcare analytics market revenue during the forecast period. Moreover, the rising venture capital investments by major companies will contribute positively to the healthcare analytics market trends in the forthcoming years. For instance, Cigna Ventures, a venture capital fund company invested $29.5M in Arcadia, a healthcare data and software company. The new development of Arcadia will help enhance patient care and adoption of value-based care models along with access to resources and tools to health care professionals

Cerner Corporation, an American health information technology solutions and services company launched a trailblazing platform, project Apollo. The new cognitive platform will provide computing resources to its healthcare users. The cloud-based automation platform is built on AWS infrastructure for speedy innovations to eliminate manual steps that cast obstructions for new advancement. The launch of the platform will have a positive impact on the healthcare analytics market share owing to the its next-gen technology for healthcare clients. The launch of the platform will have a positive impact on the healthcare analytics market share owing to the its next-gen technology for healthcare clients. Moreover, the deal between the Cerner and Geisinger will bolster healthy growth of the market during the forecast period.

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT:

Click here to get the short-term and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on this Market.

Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/healthcare-analytics-market-102641

Big Data is Transforming Healthcare Analytics Market

The advancement in technologies along with growing venture capital funding will aid the market in the region. Moreover, the adoption of electronic health records and presence of eminent players in the region. Europe is expected to hold a major share in the global market owing to the rising emphasis on healthcare and favorable reimbursement policies.

Asia Pacific is predicted to witness steady growth due to the growing awareness and adoption of healthcare analytics. Moreover, the developing healthcare infrastructure and high spending on healthcare will contribute positively to the market in Asia Pacific.

Quick Buy - Healthcare Analytics Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/102641

The government backing for the technological developments in the healthcare sector is boosting healthcare analytics market. Moreover, huge investments are being made in digital healthcare organi-zations for the development of several products and solutions such as mhealth apps, IOT based healthcare solutions, electronic health records and big data analytics.

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Global Healthcare Analytics Market Segmentations:

By Product

By Application

By End User

By Geography

North America (U.S. and Canada)

Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, and Rest of Europe)

Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America)

Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC and Rest of Middle East & Africa)

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Global Healthcare Analytics Market Worth USD 80.21 billion by 2026; Launch of Project Apollo by Cerner to Boost Market - GlobeNewswire

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the dedicated health care workers who were at the Raleigh County Convention Center on January 29, in 20-degree weather, to give the Covid vaccinations.

This event was so well organized and ran so smoothly it was unbelievable. Other states can learn from our example in West Virginia. A huge round of applause to the organizers and people in charge.

I know I felt like I won the lottery when I finally heard the phone ring and I was able to get an appointment for the vaccine. Hopefully, the new sign up on the Everbridge website will make things easier for others to get an appointment.

Again, a big thanks to those who made this event so successful.

Kathy Nordlund

Glen Morgan

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Kudos to health care workers at vaccination clinic - Beckley Register-Herald

Acquisition

Accenture Federal Services lost yet another protest in its effort to hold on to a contract operating the Healthcare.gov exchange that connects health insurance applicants to coverage available under the Affordable Care Act.

According to the Government Accountability Office, which adjudicates bid protests, Accenture's protest was denied because it was looking to alter the terms of the solicitation to favor its own incumbency.

Accenture initially obtained the business on a sole-source award made in 2013 in the wake of the troubled launch of the Healthcare.gov website. The company then won a five-year contract valued at more than $560 million to run the site that manages ACA enrollment and plan management.

In 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) put out a call for a new contract to manage the federally facilitated exchanges, which covers access for health insurance customers whose states don't offer their own portals to sign up for coverage. CMS made the offering as a task order on the agencys $25 billion Strategic Partners Acquisition Readiness Contract (SPARC) vehicle.

CMS picked Deloitte to take over the contract valued at just under $400 million in November 2019. Accenture protested in December and Deloitte was again awarded the contract in February 2020. That led to another protest and, eventually, CMS issued an amendment to the solicitation in Nov. 17, with proposals due on Dec. 7 at 2pm. According to the timeline provided by GAO's decision, Accenture filed its protest -- with certain arguments redacted -- just a few hours before proposals were due.

Accenture objected to the solicitation's criteria for evaluating contractor experience. The company argued that the operation of a state-based exchange did not qualify a bidder to run the larger federal exchange.

In November, CMS amended its solicitation to note that systems qualify as being of a similar size to the Healthcare.gov system if it "requires a similar amount of work to build and operate," even if it processes a smaller volume of transactions.

According to CMS, 36 states use the Healthcare.gov platform, while other states run their own exchanges. The federal system processed 8.2 million enrollments in the recently concluded 2021 open enrollment period.

CMS, according to the GAO decision, felt that the Accenture protest was made to "diminish the competitiveness of offerors whose experience is limited to operating state-based health insurance exchanges."

GAO took the point. "Accenture is not prejudiced by this provision -- other than the 'prejudice' of potentially facing more meaningful competition," Armstrong wrote in his decision. GAO also noted that the protest was premature, since it was not yet known how CMS will evaluate the experience of offerors in light of the November amendment to the solicitation.

Accenture also argued in its protest that the revised solicitation doesn't take into account a "surge of new customers" brought in by the coronavirus pandemic. That argument wasn't specifically addressed in the decision. The Biden administration announced last week a new ACA special enrollment period from Feb. 15 to May 15 to attract underinsured and uninsured Americans to the program.

About the Author

Adam Mazmanian is executive editor of FCW.

Before joining the editing team, Mazmanian was an FCW staff writer covering Congress, government-wide technology policy and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Prior to joining FCW, Mazmanian was technology correspondent for National Journal and served in a variety of editorial roles at B2B news service SmartBrief. Mazmanian has contributed reviews and articles to the Washington Post, the Washington City Paper, Newsday, New York Press, Architect Magazine and other publications.

Click here for previous articles by Mazmanian. Connect with him on Twitter at @thisismaz.

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Accenture rebuffed again in Healthcare.gov protest - FCW.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Change Healthcare Inc. (Nasdaq: CHNG) (the Company or Change Healthcare), a leading independent healthcare technology company, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended Dec. 31, 2020 of fiscal year 2021.

Our third quarter results demonstrate the strength of the Change Healthcare platform, and our ability to execute well on our growth strategy and financial objectives while navigating the pandemic, said Neil de Crescenzo, president and chief executive officer. During the quarter we saw continued demand across our platform. By advancing connectivity and driving innovation we have established a strong foundation to accelerate the delivery of the innovations and efficiencies essential to a brighter future for health care.

Fiscal 2021 Third Quarter Highlights:

Financial Summary

Recent Business Highlights

Impact of McKesson Exit on Comparability of Results

On March 10, 2020, Change Healthcare Inc. acquired the interest in Change Healthcare LLC (the Joint Venture) previously held by McKesson. The transaction resulted in Change Healthcare Inc. acquiring control of the Joint Venture, which was accounted for as a business combination and resulted in a new basis of accounting, and all of the business activities of the Joint Venture are now reported by the Company. Change Healthcare Inc. financial statements for periods prior to the acquisition were primarily limited to the equity method investment in the Joint Venture, and therefore did not reflect revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and other key measures. As a result, Change Healthcare does not consider comparison of the current operating results to the reported results of Change Healthcare Inc. for the same period in the prior year to be meaningful, and instead will compare our current quarter results to the prior quarter results of the Joint Venture, which have been recast to reflect the current segment structure, including the allocation of all corporate costs to the business units. This press release includes supplemental information for the recast results of the Joint Venture for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2019. The recast results for all quarters in fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2020 are available in the appendix to the earnings presentation and will be included as an exhibit to Change Healthcare Inc.s Form 10-Q.

Financial Results

Cash Flow and Balance Sheet Highlights

Net cash provided by operating activities was $487.2 million, free cash flow was $304.3 million, and adjusted free cash flow was $365.0 million, in each case, for the nine months ended December 31, 2020. For the nine months ended December 31, 2019, the Joint Venture reported net cash provided by operating activities, free cash flow, and adjusted free cash flow of $401.0 million, $213.8 million, and $324.9 million, respectively.

Net cash provided by operating activities, free cash flow, and adjusted free cash flow each is affected by pass-thru funds we receive from certain pharmaceutical industry participants in advance of our obligation to remit these funds to participating retail pharmacies. Such pass-thru funds on hand decreased by $10.1 million in the nine months ended December 31, 2020, reducing free cash flow for the period by that amount, and increased by $1.8 million for the Joint Venture for the nine months ended December 31, 2019. The increase in cash flow from operations, free cash flow, and adjusted free cash flow in the current period primarily resulted from improved working capital driven by strong collections.

The Company ended the quarter with approximately $137.4 million of cash and cash equivalents, and approximately $4,817.8 million of total debt. During the current period, the Company repaid $215.0 million on its Term Loan Facility.

Proposed Merger with OptumInsight

On January 5, 2021, OptumInsight (Optum), a diversified health services company and part of UnitedHealth Group, and Change Healthcare agreed to combine (the Merger). Under the terms of the merger agreement, Optum, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Change Healthcare common stock for $25.75 per share in cash. The Boards of Directors of both UnitedHealth Group and Change Healthcare have unanimously approved the terms of the Merger, and the Board of Directors of Change Healthcare has recommended that Change Healthcare shareholders adopt the merger agreement. The Merger is expected to be completed in the second half of 2021 and is subject to applicable regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.

Guidance

Due to the recently proposed Merger, we will no longer be providing financial guidance.

Webcast Information

Change Healthcare will host a conference call on Thursday, February 4, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. ET. Due to the previously announced transaction with OptumInsight, the Company will not be taking questions during the conference call.

Investors and other interested parties are invited to listen to the conference call via the Company's website at https://ir.changehealthcare.com/. The webcast will be available for on-demand listening at the aforementioned URL until February 4, 2022.

About Change Healthcare

Change Healthcare (Nasdaq: CHNG) is a leading independent healthcare technology company, focused on insights, innovation, and accelerating the transformation of the U.S. healthcare system through the power of the Change Healthcare Platform. We provide data and analytics-driven solutions to improve clinical, financial, administrative, and patient engagement outcomes in the U.S. healthcare system. Learn more at changehealthcare.com.

CHNG-IR

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Change Healthcare. Some of these statements can be identified by terms and phrases such as anticipate, believe, intend, estimate, expect, continue, could, should, may, plan, project, predict and similar expressions. Change Healthcare cautions readers of this press release that such forward looking statements, including without limitation, those relating to the timing of the proposed merger and Change Healthcares future business prospects, revenue, working capital, liquidity, capital needs, interest costs and income, wherever they occur in this press release or in other statements attributable to Change Healthcare, are necessarily estimates reflecting the judgment of Change Healthcares senior management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward looking statements.

Factors that could cause Change Healthcares actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement; the inability to complete the proposed merger due to the failure to obtain stockholder approval for the proposed merger or the failure to satisfy other conditions to completion of the proposed merger, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction; risks related to disruption of managements attention from Change Healthcares ongoing business operations due to the transaction; the effect of the announcement of the proposed merger on Change Healthcares relationships with its customers, operating results and business generally; the risk that the proposed merger will not be consummated in a timely manner; exceeding the expected costs of the merger; Change Healthcares ability to retain or renew existing customers and attract new customers; macroeconomic and industry trends and adverse developments in the debt, consumer credit and financial services markets; uncertainty and risks related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national and global economy, Change Healthcares business, suppliers, customers, and employees; Change Healthcares ability to connect a large number of payers and providers; Change Healthcares ability to provide competitive services and prices while maintaining its margins; further consolidation in end-customer markets; Change Healthcares ability to effectively manage costs; Change Healthcares ability to effectively develop and maintain relationships with channel partners; a decline in transaction volume in the U.S. healthcare industry; Change Healthcares ability to timely develop new services and the markets willingness to adopt new services; Change Healthcares ability to maintain access to its data sources; Change Healthcares ability to maintain the security and integrity of its data; Change Healthcares ability to deliver services timely without interruption; Change Healthcares ability to make acquisitions and integrate the operations of acquired businesses; government regulation and changes in the regulatory environment; economic and political instability in the U.S. and international markets where Change Healthcare operates; risks related to international operations; the ability of outside service providers and key vendors to fulfill their obligations to Change Healthcare; litigation or regulatory proceedings; Change Healthcares ability to protect and enforce its intellectual property, trade secrets and other forms of unpatented intellectual property; Change Healthcares ability to defend its intellectual property from infringement claims by third parties; changes in local, state, federal and international laws and regulations, including related to taxation; Change Healthcares reliance on key management personnel; Change Healthcares ability to manage and expand its operations and keep up with rapidly changing technologies; our adoption of new, or amendments to existing, accounting standards; losses against which Change Healthcare does not insure; Change Healthcares ability to make timely payments of principal and interest on its indebtedness; Change Healthcares ability to satisfy covenants in the agreements governing its indebtedness; Change Healthcares ability to maintain liquidity, and other risks. For a more detailed discussion of these factors, see the information under the captions Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Change Healthcares most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 4, 2020, and in Change Healthcares most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 5, 2020.

Change Healthcares forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release or as of the date they are made. Change Healthcare disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward looking statement made in this press release to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This press release may be deemed solicitation material in respect of the proposed acquisition of Change Healthcare by UnitedHealth Group. In connection with the proposed merger transaction, Change Healthcare will file with the SEC and furnish to Change Healthcares stockholders a proxy statement and other relevant documents. This filing does not constitute a solicitation of any vote or approval. Stockholders are urged to read the proxy statement when it becomes available and any other documents to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed merger or incorporated by reference in the proxy statement because they will contain important information about the proposed merger.

Investors will be able to obtain free of charge the proxy statement and other documents filed with the SEC at the SECs website at https://www.sec.gov. In addition, the proxy statement and Change Healthcares annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available free of charge through Change Healthcares website at https://ir.changehealthcare.com. as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.

The directors, executive officers and certain other members of management and employees of Change Healthcare may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders of Change Healthcare in favor of the proposed merger. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of Change Healthcare in connection with the proposed merger will be set forth in the proxy statement and the other relevant documents to be filed with the SEC. You can find information about the Companys executive officers and directors in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 and in its definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on July 16, 2020.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In the companys earnings releases, prepared remarks, conference calls, slide presentations and webcasts, there may be use or discussion of non-GAAP financial measures. We believe such measures provide supplemental information to investors with regards to our operating performance and assist investors ability to compare our financial results to those of other companies in the same industry. The GAAP financial measure most directly comparable to each non-GAAP financial measure used or discussed, and a reconciliation of the differences between the comparable GAAP financial measure and each non-GAAP financial measure are included in this press release after the consolidated financial statements. These non-GAAP financial measures are calculated and presented on the basis of methodologies other than in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered only as supplemental to, and not as superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and may be defined and calculated differently by others in the same industry.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

Quarter to Date

(unaudited and amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

Three Months Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2019

Change Healthcare Inc.

ChangeHealthcare LLC

Revenue:

Solutions revenue

$

735,264

$

$

752,533

Postage revenue

49,877

55,693

Total revenue

785,141

Excerpt from:

Change Healthcare Inc. Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2021 Financial Results - Business Wire

ZEISS provides quality assurance solutions delivering meaningful information on parts dimensions, component behavior and defect detection (ZEISS).

Oberkochen, Germany, and Redmond, Wash., October 7, 2020 Today, ZEISS Group and Microsoft Corp. announced a multi-year strategic partnership to accelerate ZEISS transformation into a digital services provider that is embracing a cloud-first approach. By standardizing its equipment and processes on Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform, ZEISS will be able to provide its customers with enhanced digital experiences, address changing market needs more quickly and increase its productivity.

Leveraging Azure high-performance compute, AI, and IoT services, ZEISS will work with Microsoft to provide original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with new quality management solutions, enable microchip manufacturers to build more powerful, energy-efficient microchips, and deliver new digital healthcare solutions for improved clinical workflows, enhanced treatments, and device maintenance. Furthermore, ZEISS will create a seamless experience for its customers through one digital platform and manage all digital ZEISS products through one cloud-native platform to enhance continuous and agile product development.

Microsofts datacenter regions around the globe help meet the regional needs of ZEISS customers while delivering against highest security, privacy and resiliency standards. ZEISS will build on Microsofts experience in software development to grow its own digital capabilities while helping Microsoft enhance its customer-driven product innovation through deep industry insights.

Connected quality platform drives industrial efficiency

Initially, ZEISS will enable its solutions in the Industrial Quality & Research segment to be run on a connected quality platform built on Azure, allowing direct integration into the customers production process. The platform will help gain business insights and foster collaboration across domains, assets and processes that have traditionally been managed in siloed, proprietary systems.

ZEISS provides metrology and quality assurance solutions delivering meaningful information on parts dimensions, component behavior and defect detection. Real-time and large-scale analysis of data that is collected at all stages of the manufacturing process is key to efficient and effective quality assurance, tightly integrated with todays and tomorrows IoT-enabled production processes.

Quality is also a key objective of a new ZEISS audit trail solution, initially focused on highly regulated manufacturing industries, such as medical technology which is particularly sensitive to quality assurance. The solution will allow customers to identify root causes and react quickly on quality issues to reduce down-time and keep productivity up. The software will allow customers to track, trace, visualize and analyze process and product data with the help of Azure AI services to identify failure root causes more quickly.

High-performance computing enables more powerful, energy-efficient microchips

The ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology segment (SMT) enables chip manufacturers worldwide to produce smaller, more powerful, more affordable and more energy-efficient microchips which are used in essentially every technical device today. Optical lithography applying deep ultra violet (DUV) and even extreme ultra violet (EUV) light allows to manufacture chips at structure sizes 4,000 times thinner than a human hair or, more scientifically, at single-digit nanometer sizes. Lithography systems include extremely complex and ultra-precisely shaped aspherical lenses (DUV) and mirrors (EUV). ZEISS SMT is a technological leader in this field of the semiconductor industry. Especially the development of next-generation, so-called High-NA EUV systems requires the most complex optical calculations calling for massive compute power.

Using Azure high-performance compute capabilities, ZEISS is now able to dynamically burst to the cloud to complement its sophisticated on-premises high-performance computing cluster and handle peaks more efficiently. Such capabilities enable the development of future leading-edge EUV lithography tools. Optical lithography and especially EUV technology advancements are driving digitalization and are keeping Moores Law alive for many years to come.

Data-driven healthcare solutions improve patient care

ZEISS Medical Technology provides comprehensive solutions for ophthalmic professionals and microsurgeons, consisting of devices, implants, consumables and services. Through the partnership, ZEISS will connect its medical technology to Microsofts cloud and leverage Azure AI and IoT technologies for new digital services such as improved clinical workflows, enhanced treatments, and device maintenance in a secure environment that enables compliance with regulatory requirements in the health industry. These solutions will help improve the quality of life of patients and drive progress, efficiency and access to healthcare.

Cloud-native ZEISS platforms enhance customer experience and boost internal productivity

ZEISS Digital Innovation Partners and ZEISS Corporate IT already partner very closely with Microsoft and will further intensify and scale this partnership going forward. Together with Microsoft, ZEISS Corporate IT has developed a cloud-native digital integration platform running on Azure to integrate all customer-facing digital ZEISS products into ZEISS Enterprise IT. ZEISS can apply the latest technology developments and share its manufacturing and medical technology insights at the same time to support Microsofts customer-driven product innovations.

ZEISS Digital Innovation Partners builds on these integration capabilities and uses Azure cloud and DevOps services to enable a seamless and coherent end-to-end digital journey for ZEISS customers, for example quality experts and eyecare professionals. The digital customer interaction platform MY ZEISS will integrate various customer-facing solutions into one platform so that customers can easily manage their Zeiss touchpoints through one central web application.

As a global leader in optics and optoelectronics, ZEISS is committed to digitally enable its customers business models, products, and services. We are proud to join forces with Microsoft in our quest to apply precision optics, IoT capabilities, artificial intelligence and machine learning to the most demanding processes in healthcare and manufacturing, says Dr. Karl Lamprecht, ZEISS President and CEO. Improving the patients life and doctors work and driving industrial quality assurance in the production process have always been top of mind for us. We are taking our expertise to the next digital level together with Microsoft, a leading innovator and provider of digital technologies.

Zeiss is driving innovations across industries to improve the quality of individual lives and create industrial efficiencies by overcoming data silos and integrating digital experiences, said Scott Guthrie, Executive Vice President Cloud + AI at Microsoft. Harnessing the power of Microsofts cloud, AI and IoT services, ZEISS is transforming into a leading digital services provider.

ZEISS and Microsoft will also explore opportunities to collaborate and co-innovate across other ZEISS segments and units including Consumer Markets, ZEISS Ventures and Corporate Research and Technology.

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling more than 6.4 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2019).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the worlds leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The companys significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS technology and market leadership.

With over 31,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 60 sales and service companies, 30 production sites and 25 development sites. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at http://www.zeiss.com

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq MSFT @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Microsoft Media Relations

WE Communications for Microsoft(425) 638-7777rrt@we-worldwide.com

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ZEISS partners with Microsoft for better patient care through data-driven healthcare and to enhance quality and efficiency in manufacturing - Stories...

The city of Chicago on Tuesdayannounced $8 million in grants to 32 organizations to expand mental health care servicesat 20 clinics around the city. The move comes after years of debate over city-run clinics that were shut down during the administration of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. But Tuesdays announcement also included news about mental health services for some of Chicagos most vulnerable residents.

The city plans to set aside $1.6 million a year in federal funds to provide mental health services to Chicagoans experiencing homelessness. The money will go to Lawndale Christian Health Center and Heartland Alliance Health to work with people living in encampments and in shelters.

Were already there in the shelters, but this will allow us to expand to additional shelters, said Ed Stellon, executive director of Heartland Alliance Health. It will also allow us to add more services, especially a lot more behavioral health services.

Its part of a holistic approach, addressing not just mental and physical health care, but other factors that play into health, like safety, housing and access to food.

Behavioral health is a big driver of all of this, Stellon said. If Im also hearing voices, or Im incredibly sad and depressed and down it might not be the priority to take care of myself.

(WTTW News)

Even when they cant serve people in person, Heartland wants to use some of the funding on telehealth services.

We can meet that need, even if we have to be remote because of the pandemic, or just because were not there that day, Stellon said.

Heartland works in about 20 shelters on the citys North and South sides. Lawndale Christian Health Center works in about a dozen West Side shelters. LCHC is also planning to use the money to bring in behavioral health and primary care providers and to work on COVID-19 infection control and testing.

Its really going to be an all-out effort to see how we can take care of some of the most vulnerable that we have in our society, said Dr. Thomas Huggett, director of mobile health for Lawndale Christian Health Center.

Its also a way to address the inequities that have long plagued Chicago. Huggett says when the city housed people at high risk during the pandemic in hotel rooms, 70% were African American. It really is a racial equity issue, he said. We want to make sure that folks experiencing homelessness really get the services that they need and deserve.

Working on the West Side, Huggett is keenly aware of the epidemic within the pandemic: opioid overdose deaths, the vast majority of which are related to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is many times stronger than morphine.

As we are improving our psychiatry care, we also want to improve our care of folks who are suffering with opioid use disorder to make sure they get the medications and the support that they really need in their recovery process, Huggett said.

See the rest here:

New Funding to Bring Mental Health Care to Homeless Shelters, Encampments - WTTW News

While RSM's analysis isn't broken down by industry, healthcare has clearly been a big beneficiary. On Tuesday, Medicare Advantage startup Clover Health announced it will go public through a $3.7 billion merger with the SPAC Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp. III. Last week, telehealth provider Hims, Inc. said it will go public through a $1.6 billion combination with Oaktree Capital Management, also a SPAC. In July, acute-care telemedicine provider SOC Telemed revealed it, too, will go public using SPAC Healthcare Merger Corp. in a combination worth $720 million.

The investment bank Jefferies said Tuesday there have been 16 SPAC transactions focused on the healthcare industry so far 2020.

In their IPO paperwork, SPACs outline the type of company they're looking to buy, such as health IT or life sciences. Federal securities law prohibits them from naming specific targets or reaching out to target companies before they go public.

The shift to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown digital health technology to be indispensable and has triggered a wave of renewed interest among investors.

Countless patients and providers have used digital health services for the first time during the pandemic, and have realized it can work in many cases, Wolf said. Other aspects of patients' lives, such as shopping, school and dining are customized and convenient.

"Except perhaps the most important part of our lives," he said. "People are recognizing this and pouring money into it."

There's a number of reasons behind the recent rise in SPAC IPOs. Perhaps the biggest is the pandemic-induced volatility in the stock market and leveraged loans market. With many companies struggling to raise capital the old-fashioned way, they've turned to SPACs.

The typical IPO process involves a lot of risk, cost and time. First off, there's a drawn-out underwriting process where bankers price the shares. Executives then hit the road to charm investors. After all that, they could have a bad day when their stocks officially hit the market, said Albert Vanderlaan, a partner in Orrick's technology companies and capital markets groups.

"They've effectively de-risked and taken the IPO book-building process of out of it without having to go through that level of uncertainty that's attributed to the capital markets for an IPO," he said.

With a SPAC, the process of going public is faster and quieter, Wolf said.

"There's a lot of uncertainty with the traditional IPO process," he said. "But with the SPAC, you've already raised all this money and you just come up to me and say, 'We'll buy you.' It's more of a private conversation."

Another factor is the uptick in public market valuations. While previously there wasn't much added benefit to going through the IPO process, valuations being at an all-time high means more companies want to tap into that, Watson said. The temporary closure of the leveraged loans market in the second quarter also made it very difficult to execute private equity buyouts, she said.

Another plus for SPACs is the fact that more reputable names are getting involved, as opposed to the 1990s and early 2000s, Vanderlaan said. Prominent hedge fund manager Bill Ackerman, for example, announced a $4 billion IPO for his SPAC, Pershing Square Tontine Holdings, Ltd., in July. And private equity firm Apollo Global Management's SPAC, Apollo Strategic Growth Capital, filed for an IPO worth $750 million last month.

Investors tend to feel more secure putting their money in SPACs because SPACs are required to spend the money raised through their IPOs within two years or return it to their investors, said John Washlick, a shareholder with Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney. They're also limited in how they can spend the money.

That said, investors still need to research the executives behind any SPAC they consider buying into, Washlick said. Investors should make sure those involved have good track records, especially in the industry they're targeting.

"Raising money is one thing, but what are you going to do with it?" he said. "How are you going to spend it responsibly so that my $10 becomes more than $10? I'm looking for a return on it, not to give it back."

Due diligence is equally important for companies looking at merging with SPACs. Experts recommend companies get a capital commitment and assurance they'll be able to keep their management team.

Many SPACs are subsidiaries of private equity firms. Much like private equity buyouts, there is wide variation in how much involvement the new owners will have in their companies, Watson said. Today's SPACs tend to be led by industry insiders who have expertise in the areas they're targeting, which can be a boon to the companies they buy. "Some are very hands on," Watson said. "Some make the investment and sit in the background."

For private equity-owned SOC Telemed, which provides telemedicine to more than 500 hospitals in 47 states, having access to the healthcare industry expertise within Healthcare Merger Corp.'s executive ranks was one draw behind the deal, said Paul Ricci, SOC Telemed's interim CEO. Another obvious one was the rapid access to capital, he said.

"Virtualized care became an important element of dealing with the pandemic and the pandemic revealed to people how flexible this class of care delivery is," Ricci said, "and therefore I think there is an accelerated focus on investments behind it."

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Healthcare companies cashing in on financing vehicle boom - Modern Healthcare