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👋🏼 Healthcare Innovators ❤️

👉🏼 Here in case you missed last week edition: From AI Transformation to Brain-Computer Interface Triumphs

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🌐 Healthcare | News

Walgreens Shuts Down VillageMD Clinics in Florida Amid Restructuring

Walgreens is closing its remaining VillageMD primary care clinics in Florida as part of a strategic exit from the state's market. The move aligns with the company's plan to shutter underperforming clinics and focuses on optimizing geographic density for enhanced care delivery. Approximately 40 clinics in Tampa and Orlando will cease operations on March 15. The decision comes as Walgreens aims to streamline its healthcare business, explore a potential sale of Shields Health Solutions, and undergo leadership changes. The fiscal year 2023 saw the company posting increased revenues of $139 billion but reported a loss of $3.08 billion. Read More

Pioneering Bioink Unleashes 3D-Printed "Heart on a Chip" for Personalized Medical Breakthroughs

Researchers from Université de Montreal's affiliated think tank have introduced a cutting-edge bioink designed for 3D printing "heart on a chip" devices. Comprising GelMA, AlgMA, and rGO nanomaterials, this composite bioink facilitates the precise replication of a human heart's electrical activity, mechanical properties, and physiology. The breakthrough enables the creation of scalable and accurate 3D-printed cardiac models, promising advancements in personalized heart disease understanding and drug development. The team's future endeavors include 3D printing heart models from patients' cells, opening avenues for highly individualized medical treatments for specific heart conditions.

In a survey highlighting 3D printing trends for 2024, experts emphasized the growing use of additive manufacturing in healthcare, particularly for crafting personalized medical tools and devices at the point of care. While this Montreal-based research isn't the first to develop a 3D-printed "heart on a chip," its innovative approach marks a significant leap forward in cardiac research, holding potential for transformative applications in personalized medicine and drug testing platforms. Read More

Navigating the Deluge: Patient Overwhelm with Appointment Reminders

As the healthcare landscape becomes more digitized, patients are grappling with an inundation of appointment reminders, spanning emails, texts, calls, and app notifications. While these reminders initially serve the purpose of ensuring patients attend appointments, the surge in digital noise raises concerns about information overload, potentially leading patients to overlook critical healthcare messages. Jon Freedman, a digital strategist with health care consulting firm Chartis, highlights the risk of patient fatigue if overloaded with messages, emphasizing the delicate balance required to maximize effectiveness without causing patients to disengage.

Economic pressures on healthcare providers, exacerbated by the pandemic, contribute to the heightened use of digital reminders. The analogy of doctors facing challenges similar to the airline industry in the '90s is drawn, emphasizing the cost of unused appointment slots. While the pandemic may influence patient behavior, data suggests that the length of time patients have to wait for appointments is a more significant factor in no-shows or cancellations. The article underscores the need for improved coordination among healthcare technology tools and emphasizes the importance of understanding patients' communication preferences to optimize reminder strategies. As the healthcare industry embraces digital solutions, finding ways to personalize and streamline patient communications becomes imperative to enhance patient engagement and overall healthcare experience. Read More

💰  Healthcare | Startups

Healia Revolutionizes Health Insurance for Dual-Income Families

Priyang, the founder of Healia, introduces a groundbreaking solution for the 41 million dual-income families in the United States facing the dilemma of high health insurance costs. Healia enables companies to cover the out-of-pocket expenses of employees who opt for their spouse's health insurance plan, providing significant cost savings for families, amounting to $10,000 per enrollee. The innovative product simplifies the process, allowing employees to seamlessly join their spouse's plan, and Healia takes care of account setup, employee education, and claims reimbursement. With 14 customers launched across 11 states and $206,000 in ARR, Healia proves its effectiveness in addressing the challenges faced by dual-income families and companies, making health insurance more affordable and offering a valuable employee perk for recruitment and retention efforts. Read More

IntuiTap Medical's VerTouch Device Granted FDA Clearance, Revolutionizing Spinal Punctures

Houston-based health tech startup, IntuiTap Medical, celebrates FDA clearance for its VerTouch medical device, signaling a major breakthrough in spinal puncture procedures. VerTouch, a handheld imaging tool, aims to enhance the accuracy and consistency of spinal punctures performed at a patient's bedside. The proprietary spinal-mapping technology generates a 2D image of lumbar spinal anatomy, providing healthcare providers with a visual guide for precise needle placement. With plans to roll out the device in U.S. hospitals within the next year and exploring global partnerships, IntuiTap's innovation is set to streamline and improve the safety of the 12.7 million annual epidurals, spinal blocks, or lumbar punctures conducted in the United States. Investors, including notable figures like Dr. Paul Klotman, Tim Draper, and Carrie Colbert, express confidence in the technology and its potential impact on women's healthcare. The FDA clearance marks a significant milestone in IntuiTap's mission to make spinal procedures more accurate and efficient. Read More

Axle Health Secures $4.2M in Seed Funding to Transform Home Health Workforce Management

Axle Health, a pioneering home health scheduling management software company, announces the successful closure of a $4.2 million seed round, revealed exclusively to Axios by CEO Adam Stansell. The funding round, led by Pear and featuring a second tranche led by Trac VC, comes at a crucial time as the home health sector grapples with a labor shortage and strives for more efficient scheduling to enhance provider recruitment and retention. Axle, part of Y Combinator's 2021 cohort, offers a comprehensive solution for healthcare providers, enabling seamless coordination of in-home health visits through its patient- and clinician-facing dashboard. The platform empowers providers to manage appointment availability, optimize clinician routing, and facilitates efficient communication between clinicians and patients. Axle's innovative approach gained traction during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, initially focusing on D2C at-home diagnostics. The company quickly surpassed $1 million in ARR within its first 12 months after launch. Read More

🕰️ Healthcare | News | Throughout History

February 22, 1922: Insulin, a breakthrough in diabetes treatment, is first used on a human patient. Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best successfully treat a 14-year-old boy with diabetes using insulin, revolutionizing the management of the condition.

February 23, 1954: The first mass inoculation of children against polio begins. Dr. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine is administered to over 4 million children in the United States, marking a pivotal moment in the fight against the crippling disease.

February 24, 1987: The FDA approves AZT (zidovudine) as the first treatment for HIV/AIDS. This antiretroviral drug represents a significant step in managing the virus, although subsequent developments in HIV/AIDS treatment continue to evolve.

February 26, 1975: The first successful kidney transplant from a living, unrelated donor takes place in the United States. Dr. David Hume leads the surgical team at the Medical College of Virginia in performing this groundbreaking transplant.

February 29, 1944: The first successful open-heart surgery is performed by Dr. John H. Gibbon Jr. Using a heart-lung machine of his own design, Gibbon repairs a congenital heart defect in an 18-year-old patient, laying the foundation for modern cardiac surgery.

🧠 Healthcare | AI | Tech

Survey Reveals 83% of Doctors Believe AI Can Alleviate Burnout

A survey by Athenahealth reveals that 93% of physicians experience burnout after working 15 hours beyond their regular schedule. In response, 83% believe artificial intelligence (AI) could alleviate industry challenges, particularly in reducing clerical work and enhancing efficiency. Concerns about the loss of the human touch are expressed by 60% of respondents, while 40% fear AI could complicate healthcare. Dr. Nele Jessel, Athenahealth’s Chief Medical Officer, emphasizes the need for AI to bring more advantages than complexities. The survey also highlights issues like insufficient in-person time with patients (60%) and staffing impacts on organizations (78%). Overwhelming clerical demands contribute to burnout, with 64% feeling overwhelmed, and 60% considering leaving the field, underscoring the urgency for AI adoption. The survey involved 1,003 doctors and was conducted by The Harris Poll. Read More

🧠 Healthcare | Giving

Montefiore's Albert Einstein College of Medicine Announces Historic Donation for Free Tuition

In a landmark development, Albert Einstein College of Medicine has received a transformative gift from Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D., Chair of the Einstein Board of Trustees, ensuring free tuition in perpetuity. This historic donation, the largest to any medical school in the country, aims to make medical education accessible to a diverse pool of talented individuals who might otherwise face financial barriers. Dr. Philip Ozuah, President and CEO of Montefiore Einstein, expresses gratitude, stating, "This donation radically revolutionizes our ability to continue attracting students who are committed to our mission, not just those who can afford it."

Ruth L. Gottesman's philanthropic vision, spanning a 55-year association with the College of Medicine, has played a crucial role in making Einstein an exemplary institution. Her dedication is evident as she notes, "I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Gottesman for this historic and transformational gift. I believe we can change healthcare history when we recognize that access is the path to excellence." The donation ensures that generations of healthcare leaders can pursue medical education without the burden of substantial student loans, furthering Einstein's mission of advancing human health. Read More

🗣️ Healthcare | Conferences | February | March

Feb. 27-29: America's Health Insurance Plans 2024 Executive Leadership Summit (Phoenix)

March 8-12: SXSW Health and MedTech Track 2024 (Austin, TX)

March 11-15: 2024 HIMSS Global Health Conference (Orlando, FL)

March 11-12: Fierce BD&L Summit for Life Sciences (San Francisco, CA)

March 12-15: Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) Executive Conference (Amelia Island, FL)

March 12-14: AHIP 2024 Medicare, Medicaid, Duals & Commercial Markets Forum (Baltimore, MD)

March 18-20: Fierce Trial Master File Summit (Savannah, GA)

March 21: STAT 2024 Breakthrough Summit East (NYC & virtual)

March 25-28: American College of Healthcare Executives Congress on Healthcare Leadership (Chicago, IL)

That’s all for this week.
The Pulse Disruption Team