Unleashing the Power of Wearables

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🌐 Healthcare | News

Walmart Shutters Healthcare Venture, Focusing on Core Pharmacy and Optical Businesses

In a pivotal decision, Walmart has announced the closure of its Walmart Health clinics and virtual care offering, citing an unsustainable business model amidst challenging reimbursement landscapes and escalating operational costs. The retail giant will shutter all 51 health centers across five states, impacting patients, staff, and communities. While Walmart will discontinue its foray into dedicated healthcare facilities, it remains committed to providing trusted health and wellness services through its nearly 4,600 pharmacies and over 3,000 vision centers nationwide. The company aims to prioritize continuity of care for patients and support for affected associates and providers during this transition. Read More

Major Healthcare Updates: New Hospital Leadership, Price Transparency Recognition, and Expansions

In healthcare leadership news, Jay deVenny has been appointed CEO of the renowned Medical City Dallas hospital, overseeing nearly 100 specialties with over 1,500 physicians and 3,300 employees. His prior roles at the hospital have driven growth in critical areas like pediatrics and neuroscience.

Meanwhile, 472 hospitals nationwide, including several in the Dallas-Fort Worth area from systems like Baylor Scott & White Health, CHRISTUS, and Texas Health, have been honored for exceptional patient safety and price transparency adherence by organizations like the Health Transformation Alliance and The Leapfrog Group.

In expansions, Texas Urology Specialists, a leading oncology practice, has welcomed 13 physicians and over 45 support staff from USMD, adding four new locations in Dallas and Fort Worth to their network across Texas' major metro areas.

Additionally, Texas Health Resources has been recognized as one of the nation's Best Employers for Excellence in Health & Well-being, marking the 15th time they've received this honor for their innovative and comprehensive employee benefits and wellness programs, including initiatives promoting health equity. Read More

FDA Recalls Defective Insulin Pump App That Injured Over 200 Diabetes Patients

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Class I recall, the most serious type, for version 2.7 of Tandem Diabetes Care's t:connect iOS mobile app used with their t:slim X2 insulin pumps. A software defect caused the app to repeatedly crash and drain the pump's battery prematurely, leading to over 200 reported injuries due to interrupted insulin delivery. While no deaths have been reported, severe hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis requiring hospitalization occurred in some cases. Tandem has released an updated version 2.7.1 to resolve the issue, and the FDA urges impacted users to confirm notification of the recall. Read More

Why Do Scientists Work For Free? - The Medical Futurist

Watch the Medical Futurist sharing what is obvious about his job, but is not obvious to others.

 🚀 HealthTech | Startups

Summer Health Raises $12M for Pediatric Telehealth Messaging Platform

Summer Health, a New York City-based pediatric telehealth messaging startup, has secured $11.65 million in a Series A funding round led by 7wire Ventures and Lux Capital, with participation from Sequoia Capital, Melinda French Gates' Pivotal Ventures, and others. The company offers text-based support from medical professionals for parents seeking guidance on primary, urgent, and developmental care for their children, addressing challenges like soaring child care costs and worsening pediatric mental health. With a direct-to-consumer offering at $45 per month and employer partnerships, Summer Health aims to provide accessible, on-demand pediatric support through its network of contracted and employed pediatricians and specialists. Read More

Houston Accelerator Seeks Biotech Startups for Virtual Program

BioWell, a Houston-based accelerator founded by First Bight Ventures, has launched a virtual program seeking its inaugural cohort of 10 bioindustrial startups. Funded by a $700,000 grant, the nine-month accelerator will provide selected seed and pre-seed stage companies with programming, mentorship, financial resources, and access to bioproduction facilities. BioWell aims to foster scalable biotech innovations addressing global challenges through its comprehensive support system. Read More

🧠 Healthcare | AI

Issa's Emotional AI Pioneers New Frontier in Mental Wellness Technology

In a groundbreaking development, innovator Manu Rehani has unveiled his startup Issa, focused on developing emotion-aware artificial intelligence for mental health and wellness applications. Rehani's unique approach goes beyond typical word-based models, leveraging context and rules-based AI to accurately detect and respond to the emotional content of conversations. The key goals are fostering healthier self and interpersonal relationships through AI that understands human emotions.

Some key highlights:

• Issa aims to address loneliness and isolation by creating an AI system that can engage in emotionally intelligent interactions, serving as a bridge to real human connections rather than replacing them.

• The technology has shown promising results in areas like caregiver support, analyzing notes to identify stress and burnout risk, helping reduce attrition rates.

• As an experienced entrepreneur, Rehani emphasizes the importance of cultivating the right team culture, diversity of perspectives, and developing relevant products for all age groups.

• Based in Austin's entrepreneurial tech hub, Issa has navigated the complex patenting process for its innovative emotional AI capabilities.

• Rehani stresses the ethical considerations around privacy, trust and avoiding overdependence on AI systems when developing solutions for mental wellness.

With its novel emotion detection approach and strong founding principles, Issa represents a pioneering frontier in using AI technology to elevate human emotional health and interpersonal bonds. Read More

🚀 Healthcare | Innovations

Neuralink's Brain-Computer Interface Restores Digital Autonomy for Quadriplegic Users

The PRIME study by Neuralink has made remarkable strides in restoring digital autonomy for people with quadriplegia. Noland Arbaugh, the first participant, has seamlessly controlled his laptop and played video games using only his mind through Neuralink's implanted brain-computer interface (BCI), the Link. His experience highlights the immense potential of this technology in enhancing independence and quality of life: "The Link has helped me reconnect with the world, my friends, and my family. It's given me the ability to do things on my own again without needing my family at all hours of the day and night." Read More

FDA Qualifies Apple Watch's AFib History Feature for Use in Clinical Trials

In a significant development for digital health technology, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has qualified Apple Watch's atrial fibrillation (AFib) history feature for use in clinical studies. This feature, which records and alerts the wearer about relevant heart events, has become the first "digital health technology" to join the FDA's Medical Device Development Tools (MDDT) program. The qualification allows researchers to use the Apple Watch as a noninvasive method to collect data on the wearer's estimated time spent in atrial fibrillation, both before and after treatment. The FDA states that the feature is "designed to be used as a biomarker test" to evaluate the effectiveness of cardiac ablation devices in treating AFib as a secondary endpoint within clinical studies.

While Apple has long promoted the life-saving potential of its smartwatch's health features, such as fall detection and irregular heartbeat notifications, the FDA's qualification of the AFib history feature marks a significant milestone in recognizing the device's utility in clinical research settings. Read More

Boehringer Ingelheim Strikes $1.3B RNA Therapy Deal with Ochre Bio for Liver Diseases

In a major deal valued at over $1.3 billion, Boehringer Ingelheim has partnered with British biotech Ochre Bio to develop RNA therapies targeting chronic liver diseases like metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The multi-year collaboration will investigate multiple targets, with MASH as the primary focus. Boehringer will pay $35 million upfront and near-term milestones, with additional payments contingent on clinical, regulatory, and commercial achievements, as well as tiered royalties. The partnership aims to leverage Ochre Bio's RNA therapy platform and advanced translational models to uncover novel regenerative pathways for treating chronic liver conditions. Read More

Leveraging Digital Wearables to Promote Physical Activity in Clinical Care

With the widespread adoption of wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers, clinicians now have an unprecedented opportunity to incorporate objective data on their patients' physical activity levels into care plans. Over one-third of U.S. adults use these digital tools, empowering both patients and providers to track activity, set goals, and refine recommendations for improved health outcomes. By integrating digital measures of physical activity into clinical workflows, care teams can maximize the well-established benefits of physical activity as a preventative measure against chronic diseases, mortality, and reduced quality of life.

While efforts are underway to standardize measures and promote interoperability, compelling evidence already exists linking digitally-tracked physical activity to reduced disease risk and increased overall activity levels when wearables are prescribed. Initiatives like the Physical Activity Alliance's "It's Time to Move" are providing guidance and resources to support the adoption of digital activity tracking in routine care delivery, clinical research, and product development across the healthcare ecosystem. As physical inactivity remains a leading risk factor globally, leveraging digital tools can be a key strategy for re-energizing efforts to improve population health through increased physical activity.

🗣️ Healthcare | Events

May 13-15: Fierce Digital Pharma Engage (Newport Beach, CA)

May 14-16: IHI Patient Safety Congress (Orlando)

May 14-15: Fierce Pharma PR & Communications Summit West (Newport Beach, CA)

May 21-23: Fierce Digital Pharma Innovation Week (virtual)

May 22: HealthTech Hang Helpful (and Happy) Hour (San Francisco, CA)

May 21-23: WSJ The Future of Everything (New York City)

June 26: HealthTech Hang Helpful (and Happy) Hour (San Francisco, CA)

May 29-31: thINc360 – The Healthcare Innovation Congress (Washington, D.C.)

May 31-June 4: American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (Chicago)

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