HIMSSCast

With a small population distributed over a large geographical area, North Dakota doesn't lend itself to the easiest vaccine rollout. But the state has a secret weapon: a robust database called the North Dakota Immunization Information System (NDIIS). NDIIS manager Mary Woinarowicz joins host Jonah Comstock to talk about the early days of the COVID rollout, and how having a robust data management system has helped the state to make the most of its allocated COVID-19 vaccine doses. Talking points: The NDIIS and its pre-COVID functionHow NDIIS is supporting the COVID-19 vaccine rolloutLogistical challenges to vaccine administration, especially in rural areasThe challenges of launching a state-level response that’s part of a national rolloutHow NDIIS has responded to strong vaccine demandPatient-facing tools to improve the vaccine rolloutAdditional challenges related to the second doseThe NDIIS’s Immunization Forecasting toolThe slip in non-COVID vaccination during the pandemicWhat still lies ahead for COVID-19 vaccinationShould people who have had COVID get the vaccine?How to decide which vaccine patients get which vaccineMore about this episode:NDIISAthenahealth developer creates COVID-19 vaccine website from maternity leaveHow patient engagement tools can help ensure 2nd COVID-19 vaccine dosesHow top EHR vendors are prepping their systems for COVID-19 vaccinesEpic, Cerner offer updates on COVID-19 vaccine rollout effortsAI has advantages for COVID-19 vaccine rollout, but potential dangers tooHealthcare Finance News' latest updates on the COVID-19 vaccine distributionCalifornia taps Blue Shield to oversee an equitable vaccine distribution planHospitals need vaccine supply predictability 'all the way to the loading docks' 6,500 pharmacies to get 1 million doses of COVID-19  vaccineApple requires COVID-19 vaccine passport developers to work with public health authoritiesGoogle adds feature to help users find COVID-19 vaccination sitesGoogle Cloud launches vaccine distribution tool for local governments

In today's Top Stories with Jeff Lagasse:  Best practices for weathering the COVID-19 pandemic are emerging among hospital CEOs, while reimbursement restrictions for telehealth have been removed at a rapid pace. Plus: Fitbit introduces blood glucose monitoring.Links to the stories:The top 10 things CEOs got right during the pandemicReport shows 'vast improvement' in state telehealth reimbursement policiesFitbit adds blood glucose tracking to its connected app

Matthew Zachary — cancer survivor, patient advocate, influencer, pianist, and podcast DJ — joins host Jonah Comstock to tell his story and break down his patient's-eye view of the healthcare system and what needs to change for it to serve its consumers better. In a wide-ranging conversation with Matthew's irreverent style, they address topics like patient experience, financial incentives, socio-economic disparities, and more.This podcast is brought to you by RingCentral.Talking points:Matthew’s patient storyPatient advocacy in a nutshellThe beginnings of the modern patient-centered movement and the founding of Stupid CancerChallenges in today’s healthcare systemWhat can healthcare stakeholders do to make life better for patients?Aligning monetary incentives with patient needs and experiencesClinical trial databases as an example of profits over patientsThe challenge of bringing good care to minority and underserved groupsThe gaps between innovation, adoption, and patient awarenessMore about this podcast:A more active role for consumers will decelerate health spending over the next two decadesThe role of health systems in empowering communities3 patient experience trends that IT leaders should act onFocus on Health Equity (our new collection page)The Stupid Cancer Show (Matthew's previous podcast)Out of Patients (Matthew's current podcast)

In today's Top Stories with Jeff Lagasse: Google Cloud joins the national COVID-19 vaccination effort with a new tool, while the feds plan on additional doses. Plus: A security breach at a New York health system.Links to the stories:Google Cloud launches vaccine distribution tool for local governmentsOne million COVID-19 vaccine doses are going to 6,500 pharmaciesEHR snooping at Montefiore leads to security breach

Omada CEO Sean Duffy and Chris Hogg, former COO at Propeller Health, join host Jonah Comstock to talk about virtual care, remote chronic condition management, and just what healthcare will look like into the next decade. Talking points:What is virtual care?Virtual care in a post-COVID telehealth landscapeAdoption curves: virtual visits vs virtual careMulti-modal provider-patient communicationWhen the adoption curve lags against the innovation curveWhat’s the product? the transition from hardware to software to experienceUsing a jobs-to-be-done framework for healthcareHow to integrate virtual care with traditional brick-and-mortar careFitting virtual care into a patient-centric care ecosystemThe changing concept of primary careWhat virtual care companies have to offer for telemedicine (Sean’s non-answer on American Well)The role of Amazon, Walmart, and other big players in the new provider ecosystemHow traditional providers are reacting to the changing marketLooking aheadMore about this episode:MobiHealthNews' predictions for 2021: Price transparency tools will be a game changer, telemedicine use will even outAfter COVID-19, telehealth's momentum will be sustained by younger consumers seeking convenienceOmada reports blood sugar, weight improvements after 12 months with its digital diabetes prevention programOmada Health acquires Physera, adds virtual MSK therapy to its chronic care programsAmazon dives deeper into health in 2020Walmart snaps up digital health company CareZone's medication management toolAmwell CEO reflects on year of unprecedented telehealth adoption and predicts more digital chronic care for the futureRock Health's COO talks digital health funding, M&As and 'Teladongo'Previously on HIMSSCast: The Teladongo episode

In today's Top Stories with Jeff Lagasse: the House of Representatives seeks to safeguard telehealth access beyond the end of the COVID-19 pandemic; DarioHealth acquires Upright Technologies. Plus: the AHA pushes back on a new CMS rule.Links to the stories:U.S. lawmakers reintroduce House bill safeguarding access to telehealthDarioHealth buys into MSK with Upright Technologies acquisition and announces $70M private placementAHA condemns most favored nation model and asks CMS to withdraw it

Right now, COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the United States is facing supply chain and volume problems. But there's another, thornier challenge lurking beneath the surface once those challenges are addressed: a significant portion of Americans who may choose not to get the vaccine.In today's episode, host Jonah Comstock welcomes Shawna Butler, host of the See You Now podcast, and Melody Butler, founder of the nonprofit Nurses Who Vaccinate (no relation), two nurses who discuss vaccine resistance and vaccine hesitancy and how we can get ahead of them to address the current crisis. They also touch on the role of nurses in the healthcare  innovation ecosystem.Talking points:Why Melody founded  “Nurses who Vaccinate”?Vaccine hesitancy vs vaccine resistance: reaching the people who can be reachedWhat is (and isn’t) unique with the COVID vaccinesmRNA vaccines aren’t a brand new technologyVaccine development was an optimized process — not a truncated oneHow COVID has worsened under-vaccination in other conditionsHow could innovators help address undervaccinization?Addressing hesitancy in communities of colorWhat can you do to help the vaccination effort?The importance of including nurses in the conversationMore about this episode:Overcoming vaccine hesitancy and skepticism, especially for those at higher risk for COVID-19Here are the latest updates on the COVID-19 vaccine distributionGoogle takes on COVID-19 vaccine misinformationEpic, Cerner and other health IT heavy hitters join forces for Vaccine Credential InitiativeAHIP launches resource page dedicated to COVID-19 vaccinesConfusion about flu shot, efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines may slow adoptionShawna Butler's SEE YOU NOW podcastTwo relevant episodes: Frontiers in Public Nursing and Nurses Who Vax Nurses Who VaccinateAdditional vaccine education resources from NWV

On today's HIMSSCast, host Jonah Comstock and Healthcare IT News Senior Editor Kat Jercich welcome eMocha CEO Sebastian Seiguer to look ahead at the Biden administration and discuss what needs to happen next for telehealth. In particular, we look at vaccine distribution as a medication adherence problem, the important role of finance reform, and much more.This podcast is brought to you by Kajeet.Talking points:How 2020 changed healthcareTelehealth largely hasn’t addressed care disparitiesThe importance of asynchronous care toward addressing chronic conditionsHow the COVID telehealth boom has and hasn’t affected asynchronous virtual careWhat regulators can do to make next-gen health tools accessibleChanging incentives by moving to value-based careTo make machine learning and AI work, we need better dataThe importance of continued federal COVID reliefCOVID-19’s affect on school-based healthHow can we use technology to support the vaccine rollout?Vaccine administration is a medication adherence problemInterstate licensure as a barrier to accessLet’s redefine medication adherenceMore about this podcast:What's next for telehealth under the Biden administration?Telehealth's digital divide is real, and members of Congress want to address itMedPAC members weigh future of telehealth coveragePatient engagement tools can speed, streamline COVID-19 vaccine rolloutAs telehealth becomes the new normal, NCQA updates quality measuresMayo Clinic uses $1M in FCC funds for connected devices to expand telehealth

In today's Top Stories with Jeff Lagasse, Joe Biden begins his presidency with an aggressive healthcare agenda, including new appointments and nominations for HHS and CMS positions. Plus: YouTube will push for higher quality medical content on its platform.Links to the stories:President Joe Biden's pan to control the COVID-19 pandemic on day oneMicky Tripathi named by Biden Administration to lead ONCBiden nominates Dr. Rachel Levine as assistant secretary of healthYouTube taps Dr. Garth Graham to lead new health partnerships team

In today's Top Stories with Jeff Lagasse, Flo Health lands in hot water with the FTC for allegedly deceitful practices; Feds are no longer holding back on vaccine doses. Plus: a new coalition looking to improve the vaccine rollout infrastructure.Links to the stories:Fertility app Flo Health settles with FTC over sensitive data sharing complaintFederal government tells states not to hold vaccine in reserve for second doseEpic, Cerner and other health IT heavy hitters join forces for Vaccine Credential Initiative