Monday, September 13, 2021
Issue 129
Over the weekend, I took delivery of a new Electric Vehicle (EV). Rather, the EV took delivery of me.
After a 3-month wait, a process that began online and involved no visit to a physical location and virtually no interaction with a human came to an end when the car arrived on my driveway with a young man behind the wheel. He had me sign a couple of pieces of paper, handed over a couple of key cards, and was gone. It took all of five minutes. (In future, I suspect the car will simply drive itself to its new owner once the paperwork is done online so there will be even less human interaction).
If one of the most tradition-bound, stress-inducing, human-intensive, big-ticket purchase rituals of American life can be reimagined within just a few years to create an entirely digital experience that makes it as easy as buying a book online, how much longer do we have to wait for healthcare to catch up?
The struggles of big tech in healthcare continue to be a matter of great curiosity and diversity of opinion. This past week, Amazon announced it is expanding Amazon Care to 20 new cities (my hometown Chicago being one of them). After the announcement in March 2021 that Amazon Care would launch in all 50 states in May (I called it a big deal, back then), it’s unclear how many states Amazon Care is offered in today, and its scaling problems are now well-known. After losing its head of healthcare, Google officially dismantled its healthcare business last month, though there is another Alpha-bet in play – Verily. Erin Brodwin and Casey Ross of STAT News provide us a rundown of how that’s going (hint: not good). Providence Health’s Aaron Martin drew on his decade of experience with Amazon to pen a blog sharing his thoughts on these recent blips from big tech firms (hint: it’s really complicated).
In my latest podcast episode, I interview Tony Ambrozie, SVP and Chief Digital Officer, Baptist Health South Florida, on their $100 million digital transformation program under way to create an “Amazon Prime” of healthcare in South Florida. Take a listen.
Have a great week.
Paddy
Featured Podcast
In this podcast, Tony Ambrozie, Chief Digital Officer of Baptist Health South Florida, shares his journey and learnings embracing digital in healthcare. Transformation in any sector requires sustained effort, a budget, a cohesive team and most importantly, a well-drafted communication plan.
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This Week in Digital Health Markets
We are selectively featuring guest posts in our newsletter from senior leaders in healthcare and technology. Reach out to us if you would like to contribute a blog to one of our upcoming newsletters.
Amazon looks to bring telehealth, in-person care to 20 more cities
Amazon expands its Amazon Care service to 20 new states. I share thoughts in this article. Healthcare IT News
How Baptist Health South Florida is becoming ‘the Amazon Prime of healthcare’
Tony Ambrozie, the system’s Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, provides an update on the ongoing digital transformation at Baptist Health. Becker’s Hospital Review
Health Systems, Health Care and Big Tech–It’s (Really) Complicated
Providence EVP and Chief Digital and Innovation Officer Aaron Martin shares his thoughts on what’s really happening with big tech and healthcare. Providence Blog
Inside Verily’s make-or-break push to turn its most promising ideas into profits It’s a make-or-break moment for Verily, as the sprawling Google offshoot rapidly accelerates its strategy to take its most promising products and turn them into tools that not only transform medicine, but also drive profit. STAT NewsPayer execs on COVID’s impact on membership engagement, organizational priorities and more
For David Holmberg, CEO of Highmark Health, the large integrated health system based in Pennsylvania, the impact of COVID was apparent early on. Health Evolution
Majority of healthcare orgs conducting less than 20% of visits virtually
Still, provider organizations recognize the value of telehealth when it comes to long-term care – especially for behavioral health patients and those with chronic issues, a new study shows. Healthcare IT News
For Patients to Trust Medical AI, They Need to Understand It
AI holds great promise to increase the quality and reduce the cost of healthcare in developed and developing countries. But one obstacle to using it is patients don’t trust it. What’s the remedy? HBR
Note: Some of the articles linked in this newsletter may be behind paywalls that need a subscription.Events
Enterprise Digital Transformation: The Geisinger Experience
Our CEO Paddy Padmanabhan and Geisinger EVP and CIO Karen Murphy to present best practices and learnings from how a large integrated health system is driving a multi-year digital transformation roadmap at HIMSS21. View the presentation here. Event Presentation
The Health Technology Podcast – Accelerating the Future with Paddy Padmanabhan
In this podcast, Paddy Padmanabhan discusses the evolving role of CIOs, telehealth reimbursement rates, and the role of consumerism in shaping healthcare experiences.
Damo Consulting Thought Leadership and Research
The ‘giant sucking sound’ of digital health consolidation
The ongoing wave of mergers and acquisitions makes sense for startups and their VC backers. What does it mean for CIOs at their health system customers? Blog
The Digital Health Solution Selection Process When health systems look for solution partners to execute their digital priorities, the decision process typically looks like this. Infographic
AI-enabled physicians: rethinking care delivery
While traditionally deeply skeptical of artificial intelligence in clinical settings, in today’s fast-changing care delivery landscape many physicians are thinking more proactively about how how AI can improve quality and patient experience. Blog
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