Many healthcare partnerships and mergers announced in 2014 will soon take shape in the New Year, reports Albany Business Review.

RESTON, Va. — December 16, 2014 —   The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) in partnership with the Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), assembled more than 40 representatives from major health plans, providers, health IT vendors, healthcare organizations and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) in an effort to develop an effective and consistent industry blueprint for a virtual clipboard mobile application.

One day after launching its accreditation program, American Telemedicine Association (ATA) representatives reported during their monthly telecast that already 50 organizations have signed on.

The Department of Health & Human Services has allocated $665 million in Affordable Care Act funding to 28 states, three territories and the District of Columbia to design and test healthcare payment and service delivery models that will improve healthcare quality and lower costs.

The Center for Connected Health has launched a market research tool to help companies, device manufacturers, startups and investors better understand what consumers want from and how they actually use personal health technologies.

Almost three-quarters (73 percent) of medical students plan to seek employment with a hospital or large group practice, according to the ninth annual Epocrates Future Physicians of America survey which sought the opinions of 1,400 medical students.

The average estimated cost of a telehealth visit saves about $100 compared to the estimated cost for in-person care, according to a study.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is moving to expand Medicaid in the state, reports NPR.