HLTH24 in Las Vegas: Highlighted news and announcements
This year, the four-day annual HLTH conference was held in Las Vegas from Oct. 20–23, showcasing innovations in healthcare, including new technology, emerging research, and patient care trends. Below is a selection of announcements from those on Venetian Expo Center show floor.
Oura partners with Essence Healthcare to bring wearables to seniors
Oura, known for its Oura Ring wearable, is expanding its reach into digital health for older adults through a partnership with Medicare Advantage (MA) plan manager Essence Healthcare. Starting in 2025, patients covered by certain Essence MA plans will receive an Oura Ring, which monitors sleep patterns and vital signs, reporting those to an app that’s shared with providers. Essence said it will provide the device at no cost, in hopes it will improve the health of its members, who as seniors tend to be avoidant of digital health tools. Essence Healthcare serves 61,000 members and has achieved a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for three consecutive years.
Read the full press release here.
Tennr secures $37M for AI-powered patient referrals
Healthcare AI company Tennr has raised $37 million in Series B funding, led by Lightspeed Ventures. The company’s AI-powered automation platform aims to streamline healthcare documentation, speeding up a manual process that leads to delays in patient referrals. Tennr said its AI model is trained on extensive amounts of payer and patient medical data and reduces claims denials for providers by matching patients to appropriate specialists, ultimately speeding up care delivery. The new funding will help Tennr expand its research team and grow its reach. The company earned Series A funding six months ago, bringing its total investments to $61 million.
Read the announcement here.
Highmark finds success in improving access to behavioral health services
Non-profit insurer Highmark revealed promising results from its partnership with mental health platform Spring Health, aimed at improving access and outcomes for patients in need of behavioral health services. Data shows that members of the pilot program with moderate to severe depression achieved remission three times faster than the national average, taking an average of 32.6 days, compared to the typical months-long timeline. Highmark's well-being initiative connected patients to appointments with a mental health professional in 1.3 days, significantly quicker than the national average wait times of 67 days. The insurer said it plans to expand this initiative with an employee assistance program in January, offering employer-sponsored therapy and resources for improving work-life balance.
Read the full announcement here.
Cleveland Clinic and Amazon One Medical team up for primary care
Cleveland Clinic and Amazon One Medical are working to coordinate patient care in Ohio, matching patients to a primary care physician. Amazon One Medica said it will open its first primary care office with Cleveland Clinic next year, supporting scheduled and urgent care visits, onsite lab services, and telehealth options through the Amazon One Medical app. Referrals will leverage the Cleveland Clinic network to coordinate specialty care needs. The collaboration begins sometime early next year.
Read the press release here.
KLAS Research unveils 2024 Emerging Solutions Top 20 awards
KLAS Research announced the 2024 Emerging Solutions Top 20 awards at the conference. The awards emphasize solutions that align with the Quadruple Aim of Healthcare: improving outcomes, reducing costs, enhancing patient experience and improving clinician experience. Notable winners include Redivus Health Code Blue and Care.ai for improving outcomes; Verity Solutions Verisave for cost reduction; Vital ERAdvisor for patient experience; and Abridge for enhancing clinician experience.
Read the full list of winners here.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.