Becker's Hospital Review

31 CIO / HEALTH IT HHS' COVID-19 dashboard is 'designed to be above politics and manipulation': 8 key notes By Laura Dyrda H HS transitioned all COVID-19 data reporting to HHS Protect and launched a website to re- port hospitalization data. e agency released a statement July 20 saying that the data system was built by the department's career staff with input from scientists and physicians, and would not be manipulated by political appointees. "is is a system designed to be above politics and manipulation. e public health professionals who work at HHS are solemnly devoted to the health and wellness of all America and committed to empowering Americans with the same knowledge guiding the de- cision makers in the COVID-19 response," HHS said. e agency said it will ensure data isn't manipulated by: • Monitoring and correcting any attempts at data manipulation • Accepting external data submissions through specific data use agreements • Identifying and registering external data sources before submission • Validating external data daily • Capturing, recording and time-stamping data before it's accessible by anyone on the HHS Protect platform • Recording every data element and data set built on hashing technology • Using hashing technology to track data shared out- side HHS Protect • Time-stamping all data e agency protects data by only granting access to authorized government employees and contractors, and HHS Protect data is de-identified. It applied the National Institute of Standards and Technology cy- bersecurity framework to keep the data secure. Select CDC personnel are responsible for granting access to HHS Protect. n Kaleida cites $25M Cerner EHR expense among reasons for 2019 loss By Laura Dyrda B uffalo, N.Y.-based Kaleida Health reported a $24 million loss on $1.9 billion revenue in 2019 and partially blamed an EHR investment for the loss, according to a July 21 Buffalo Business First report. The health system reported a $25 million investment into its Cerner EHR system, part of a $125 million project to upgrade and expand the EHR over several years. Kaleida brought all sites under Cerner with the im- plementation with the goal of minimizing redundancy and improving care. More than 400 Kaleida providers were trained in new features for the install last year, and about 800 physicians were added to the EHR network in the first cohort. In addition to the EHR expense, Kaleida paid $16 million to its workforce that was part of a new contract with its labor partners, according to the report. An $11 million reimbursement cut also contributed to the health system's 2019 loss last year. n Walgreens Boots Alliance invests $1B in VillageMD to open 500+ medical clinics, expand telehealth: 6 details By Laura Dyrda W algreens Boots Alliance invested $1 billion in VillageMD to add full-service primary care physician offices and telehealth services to hundreds of locations across the U.S. Six things to know: 1. Walgreens and VillageMD have already rolled out co-located clinics in Houston-area stores. Since opening in November 2019, the stores have reported high patient satisfaction and achieved a Net Promoter Score of more than 90. The clinics also reported increased medication adherence. 2. The partnership aims to open integrated primary care physician offices co-located in Walgreens stores at 500 to 700 locations in more than 30 U.S. markets through 2020. More than half of the locations will be in underserved areas or those designated as having a shortage of medical professionals. 3. The physician-led Village Medical at Walgreens clinics will be staffed by 3,600 physicians, recruited by VillageMD. 4. Clinics will accept several health insurance options and offer tele- health 24/7 as well as at-home visits. VillageMD and Walgreens already made telehealth available to providers on Walgreens Find Care, an on- line platform that connects patients with virtual services. 5. Eighty percent of WBA's $1 billion equity and convertible debt invest- ment will fund clinic openings and build partnerships, as well as integrate with Walgreens data assets. The company invested $250 million July 8 and aims to complete the rest of the investment over the next three years. 6. The deal brings WBA's ownership in VillageMD to 30 percent. n

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