Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1383677
71 CIO / HEALTH IT Walmart to bring telehealth nationwide with acquisition of MeMD: 8 details By Jackie Drees and Hannah Mitchell W almart Health on May 6 entered an agreement to acquire on- demand, multispecialty telehealth provider MeMD. Eight details: 1. rough the acquisition, Walmart aims to strengthen its brick-and-mortar health cen- ters initiative, said Cheryl Pegus, MD, exec- utive vice president of health and wellness at Walmart, according to the news release. "Telehealth offers a great opportunity to ex- pand access and reach consumers where they are and complements our brick-and-mortar Walmart Health locations," she said. "Today people expect omnichannel access to care and adding telehealth to our Walmart Health care strategies allows us to provide in-person and digital care across our multiple assets and solutions." 2. e acquisition, which is subject to regulato- ry approval, is expected to close in the next few months. By acquiring MeMD, Walmart will begin providing virtual care services for urgent, behavioral and primary care to complement its in-person Walmart Health Centers. 3. Walmart's telehealth push will allow it to stay up to pace with Amazon, which announced its plans to expand telehealth to nearly 1 million employees this year. 4. MeMD was founded in 2010; the compa- ny provides medical and mental health visits to 5 million members across the U.S. It runs 24/7 service throughout the year. 5. e telehealth sector has become increasing- ly competitive as retail giants like Walmart and Amazon step in. Shares of longtime telehealth leader Teladoc dropped 3 percent in aer-hours trading following Walmart's announcement, according to a May 6 Wall Street Journal report. 6. Walmart opened its first freestanding health clinic in Dallas, Ga., in September 2019. It has expanded to additional locations in Georgia as well as Texas, Arkansas and Chicago. e clinics offer services ranging from medical checkups, teeth cleanings and mental health counselors. 7. In April, Walmart inked a partnership with direct-to-consumer telehealth app Ro, launching the company's health and wellness products and digital services in more than 4,600 Walmart stores across the country. 8. Walmart also has a partnership with Doc- tor on Demand to offer services to its 1.3 mil- lion workers nationwide. In February 2019, Walmart dropped the price of virtual visits for employees from $40 to $4 per visit, and during the pandemic, the company has of- fered telehealth for free to employees covered by Walmart's health insurance plan. n Telehealth company fires CEO accused of harassing teen in TikTok video By Jackie Drees C hattanooga, Tenn.-based telehealth company VisuWell termi- nated its CEO Sam Johnson after he was seen on a TikTok video appearing to harass a boy who wore a dress to his prom April 24, NBC News reported in late April. In the video, Mr. Johnson appears to say that the student looked like an "idiot," and asks why he was wearing a dress. The altercation happened at a hotel where the boy and his friends were taking pictures before the prom. The student alleged that Mr. Johnson "called him 'stupid,' as well as vul- gar names, in a homophobic manner and that [Mr.] Johnson told him that with 'hair on your chest, you shouldn't be wearing a dress,'" according to the report. VisuWell tweeted April 26 that it has a zero-tolerance policy for intolerance. "We unequivocally condemn the behavior exhibited by Sam Johnson in a recent video widely circulated on social media," VisuWell tweeted in April. "After investigating the matter and speaking to individuals involved, the VisuWell [board of directors] has chosen to terminate Mr. Johnson from his position as CEO, effective immediately." Mr. Johnson denied harassing the student and his boyfriend and claimed the video had been edited, according to Newsweek. n Mayo Clinic names chief technology officer from Northwell By Kelly Gooch V ish Anantraman, MD, has been chosen as chief technology offi- cer of Mayo Clinic, the Rochester, Minn.-based health system said. Dr. Anantraman is an 11-year veteran of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health, most recently serving as chief technology innovation officer. He began his new role May 11. "After 11 years of a very fulfilling career at #northwellhealth I am delighted to join #mayoclinic as their new CTO," he wrote on LinkedIn. "I look forward to working with [Mayo CIO] Cris Ross and the rest of the team. Thank you to all my colleagues at #northwell for all their support and col- laboration over the years." Previously, Dr. Anantraman served as chief innovation architect and chief information architect at Northwell. n