Becker's ASC Review

43 HEALTHCARE NEWS 43 authorizations — it's a waste of time and money and, fundamentally, really just designed to create a mechanism to reject legitimate claims," Dr. Cole said. "e focus on claims itself, I think, is very revealing, rather than caring for people." He said the Trump White House is such a "paradigm-challenging" administration that it could probably do away with prior authorizations if it tried. Data interoperability standards also aren't up to snuff, Dr. Cole said. "Last month, I had an echocardiogram. It was on a Phillips ultrasound machine, and the exact same machine that I had my last two echos on, and the data got sent to the exact same EMR [Epic] at the exact same institution," he said. "And you can't trend the data inside the echo. ere are all these measurements of my heart, and none of them trend. And that's because neither of the vendors nor the provider takes any responsibility for mapping those data elements in the EMR. It has to be done manually." e Biden administration's interoperability efforts — emphasizing Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standards, application programming interfaces (APIs) and information-blocking — were a "decent first step" but lacked follow-through and resources, said Muhammad Siddiqui, CIO of Richmond, Ind.-based Reid Health. "Regulations alone don't create genuine change, especially in healthcare, where finances are tight and systems are complicated. We didn't receive the necessary federal funding, infrastructure assistance, or collaboration among stakeholders to translate policy into tangible results," he said. "e issues aren't just about standards; it's about capability. Smaller hospitals can't develop the same tech infrastructures or employ entire integration teams. Without adequate incentives, they lag." James Wellman, vice president and CIO of Gloversville, N.Y.-based Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home, said he appreciates the Trump administration's "patient-centric" approach and hopes it will work, but what's missing is enforcement and funding. "FHIR-based APIs, upgrades and ongoing data quality support are just a few of the areas where we will need to expand our knowledge base and maintain ongoing support," he said. "Smaller health systems … may struggle with the technical and financial capacity to meet these demands." He also worries that CMS will opt for financial penalties for noncompliance if voluntary participation doesn't work. n Judy Faulkner rejects $30B offer for Epic By Naomi Diaz H ealth Data Atlas, a data-as-a-service company, has bid $30 billion to acquire Epic Systems, according to its founder and CEO, Michael Stratton. On Aug. 14, Mr. Stratton shared on LinkedIn an email he sent to Judy Faulkner, founder and CEO of Epic, offering to acquire the electronic health record vendor for $30 billion. "Our mission is to build the most accurate and comprehensive dataset of the healthcare industry, and Epic's data would undeniably accelerate that," Mr. Stratton wrote in the LinkedIn post. He later said Ms. Faulkner responded to his email, stating that the company is not for sale. In her reply, she wrote, "Not now and not in the future." An Epic spokesperson confirmed to Becker's that the communication was legitimate. Epic, according to KLAS, has 42.3% of the acute care EHR market share. The company has never taken venture capital money or acquired another company. n AMA split on RFK Jr. By Paige Twenter T he American Medical Association is weighing whether to work with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., or oppose policies that threaten public health, Politico reported Aug. 30. Since Mr. Kennedy was confirmed to lead HHS in February, he has fired and replaced all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which provides vaccine guidance to the CDC; canceled nearly $500 million worth of mRNA studies; fired hundreds of HHS employees; approved the removal of a preservative in flu vaccines; and stopped recommending the COVID-19 shot for healthy children and pregnant women. In June, members of the AMA urged its leaders to be more vocal in dissent, according to the report. The association has denounced some of Mr. Kennedy's actions, including the abrupt removal of CDC Director Susan Monarez and the deletion of public health and infectious disease experts and physician groups — including the AMA — from ACIP's working groups. Taking a more combative stance is risky for the AMA. Criticizing the federal government's actions can endanger billions in Medicare reimbursements, healthcare workers' votes in midterm elections and "physicians' clout in Washington," according to Politico. Bobby Mukkamala, MD, president of the AMA, said, "On Monday, we might have something to say, 'We disagree. They shouldn't be doing this,' and on Tuesday, 'We love this and congratulations,'" he told Politico. "That's what I think the year is going to be like." n

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