In January, President Joe Biden announced plans to reignite the Cancer Moonshot, setting the ambitious goal of reducing the cancer death rate by 50% over the next 25 years.

Through genomic testing, precision oncology and immunotherapy, the goal is reachable, said Dr. Suresh Nair, Physician in Chief at Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Topper Cancer Institute, in an interview with Healthcare Finance News Executive Editor Susan Morse.

Talking points:

• Innovations include strong robotic surgery programs for less invasive treatments and faster recovery
• The alliance reduces the delay between cancer research and care due to advancements in technology
• The Topper Cancer Institute, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, is participating in clinical trials on the molecular profiling of tumors. This is a real-time tumor tracking system
• Genomic testing, precision medicine and immunotherapy will help reach the goal of the Cancer Moonshot to reduce the cancer death rate by 50% over the next 25 years
• The combined expertise of multidisciplinary teams in cancer treatment can leverage new research and clinical trials, sometimes years ahead of other cancer research and treatment
• The alliance allows for the rapid deployment of increased standards of care – in real time – as new research becomes available.

More about this episode:
CMS expands coverage of lung cancer screening with low dose computed tomography

The benefits of using genomic data for health systems and patients

Cancer patients potentially overlooked in COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Aetna launches gene therapy network as a standard medical benefit

Lack of diversity in clinical trials influences drug development

The rise in telehealth utilization, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, has highlighted the potential of virtual care to expand access to services. 

These can be particularly important for those who may face hurdles to brick-and-mortar care. Dr. Jerrica Kirkley, co-founder and chief medical officer of Plume, joins Healthcare IT News Senior Editor Kat Jercich to discuss the potential of telemedicine for trans and gender-nonconforming people.

Talking points:

• The need for data to support gender-affirming care
• The dynamic, multifactorial process of providing services for LGBTQ people
• Patients are based across the country, including large metro areas
• Younger people are increasingly likely to identify as trans or gender-nonconforming
• Insurance coverage doesn't necessarily guarantee care
• What gender-affirming care entails
• The role of state licensing in telehealth expansion
• How communities are being centered in care

More about this episode:

More inclusive EHRs can help extend welcome, save transgender lives

Beyond 'male, female, unknown' – informaticists propose gender-inclusive HL7 model

Telehealth has enabled wider access during COVID-19 – but not for everyone

States can make a difference in long-term telehealth policies

Digital transgender health company Plume scores $14M in Series A funding

Given the strain on hospital resources caused by the pandemic, many informaticists have focused on the ability to try and predict patient populations. In January, researchers at the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University found that machine learning models trained using statewide health information exchange data can actually predict a patient's likelihood of being hospitalized with COVID-19.

Joining Healthcare IT News Senior Editor Kat Jericch to discuss the study's implications are two of its lead authors, Dr. Shaun Grannis and Suranga Kasturi.

Talking points:

• How tools like this might be useful for health systems and hospitals
• Connecting system-generated data with public health
• How COVID-19 has shined a light on cracks in different systems
• The Indiana Health Information Exchange as a data repository 
• Seeing data-sharing blossom during the pandemic
• Biases in the model and how they can be addressed
• How integrated data can be a powerful tool to shape policy

More about this episode:

Regenstrief launches initiative to disseminate SDOH data

HIE-trained AI models can forecast individual COVID-19 hospitalization

Data from 175K COVID-19 patients fuels predictive severity model

Predicting COVID-19 hotspots: Kaiser Permanente tool uses EHR data to forecast surges

Even innocuous-seeming data can reproduce bias in AI

In February, the federal government announced that the DOJ's Civil Division had recovered more than $5.6 billion in settlements and judgments under the False Claims Act, or FCA, for fiscal year 2021. This was a huge increase from the previous year – and almost 90% of that money was related to health industry claims. 

Joining Healthcare IT News Senior Editor Kat Jercich to discuss past and future enforcement initiatives is Ethan Davis, partner at King & Spalding.

Talking points:

• A government wake-up on private equity enforcement
• DOJ's new cybersecurity initiative
• How COVID-19 shifted the federal approach to investigations
• Forthcoming focus on potential Provider Relief Fund fraud and clinical trial fraud
• The Anti-Kickback Statute and how it affects providers
• EHRs as a stated area of focus
• What listeners should be aware of around telehealth
• How stakeholders can protect themselves
• Predictions for the rest of 2022

More about this episode:

OIG warns EHR vendors it will 'vigilantly' crack down on false claims tied to meaningful use

DOJ slams Greenway with $57 million False Claims fine

DOJ lawyer in Greenway case: EHR vendors are now on notice

CareCloud to pay $3.8M to settle kickback allegations with DoJ

Athenahealth to pay $18.25M for alleged False Claims Act violations

Florida woman to pay $20.3M after using telemedicine to shield alleged fraud

Judge awards whistleblower $390K in athenahealth kickback case

Fitbit Ionic smartwatches recalled due to burn risk; ONC analyzes information blocking claims. Plus: More than $1 billion in annual excess healthcare expenditure due to turnover of primary care physicians.

Links to the stories:

Fitbit recalls Ionic smartwatches due to burn hazard

ONC receives nearly 300 info blocking reports

Primary care physician turnover leads to almost $980M in excess healthcare costs

Analysts and stakeholders have put a lot of energy toward trying to predict the future of telehealth: Are we at the peak of a bubble, or is it only up from here?

A new report from Trilliant Health takes a measured view, arguing that telehealth use tapered in 2021 from its early-pandemic spike. Joining Healthcare IT News Senior Editor Kat Jercich to discuss the report is Sanjula Jain, Trilliant Health chief research officer and senior vice president of market strategy.

Talking points:

• Contextualizing the data around telehealth
• Telehealth's market share as a parallel to luxury brands
• Who's still using virtual care?
• Reasons for telehealth use rates
• How market segmentation can empower stakeholders
• What this means for equity
• Psychographics versus demographics
• Predictions for the future
• Telehealth as a commodity good 

More about this episode:

Study of 36.5M people reveals huge jump in pandemic telehealth use

Report: Telehealth use beginning to taper

Like it, love it, gotta have it? A health economist on attitudes toward telemedicine

Health systems see telehealth dip, but the tech is here to stay

Telehealth revenue could hit $20B in five years, say analysts

This week: EHRs vulnerable to cyberattackers, agency claims; Senators urge CMS to keep Medicare Advantage rates stable. Plus: Mindler purchasing Medified Solutions Oy for an undisclosed sum.

Links to the stories:

HHS cyber arm warns of EHR vulnerabilities

Senate calls on CMS to keep Medicare Advantage rates stable

Mindler scoops up Finnish mental health tracker Medified Solutions Oy

The HHS 405(d) Program was created as a provision of the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. It's designed to offer resources and best practices for healthcare organizations and public health agencies to help mitigate and respond to cybersecurity threats.

Joining Healthcare IT News Executive Editor Mike Miliard to talk about 405(d), and the work that went into developing its cornerstone document, are Nick Rodriguez, program manager for 405(d) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Erik Decker, chief information security officer at Intermountain Healthcare and Eli Fleet, director of government relations at HIMSS.

Talking points:

• A brief background on 405(d) and what it means for healthcare stakeholders
• How the HHS 405(d) Task Group was convened, with 150 individuals from government and the healthcare industry
• Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices: Managing Threats and Protecting Patients, or HICP, a cyber preparedness 'cookbook' with recipes for readiness
• The top 5 threats to cybersecurity, as described in that report
• How recent legislation is impacting 405(d) 
• What healthcare organizations should be doing to avail themselves of these efforts
• Where healthcare security leaders can find vetted cybersecurity practices and other resources for risk mitigation
• How HICP will be evolving in the years ahead
• Why "Cyber Safety is Patient Safety"
• What attendees can learn about cybersecurity at HIMSS22 in Orlando.

More about this episode:

5 key takeaways from Cybersecurity Act of 2015

HHS releases voluntary cybersecurity guidance

Security chief touts the value of HICP, a cyber preparedness 'cookbook' with recipes for readiness

HHS launches website for the 405(d) Aligning Health Care Industry Security Approaches Program

There's no 'magic bullet' to enhance cybersecurity, say experts

HIMSS Healthcare Cybersecurity Forum 

HIMSS22 Cybersecurity Command Center

A negative billing experience can cause patients to lose trust in a provider. Michael Axt, Chief Member Empowerment Officer for Zelis, talks about enabling the patient financial experience from initially shopping for services to post-service financial responsibility. 

This week: Mayo irks insurers by ceasing MA patient scheduling; Mercy locks down ICU after online attacks . Plus: VillageMD announces plans to buy chronic care management company Healthy Interactions .

Links to the stories:

Mayo Clinic halts scheduling of out-of-network Medicare Advantage patients

'Baseless attacks' online trigger lockdown at Oklahoma hospital ICU

VillageMD buys chronic care management company Healthy Interactions