March 30, 2020
Last week, the U.S. earned itself the questionable distinction of leading the world in confirmed Coronavirus cases.
While we’re nowhere near the end of the current pandemic crisis, some trends are clearly emerging to define the “new normal” in healthcare. In my latest blog in CIO online, I discuss how Covid-19 is reshaping healthcare with technology in organizations such as Geisinger health, UPMC, and Providence Health. The virtualization of healthcare could be a proxy for how entire societies and industries are getting reshaped in the wake of the crisis.
In my ongoing podcast series of Coronavirus conversations, my latest guest is Sara Vaezy, Chief Digital Strategy Officer of Providence Health, the first health system to confirm a Covid-19 infection in the U.S. Sara discusses how the organization has come together in a coordinated way in response to the crisis. Providence was one of the first health systems to enable patients with a set of FAQs and assessment tools by reconfiguring their chatbot Grace, which was developed over two years ago. In addition, the digital innovation group has helped Providence Health significantly scale up virtual visit capacity by redeploying and training clinicians in their same-day care operations to provide telehealth consults.
Providence Health has also launched creative efforts to crowdsource PPE, such as the 100 million mask challenge to protect caregivers at the frontlines. Take a listen.
Digital transformation in healthcare: our picks for the week
How the COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping healthcare with technology
It’s a remarkable story that is playing out in the technology-led enablement at the back end of healthcare organizations, even as the headlines are dominated by the heroic response efforts at the front lines of care.
COVID-19 economic stimulus deal passes Senate with billions in hospital funding
This past week, the Senate passed a roughly $2 trillion COVID-19 economic stimulus deal that includes billions of dollars to bolster the healthcare system.
Hospitals Need Cash. Health Insurers Have It.
The authors make a compelling case for insurers to release our premium dollars immediately to hospitals facing a financial crisis as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Big Tech Could Emerge From Coronavirus Crisis Stronger Than Ever
Amazon is hiring aggressively to meet customer demand. Traffic has soared on Facebook and YouTube. And cloud computing has become essential to home workers.
Tech Service Providers Face Bleak Post-Coronavirus Future
Not all tech firms will benefit from the crisis. WSJ reports that the tech providers, especially Indian multi-nationals and IT firms relying on low-cost offshore resources may shrink significantly in the short term as discretionary projects are pulled back.
Alphabet’s COVID-19 project underscores privacy concerns with big tech
The push back on Google’s online symptom-checking tool is a telling comment on the lack of trust in big tech transcends concerns over public health and safety.
“Keeping the lights on” used to be a dismissive term. Now, more than ever, core IT’s importance in keeping an organization’s wheels turning are becoming evident.
Cybercriminals Sweep In to Take Advantage of Coronavirus
The black hats are on the prowl
The latest from Damo Consulting
Podcast – Episode #40: Sara Vaezy, Chief Digital Strategy Officer, Providence Health
“Virtual visits to our chatbots are 10-15 times more than pre-pandemic levels.”
The WITCH Monthly Monitor (February)
Our monthly update on major global IT consulting and services firms in healthcare. It provides latest financial and market performance updates on WITCH companies along with other global IT consulting firms.
White paper: What health systems must do to accelerate digital transformation
Our latest white paper explores how health systems can accelerate digital transformation.
The WITCH Report: 2019 Mid-Year Review
A review of the financial and market performance of global technology consulting firms in healthcare.
