Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Although the past several decades have seen significantly greater emphasis on screening and disease prevention for CRC, it has also become increasingly apparent that the age profile and associated risks for this cancer are rapidly changing. Evidence of this can be found in recently released CRC statistics from the American Cancer Society, which are updated every 3 years using population-based cancer registries. The incidence in CRC has shown a progressive decline over the past four decades. However, whereas in the 2000s there was an…
Author: Abhay Panchal
It’s been over 2 decades since 37-year-old Joshua Denton was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Controlling the physical symptoms of comorbidities, such as inflammatory bowel disease, have been possible, but he was surprised when depression and anxiety set in. “You’re dealing with what I call the anxiety of the unknown. What does this mean?” said Mr. Denton, who serves as a patient advocate with Color of Crohn’s & Chronic Illness, a nonprofit group aimed at improving quality of life for racial-ethnic minorities. “When you understand that it’s autoimmune that is chronic and incurable, you’re wondering, ‘Am I going to have a…
With shifting consumer demands for fast and convenient services, healthcare organizations are embracing digital transformation. In turn, the Big Tech companies are accelerating their pursuit of the healthcare market. They are leveraging their vast resources and data insights to develop innovative solutions that could change the game for both consumers and medical professionals alike. Below, I break down how these tech giants are working to reshape healthcare with new initiatives, products, and investments. Big tech companies are increasing their investments in healthcare. In 2021, Apple, Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta collectively invested over $3.1 billion in the healthcare industry,…
UnitedHealth Group has quietly added yet another provider group to its growing Optum Health subsidiary. Earlier this year, UHG acquired Crystal Run Healthcare, a New York-based physician group with about 400 doctors. There was no fanfare around the acquisition until media reports resurfaced it this week. Local newspaper Mid-Hudson News obtained an internal email in late February, where Crystal Run leaders informed employees that they were a part of Optum as of Feb. 22. In the message, CEO Hal Teitelbaum, M.D., said the deal would advance the provider group’s value-based care capabilities.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information from a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Pear Therapeutics, maker of prescription digital therapeutics, announced today that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is seeking a sale of its business or assets. The company will continue its scaled-down operations during Chapter 11 as it seeks a sale, and Pear will use its available cash to fund its operations and costs post-petition. The Boston-based company’s CEO Corey McCann referenced the filing on LinkedIn, stating, “Today is a difficult day for Pear Therapeutics. We announced that Pear voluntarily…
Precision diagnostics company Oncocyte on Friday announced the publication of results from the randomized phase II AtezoTRIBE clinical trial for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), which used the company’s DetermaIO gene-expression test. The results, published in Clinical Cancer Research, show that DetermaIO, which assesses the tumor microenvironment to predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment, identified more patients who were potentially responsive to ICI treatment than current biomarkers.
The physician-led Independent Physician Association of New York, one of the largest in the nation, has been acquired by the private equity-backed Vytalize Health, through an investment in Practice Management of America. An announcement from Vytalize states that the deal builds on an existing partnership between the organizations dating to 2020 and accelerates the firm’s expansion into Medicare Advantage, commercial plans, Medicaid, and multi-specialty care. “IPA NY is a longtime partner that shares our commitment to supporting independent physicians and helping them succeed in delivering high-quality, value-based care,” said Faris Ghawi, Vytalize Health co-founder and CEO, in a statement.
Key takeaways: Patients with rectal cancer who were observed by a watch-and-wait approach reported “good” quality of life and less major bowel dysfunction than those requiring surgery, according to study results in JAMA Surgery.
When it comes to billing, all medical degrees are not created equal. A recent survey from Dallas-based healthcare staffing firm AMN Healthcare found that physicians bill between $11.7 million and $1.3 million annually, with some non-physicians billing more than their doctor colleagues. The report estimates that physicians originate 80 percent of all healthcare dollars spent in the system. As healthcare costs rise, numerous forces are at work to curb prices, but shifts toward value-based care, bundled prices, and transparency haven’t stopped unsustainable increases in healthcare prices over the past decades. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that spending…
Bain & Company’s 12th annual Global Healthcare Private Equity and M&A report reflects the continued resilience of the healthcare industry, with 2022 seeing near-record levels of healthcare dealmaking, in terms of both volume and value. Despite a slowdown caused by macro-economic and geopolitical forces in the second half of the year, 2022 was still the second-best year on record for healthcare dealmaking, due in large part to the white-hot pace of investment at the start of the year. Total disclosed deal value reached nearly $90 billion, down from $151 billion in 2021 but still more than $10 billion more than…