The FDA has cleared the SOMATOM On.site, a mobile head computed tomography (CT) scanner from Siemens Healthineers that enables a critically ill patient to receive CT head imaging in the intensive care unit (ICU) while remaining in bed. Performing a CT head examination at the patient’s bedside can eliminate costly transports to the radiology department, which involve high staffing requirements and potential patient risk. With the SOMATOM On.site, Siemens Healthineers enables reliable and consistent image quality at the point of care, allowing customers to transform care delivery.

The SOMATOM On.site transforms the delivery of care for critically ill patients who require a CT head scan,” says Douglas Ryan, Vice President of Computed Tomography at Siemens Healthineers North America. “The system delivers reliable and consistent image quality demanded by healthcare professionals in the ICU, neurology, and radiology departments. Additionally, bedside imaging helps to reduce patient transports, thereby reducing the risk of infection while improving workforce efficiency.”

The SOMATOM On.site offers easy scan setup, fast workflow, and integrated patient support accessories, for convenient and consistent patient positioning in the scanner. An intelligent user interface concept, myExam Companion helps the radiologic technologist navigate the examination for consistent results. An integrated drive camera enables real-time viewing on the built-in Touch UI display for easy maneuvering by the technologist. The scanner’s unique telescopic gantry design allows the radiation source to move away from the patient during scanning, while the base and the front cover of the gantry remain stationary. The SOMATOM On.site system design – with the telescopic, self-shielded gantry and attachable front and back radiation shields – reduces scatter radiation compared to CT scanners without this design and provides radiation protection for neighboring patients and staff.

About Siemens Healthineers AG
Siemens Healthineers AG is shaping the future of Healthcare. As a leading medical technology company headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, Siemens Healthineers enables healthcare providers worldwide through its regional companies to increase value by empowering them on their journey towards expanding precision medicine, transforming care delivery, improving the patient experience, and digitalizing healthcare. Siemens Healthineers is continuously developing its product and service portfolio, with AI-supported applications and digital offerings that play an increasingly important role in the next generation of medical technology. These new applications will enhance the company’s foundation in in-vitro diagnostic, image-guided therapy, and in-vivo diagnostics. Siemens Healthineers also provides a range of services and solutions to enhance healthcare providers’ ability to provide high-quality, efficient care to patients. In fiscal 2019, which ended on September 30, 2019, Siemens Healthineers, which has approximately 52,000 employees worldwide, generated revenue of €14.5 billion and adjusted profit of €2.5 billion.

The Optima XR240amx mobile x-ray unit features a Thoracic Care Suite which is powered by AI algorithms from Lunit INSIGHT CXR, which flags if a patient has a collapsed lung or other abnormalities. Specialists are then notified for immediate reading, putting patients on a rapid path to treatment.

GE Healthcare selected UH to evaluate the mobile x-ray system in November 2019, and completed the evaluation phase the following month. The hospital is now using the technology in daily clinical practice, identifying 7 to 15 collapsed lungs per day.

“UH evaluated the equipment in the clinical setting, reporting back (to us) before the company made the system available commercially,” said Katelyn Nye, general manager of global mobile radiology and artificial intelligence at GE Healthcare. “Today there are a multitude of AI algorithms being developed, but very few solutions seamlessly integrate into actual clinical workflow.”

GE Healthcare picked UH as the first national pilot site because of an extensive research relationship, its advanced radiology and IT teams, and its center of excellence for cardiothoracic care, according to Nye.

“Employing this equipment means better care for our patients,” said Dr. Amit Gupta, modality director, diagnostic radiography and principal investigator on the project. “It’s now not just the humans working for them — now the machines are assisting in the patient’s welfare. This improves workflow as well as patient care.”

When they were piloting the technology, UH and GE did not anticipate the increased importance the AI-enhanced chest x-ray would take on in the pandemic context several months later. Complications of Covid-19 include pneumonia and acute respiratory distress, further pressuring radiologists to quickly read imaging exams. The AI-powered analysis allows taxed clinicians to more quickly diagnose and treat Covid-19 patients with respiratory complications.

Kieran Murphy, president & CEO of GE Healthcare, added, “The pandemic has proven that data, analytics, AI, and connectivity will only become more central to delivering care.”

Headquartered in Chicago, GE Healthcare is one of the leading manufacturers of medical diagnostics equipment and technology. Its management consulting arm GE Healthcare Partners supports healthcare organizations in North America, and was named the #1 Best Consulting Firm for Innovation in Vault’s 2020 rankings.

The company earlier this year launched Mural Virtual Care Solution, which allows hospitals to remotely monitor numerous ventilated patients simultaneously, and enables the identification of patients at risk of deterioration.

Lemonaid Health, a convenient, affordable, on-demand platform for telehealth, has raised a $33 million Series B round of funding, bringing total financing to $55 million. The oversubscribed round was led by Olive Tree Ventures with participation from Artis Ventures, Correlation Ventures, Hikma Ventures, Sierra Ventures and others.

COVID-19 Driving Telehealth Adoption

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the integration of telehealth and transformed the way consumers interact with their healthcare providers. Providers are seeing 50 to 175 times the number of patients via telehealth platforms than they were before the outbreak, according to a McKinsey COVID-19 Consumer Survey.

Online Doctor’s Office & Medicine Delivery

Founded in 2013 by Co-Founders Ian Van Every and Paul Johnson, Lemonaid Health offers patients direct access to the care they need, from consultation through treatment nationally across the U.S. The company leverages evidence-based guidelines and the most up-to-date clinical protocols to provide quality care for less than typical co-pays. In just a few minutes, patients are able to interact with a U.S.-licensed doctor or nurse practitioner for conditions like anxiety and depression, urinary tract infections (UTIs), birth control, hair loss, hypothyroidism, erectile dysfunction, genital herpes and sinus infections. Patients are also offered free and fast delivery of prescription medications through the platform to speed treatment.

For $25 per visit, patients can request prescriptions by filling out a questionnaire and attaching a picture for the doctor to write out the prescription, and then have it automatically sent to a locally preferred pharmacy within a 2-hour turnaround time. The visit cost is much cheaper than a co-pay, and an email summary of the care provided is sent for the patient’s primary care doctor.

Expansion Plans

Lemonaid Health has seen a surge in demand for its services and interest from prospective partners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although initially a direct-to-consumer provider, the company is starting to work with partners within the existing healthcare system to further expand reach.

With the investment, Lemonaid Health will expand its team of medical professionals and increase the number of services being offered to patients, including treatment for asthma, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and more mental health services.

“The U.S. healthcare system has struggled to deliver the services patients need in a way that is convenient and effective. The challenges of providing routine care has been exacerbated recently as the majority of health resources have been focused on responding to the coronavirus pandemic,” said Paul Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Lemonaid Health. “We founded Lemonaid Health with a vision to increase access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. As more consumers have turned to telehealth in the last six months, we’ve seen significant growth in demand for our online services. With the additional financing, we will be able to help even more patients get the care they deserve and expand our services in partnership with other healthcare providers.”

C Spire is teaming up with the Delta Regional Medical Center to debut a remote patient monitoring program in Mississippi for a broad array of chronic medical conditions that will help manage health care costs for hospitals in rural areas and improve the quality of life for patients.

The company is providing Delta Regional Medical Center with a cutting-edge, white-label platform from Vivify Health that enhances existing electronic health records (EHR) and work efficiency while delivering proven results with over 97 percent patient satisfaction, up to a 65 percent reduction in readmission and double-digit returns on investment.

C Spire Remote Patient Monitoring helps hospitals and doctors monitor patients from smartphones – giving individual patients more freedom to live independent lives and reducing emergency room visits and readmissions. Video chat, audio calls and secure text can be used when an appointment or other intervention is needed.

Major health care operations across the U.S. are implementing remote patient monitoring for chronic and high-risk patients as part of a voluntary transition from a traditional “fee for service” model to a value-based accountable care organization (ACO) approach where hospitals and clinics focus on preventative care to avoid hospitalization.

“This life-saving technology is engaging and easy to use and teaches patients the information and habits they need to get on the road to a better life,” said Wade Smith, Senior Vice President of Business and New Products for Consumer Technology at C Spire. “Our mission is to help hospitals and doctors transform chronic care through technology.”

Mississippi has some of the highest rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease in the U.S. and has ranked near the bottom in most of these critical chronic health condition categories for decades, according to 2018 data from the state Department of Health, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

“We’re excited about being the first hospital to work with C Spire and Vivify to implement this hospital and patient-friendly platform in Mississippi,” said Scott Christensen, Chief Executive Officer for Delta Regional Medical Center. Through proactive, daily digital monitoring, we’re confident we can reduce fluctuating episodic care while primary care physicians stay advised and in control of patients’ wellbeing.

Smith said the platform allows hospitals and doctors to follow patient biometrics, medication adherence, diet and other health choices. With 12 percent of the state’s residents without health insurance and 22.6 percent living in rural poverty, RPM will help “deliver more efficient services, stretch limited health care dollars and help keep patients away from waiting rooms and emergency care,” he said.

C Spire plans to conduct an Aug. 18 webinar with the Mississippi Hospital Association to provide the state’s 63 hospitals and medical centers with more details about how remote patient monitoring can help prevent life-threatening, costly health problems and keep high-risk patients isolated and safe.

About C Spire
C Spire is a privately held telecommunications and technology company driven to deliver the best experiences in wireless, fiber internet, and business IT solutions such as internet, VoIP, cloud and managed services. Read more news releases and announcements at cspire.com/news. For more information, visit cspire.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

About Delta Regional Medical Center
Delta Regional Medical Center (DRMC) is a full service hospital dedicated to serving the Delta since 1953 with the mission of providing high quality medical services to the citizens and communities in the Tri-state Delta Region and to be a leader in providing needed support services to healthcare providers and patients to improve the health of the communities served. Our priority is to consistently provide the best and safest care to our patients and to ensure a sustainable presence in our community.

DarioHealth Corp., a pioneer in the global digital therapeutics market, announced that it closed a private placement transaction with accredited investors, including healthcare funds and institutions from the U.S. and Israel. The company received aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $28.6 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses.

Digital Chronic Care Solution

Founded in 2011, DarioHealth’s digital therapeutics platform delivers evidence-based interventions that are driven by data, high-quality software and coaching, we empower individuals to make healthy adjustments to their daily lifestyle choices to improve their overall health. DarioHealth’s cross-functional team operates at the intersection of life sciences, behavioral science and software technology to deliver highly engaging therapeutic interventions.

Funding Plans

Capital from this financing combined with existing balance sheet cash positions the company in its best financial state since its founding. It is expected that these resources will be used to fund Dario’s long term strategic operating plan, as it expands its focus from the direct-to-consumer channel to what it believes is the larger, more lucrative business-to-business-to-consumer channel, which is characterized by lower customer acquisition costs, higher margins, and recurring revenues. In that regard, the primary use of proceeds will be to further fund the build-out of the company’s commercial infrastructure to assist it in securing contracts with health plans, self-insured employers and providers, and to penetrate their vast member, employee, and patient populations.

The company’s largest existing shareholder, Nantahala Capital Management, LLC (on behalf of client funds and accounts), was joined by new investors including funds managed by Manchester Management Company LLC, Soleus Capital Management L.P. as well as leading Israeli institutional investors such as Phoenix insurance, Mor provident fund, Psagot investment house.

The company sold 2,969,266 shares of common stock and, to certain investors in lieu thereof, pre-funded warrants to purchase 824,689 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.0001 per share. The purchase price per share was equal to $7.47, or the “Minimum Price,” pursuant to Nasdaq Rule 5635(d) as of July 28, 2020, and the purchase price of each pre-funded warrant was $7.4699. The company also sold 31,486 shares of common stock at a price per share equal to $7.94, or the “Minimum Price,” pursuant to Nasdaq Rule 5635(d) as of July 30, 2020, The transaction closed on July 31, 2020.

“We are pleased to have the confidence of our largest shareholder and several new highly regarded healthcare investors as we expand our commercial to manage existing and anticipated near-term agreements with health care payers,” said Erez Raphael, chief executive officer of Dario. “The adoption rate of digital therapeutics has been accelerated by the current pandemic. Dario’s efficacious, value-oriented solution is well-positioned to compete in this largely untapped U.S. market.”