The first nine months of 2020 saw a record $10.3 billion of global venture capital funding for digital health companies, up 43 percent from the $7.2 billion raised over the same time period in 2019, according to a Mercom Capital Group report.

Durham, N.C.-based Duke Clinical Research Institute, part of the Duke University School of Medicine, has hired Eric Perakslis, PhD, as its new chief science and digital officer, the institute said Jan. 6.

Digital transformation has impacted every industry, encouraging more convenience for every customer and in turn, increasing consumer expectations. And healthcare is no different. Patients are ready and searching for the same digital conveniences offered by banks, online retailers, and curbside restaurant pick up.

Five Mass General Brigham innovation projects seeking to improve treatment for patients with challenging diseases were awarded funding Jan. 6 through the Boston-based health system's Innovation Discovery Grants program. 

Clearwater, Fla.-based BayCare Health System is deploying Amazon Alexa devices in 2,500 rooms across its 14 hospitals.

Color, a Burlingame, Calif.-based population genomics and healthcare technology company, achieved unicorn status Jan. 4 when it closed a $167 million series D funding round.

Digital transformation accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic has carved a new role for CIOs in corporate boardrooms as decision makers, a shift that IT leaders expect to be permanent, according to a Jan. 5 Wall Street Journal report.

Here are five recent health IT vendor contracts and go-lives accelerating digital transformation efforts at healthcare organizations.

CIOs across all industries hustled to develop digital capabilities for virtual operations and workplace communication tools this year. These efforts, advanced by the COVID-19 pandemic, will help determine the pace of business for 2021, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Royal Philips, University of Colorado and BioIntellisense received a $2.8 million grant from the Department of Defense to validate the remote patient monitoring startup's wearable device's ability to early detect COVID-19. 

New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health recently rolled out a new teaching app available in the Apple Store that provides medical education resources and teaching skills for students, trainees and faculty. 

Here are the five most popular digital transformation stories published by Becker's Hospital Review in 2020:

Los Angeles County partnered with health startup Healthvana to roll out a new digital offering that allows residents to store records of their COVID-19 vaccination in Apple Wallet or on a similar Google platform, according to a Dec. 28 Press Herald report. 

Here are 11 recent partnerships between healthcare organizations and big tech companies including Amazon, Apple and Google. 

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute has awarded the UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care $3.76 million on Dec. 22 to improve digital and in-person access to behavioral health for moms on Medicaid.

Since joining Mayo Clinic in December 2019 as its first chief digital officer, Rita Khan has been leading the health system's COVID-19 digital health initiatives from telehealth expansion to data mapping and consumer engagement. 

Throughout the pandemic, healthcare and tech organizations have been creating interactive tools to help individuals predict their likelihood of contracting COVID-19 or even dying from the virus. 

The COVID-19 pandemic helped pave the way for a significant shift to the digital world, creating new opportunities for tech adoption and innovation. 

Here are six recent health IT vendor contracts and go-lives accelerating digital transformation efforts at healthcare organizations.

Diameter Health, a data optimization company focused on interoperability for healthcare organizations, on Dec. 17 closed an $18 million series B financing round.