Here's the latest roundup of stories about health IT companies, including Apple, Cerner and Microsoft.
- Health Care Service Corp., the Chicago-based parent of five Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans, tapped Epic to launch a new health information exchange platform between insurers, providers and patients.
- The FDA expanded the use of noninvasive patient-monitoring technologies, including the electrocardiogram app for the Apple Watch.
- Since striking a partnership with Cerner in 2018, the Department of Veterans Affairs' $16 billion EHR implementation has encountered various delays, but project leaders anticipate the final go-live in about 10 years.
- Optum Ventures led a recent funding round for DocASAP, an advanced patient access and engagement platform.
- Microsoft began using an experimental data center located 117 feet under the sea in Scotland to process data workloads that are part of a global computing project aimed at developing a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Apple Watch released new metrics that measure gait quality, allowing physicians to compare patients' progress against a database and make more informed decisions about post-operative care.
- Apple also unveiled a new feature for its Apple Watch that will help users wash their hands.
- Cerner will eliminate 100 jobs as part of its third round of layoffs since September 2019.
- Walgreens Boots Alliance, Microsoft and Adobe launched a new digital offering for personalized healthcare and shopping.
- Anthem made health plan information available through Amazon's voice-activated consumer devices.
- Microsoft hired Dr. Junaid Bajwa, who previously served as a leader for the United Kingdom's National Health Service, as its chief medical scientist.
- A bill calling for the permanence of telehealth regulations garnered support from prominent figures in healthcare, such as the American Medical Association, Apple, Bose, Boston Children's Hospital, Intel, Kaia Health, Microsoft and UnitedHealth.
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Tech professionals are increasingly seeking healthcare and pharma jobs, study finds