INSIGHTS
January 24, 2022

Omicr-innovation

COVID-19’s Omicron variant has been sweeping the nation, and test makers are riding the wave of customer demand for rapid tests, bolstered by the recent mega order from the US government. (PSA: order four tests for your household here). While inequities remain for at-home test delivery, lab leaders Abbott Laboratories, Becton Dickinson, and Quidel shared that they expect this moment to open the door for more D2C and over-the-counter diagnostics innovation into the future.

Also in COVID news last week: TruePill launched a coverage platform that lets health plans meet federal test reimbursement requirements, and Apprentice.io raised $100M for its AR tech to help pharma manufacturers work remotely through the pandemic. On the public health front, there’s still a long way to go before the promise of digital is realized, but we’re encouraged by the innovation paving a path through this pandemic—and hope that the urgency of these needs are in the rearview mirror sooner rather than later.

Rock Health’s non-profit, RockHealth.org, is excited to share the third installment of the Rock Health Summit 2021 virtual content series! Even if you weren’t able to join us for the Summit, you can still register to gain access to all of the recorded Summit sessions—plus new content from the virtual series. The latest session highlights the innovative strategies that leaders in Tulsa, Oklahoma are using to improve health outcomes for local communities.

Headlines

IBM Sells Watson Health Assets to Investment Firm
Francisco Partners takes Watson off IBM’s hands The Wall Street Journal

Women's Health Is More Than Female Anatomy—It's About Unraveling Inequity
Reframing women’s health needs and how to address them Harvard Business School Health Blog

Alphabet's Verily Unit In Skin-Care Deal With L'Oreal
The middle children—this time, a cosmetics brand—continue to come in hot Reuters

Biden Administration Publishes Long-Awaited TEFCA Interoperability Framework
A new milestone for data sharing and interoperability Healthcare Dive

Microsoft, Cleveland Clinic, Providence Join Coalition To Innovate AI In Healthcare
Artificial Intelligence Industry Innovation Coalition (AI3C) to build and track developments Fierce Healthcare

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