Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska connected by Direct messaging; Massachusetts community health centers to receive $4.25M for IT implementation;

News From Around the Web

> Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska now are connected across state lines via Direct secured messaging, which will help them streamline communication in healthcare across the region. Announcement

> Community health centers in Massachusetts will receive $4.25 million in grants for health IT implementation, coding and Meaningful Use training from not-for-profit corporation Neighborhood Health Plan and Partners HealthCare, the entities announced last week. Announcement

Health Finance News

> Capitalizing on record-low interest rates, hospitals are moving to refinance their debt. Article

> The amount of money poured into healthcare mergers and acquisitions totaled more than $143 billion during 2012, a significant drop from the prior year, concluded a new report from Irving Levin Associates. Article

Mobile Healthcare News

> Glooko, a Silicon Valley startup, recently received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its smartphone application that allows diabetics to collect and view information needed to help them monitor their blood glucose levels. Article

> At a time when mobile healthcare is being embraced by the United Nations to improve health outcomes in developing countries, two studies published in PLoS Medicine show that despite tremendous potential, mHealth has produced mixed effectiveness and modest benefits. Article

And Finally... I don't think Justice Scalia's fashion statement at the inauguration was intentional. Article