News From Around the Web
> The New York Digital Health Accelerator has launched its second year and is accepting applications for its second class, according to an announcement. "The Digital Health Accelerator program has proven to be a highly successful means of generating innovative technology solutions for some of healthcare's biggest challenges," said New York State Health Commissioner, Nirav R. Shah, M.D., in the announcement. "This next class will focus on creating products that improve patient health through technology, such as care coordination software for physicians or medication adherence applications for patients." Announcement
> Two emergency room clerks in Queens, N.Y., have been charged in a health records scheme, Healthcare Info Security reports. The clerks illegally accessed the electronic health records of hundreds of emergency room patients at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, many of whom were "subsequently contacted by lawyers and outpatient services providers soliciting their business," prosecutors say. The clerks inappropriately accessed computer records of 250 patients, each containing information like patient' Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers and more, according to allegations. Article
Provider News
> Financial constraints and pressure to lower costs drive healthcare innovation, industry leaders in New Jersey said during a panel discussion this week. "There's only three imperatives in health reform: cost, cost and cost," said New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute President and CEO David Knowlton. Article
Health Insurance News
> People who signed up for a Covered California health insurance plan may drop their coverage without paying their premiums because they found insurance elsewhere, according to a new analysis released Wednesday by the U.C. Berkeley Labor Center. Article
And Finally... Eau so cheesy. Article