Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center has expanded its use of Nuance's automated clinical note taking system to 14 clinical specialties after a successful pilot program, the company said Jan. 6. 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is tapping HealthMine to develop an incentive structure for the insurer's ACA members and offer digital health risk assessments for its ACA and Medicare Advantage business lines, the consumer health engagement company said Jan. 5

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has designated $250,000 to the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership to help rural healthcare facilities in the state improve their exchange of patient information, reports El Dorado News-Times.

Several state and local governments have turned to online event invite platforms including Eventbrite and SignUpGenius to coordinate COVID-19 vaccine appointments in place of scheduling on websites, Bloomberg reports. 

Miami-based Jackson Health's online portal for COVID-19 vaccine signups opened about two hours early on Jan. 5, resulting in 12,000 appointments getting snapped up by the time the site was originally supposed to launch, according to WPLG. 

Nashville, Tenn.-based data analytics firm Change Healthcare will combine with UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum in a deal amounting to about $13 billion, Bloomberg reports. 

The Oklahoma State Department of Health teamed up with Microsoft to build a mobile app that informs people when they are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and helps them sign up for an appointment, ABC affiliate KOCO reports.

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

Chillicothe, Ohio-based Adena Health System on Jan. 5 began the implementation process for a new Epic EHR as part of its affiliation with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

About 200 Google employees have established a union to organize workers across the tech giant's global operations, according to a Jan. 4 Wall Street Journal report.

Here are four hospitals and health systems that recently posted job listings seeking information technology executives.

Below are some of the recent leadership changes affecting health IT.

January 5, 2021 – MINNEAPOLIS – Revel + NovuHealth today announced the launch of its new name and brand, Icario (“ih-car-ee-oh”).

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.

More than 2,000 community members signed up to get a COVID-19 vaccination at a Maryland hospital after an internal email sent to employees was forwarded to friends, family members and others outside the hospital system who are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine, according to a Jan. 4 WUSA report. 

Amazon recently posted job openings related to its health business.

From new partnerships to investments to updated business plans, here are the latest of stories about health IT companies, including Amazon, Google and Cerner.

University of Vermont Health Network is revising its Epic EHR implementation schedule amid efforts to restore normal operations following an October ransomware attack as well as its ongoing COVID-19 response, according to a Jan. 4 Vermont Business Magazine report.

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