FCT EMBRACE MARKS FUJIFILM’S ENTRANCE INTO U.S. CT MARKETPLACE
Fujifilm Medical Systems unveiled its FCT Embrace at the 2018 ASTRO annual meeting in October, marking Fujifilm’s entry into the U.S. CT market. The new system, combined with other market-leading oncology solutions, is designed to provide enhanced and efficient CT simulation with radiotherapy treatment planning capabilities. Approved by the FDA,
PHILIPS UNVEILS NEW RADIOTHERAPY IMAGING SYSTEMS
Philips released new systems for radiotherapy at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO) annual meeting in October. The Big Bore RT is a dedicated CT oncology simulator with built-in technologies such as iterative model reconstruction (IMR) for improved imaging of small details and for quick completion of reference protocols. The
EARL E. BAKKEN: MEDTRONICS CO-FOUNDER DIES AT 94
Earl E. Bakken, co-founder of Medtronic plc, passed away peacefully on Oct. 21 at his home on Kiholo Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii. He was 94 years old. “Today we are saddened by the passing of Earl Bakken, but we also honor and will forever cherish the life
HHS FINES ANTHEM $16 MILLION FOR LARGEST BREACH IN U.S. HISTORY
Anthem has been hit with a $16 million fine from the federal government as part of a settlement from its massive January 2015 breach, according to HealthData Management. That incident was a result of a cyberattack that enabled hackers to access the electronic protected health information of nearly 79
DRUGMAKERS FUNNEL MILLIONS TO LAWMAKERS; A FEW DOZEN GET $100,000-PLUS
By Emmarie Huetteman and Sydney Lupkin Before the midterm elections heated up, dozens of drugmakers had already poured about $12 million into the war chests of hundreds of members of Congress. Since the beginning of last year, 34 lawmakers have each received more than $100,000 from pharmaceutical companies. Two
TELEMEDICINE GIANT HEALTHRIGHT, 4 COMPOUNDING PHARMACIES CHARGED WITH $1 BILLION FRAUD
HealthRight CEO Scott Roix of the telemedicine company HealthRight pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy charges brought by the Department of Justice. Roix and the company also pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud associated with a telemarketing scheme to sell dietary supplements, skin creams and testosterone to patients. Roix and the
CYBER ATTACK FEAR LEADS TO MEDTRONIC DISABLING PACEMAKER INTERNET UPDATE
Medtronic has disabled the internet update functionality of two of its CareLink devices used to program pacemaker implants amid concerns that they may be susceptible to cyberattacks, according to a letter from the medtech giant to healthcare professionals. Vulnerabilities had been identified in the update download process that could allow an individual
FORMER GE HEALTHCARE VALUE-BASED CARE SOLUTIONS GROUP REBRANDS AS VIRENCE HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES
The Value-Based Care Solutions Group, recently acquired by Veritas Capital from GE Healthcare, today announced its rebranding to Virence Health Technologies. The company is a leading software provider that leverages technology and analytics to help healthcare providers across the continuum of care effectively manage their financial, clinical and human capital
CMS ANNOUNCES PARTICIPANTS IN NEW VALUE-BASED BUNDLED PAYMENT MODEL
On Oct. 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that 1,299 entities have signed agreements with the agency to participate in the Administration’s Bundled Payments for Care Improvement – Advanced (BPCI Advanced) Model. The participating entities will receive bundled payments for certain episodes of care as
CYNTHIA SHAPIRO, FNP-C JOINS AMERICAN VEIN AT HIGHLANDS RANCH CLINIC
Cynthia Shapiro, FNP-C, has joined American Vein & Vascular Institute’s Highlands Ranch clinic as a a board-certified nurse practitioner. Shapiro has 25 years of career experience in the healthcare and medical industries. American Vein & Vascular Institute is an award-winning network of vein and arterial diagnosis and treatment centers