Month: June 2025

The recent HIMSS Global Health Conference in Las Vegas delivered a vibrant mix of innovation, challenges, and a few surprises along the way. Despite some early reports of lower attendance, the main floor was buzzing with energy and full of engaged participants.

 As our VP of Business Development, Matt Order, observed, navigating through the conference felt like stepping into a packed marketplace—where even getting into the larger vendor booths was a competitive endeavor.

The Vegas Backdrop: A Paradox of Glamour and Healthcare Innovation

In a city known for indulgence and excess, it was intriguing to see healthcare professionals gather with a common goal: making patient care faster, better, and more cost-effective. This juxtaposition—between the city’s reputation for poor health choices and the industry’s drive to improve outcomes—sparked an interesting reflection on the direction of healthcare innovation. Perhaps it underlines the urgent need to shift from reactive treatments to proactive, streamlined care delivery.

AI: From Ambience to Actionable Insights

A dominant theme at the conference was artificial intelligence. This year’s event felt almost like an AI convention embedded within a healthcare framework. Vendors showcased a wide array of AI-powered solutions, from ambient AI applications to systems designed to streamline everything from coding and dictation to diagnostics and front-desk operations. The excitement around AI wasn’t solely about return on investment—it was about unlocking new possibilities.

According to Matt, pattern recognition in patient data appears to be the low-hanging fruit, while the idea of fully replacing human roles with AI is still a bit down the road. The rapid influx of AI solutions suggests we are in a “boom” phase, with consolidation on the horizon as only the most accurate and useful tools ultimately stick in the complex world of healthcare.

Cybersecurity: The Ongoing Battle

Cybersecurity continues to be a major focus as data breaches and cyber threats remain in the news. HIMSS dedicated an entire space to cybersecurity, reflecting its growing importance in healthcare technology. Amid all the high-tech innovations, one key takeaway is that people are often the weakest link in the security chain. Investing in robust training and sensible business practices is just as critical as implementing advanced security systems. This blend of technology and human vigilance is essential for protecting patient data in an increasingly digital healthcare environment.

EMRs, Interoperability, and the Evolution of Remote Care

Interoperability was another hot topic, with major EHR vendors like MEDITECH, athenahealth, ecw, and Cerner demonstrating how they are working together to create a more connected care experience. The shift from traditional HL7 interfaces to modern API-driven solutions is paving the way for a truly integrated healthcare ecosystem—one that supports continuous, longitudinal care across different settings.

Remote care is also evolving beyond basic telehealth and standard remote patient monitoring. Advances in AI, improved hardware, and enhanced connectivity are setting the stage for full-scale remote care solutions. The promise of delivering comprehensive care outside the traditional clinical environment is becoming a reality, potentially transforming how patients receive and engage with care.

Looking Ahead

The lessons from HIMSS 2025 are clear: the future of healthcare lies in embracing digital innovation to streamline operations, improve patient outcomes, and reduce the administrative burden on providers. The integration of technologies that support everything from scheduling to security is not just an upgrade—it’s a necessity for a more efficient, patient-centered healthcare system. In this rapidly evolving landscape, every innovation brings us one step closer to making quality care more accessible and sustainable for all.

“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we, as healthcare providers, need to up our games in terms of the patient experience,” said its associate medical director.

By Bill Siwicki February 17, 2022

Michigan Avenue Primary Care in Chicago
Photo: Michigan Avenue Primary Care

COVID-19 has created another health crisis in this country – a massive increase in depression and other mental health issues associated with being isolated. Further, the opioid crisis has worsened with an increase in addiction.

THE PROBLEM

For Michigan Avenue Primary Care in Chicago, the most pressing need near the beginning of the pandemic was to find a way to adopt telemedicine as the primary service model during the COVID-19 lockdown, especially for mental health patients who suddenly were shut off from in-person support.

“We had already adopted the Yosi Health platform as a robust and flexible contactless waiting room solution, which allowed us to accommodate those patients who did need in-person services at our immediate care, urgent primary care and ENT practices,” said Dr. Joshua Merok, associate medical director of Michigan Avenue Primary Care.

PROPOSAL

When the downtown area of Chicago closed for six weeks at the beginning of the pandemic, there were virtually no patients walking into Michigan Avenue Primary Care’s office. The practice was forced to quickly pivot to telemedicine.

“Pre-pandemic, we had occasional telemedicine visits that we arranged manually via Google Meet,” Merok recalled. “Suddenly, we needed to coordinate entire schedules’ worth of telemedicine visits and needed a streamlined custom build from Yosi Health.

“Quickly, Yosi Health engineers were able to leverage our existing EHR integration into a new integration with a HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platform,” he continued. “The technology automatically sends patients appointment reminders with individualized Google Meet video links whenever we designate an appointment as telemedicine in our EHR.”

“Technologies like telemedicine and contactless waiting rooms were adopted because of the pandemic, but they’re clearly here to stay as baseline features patients will expect their healthcare service providers to offer.”

Dr. Joshua Merok, Michigan Avenue Primary Care

This fit seamlessly into the already established Yosi pre-registration systems, and continued to fully integrate with the practice’s patient database.

“Knowing that rates of depression and anxiety were on the rise, the Yosi engineers offered us a customized screening solution,” Merok noted. “We were able to incorporate behavioral health screening – PHQ-9, GAD-7 and CAGE – into our pre-registration package, which has helped us to diagnose and treat behavioral health disorders that may have otherwise slipped through the cracks.”

MEETING THE CHALLENGE

The customized technology enabled Michigan Avenue Primary Care to easily designate appointments as telemedicine. The automated Google Meet video conference invitations saved schedulers hours of time each day.

“Our providers love that they can simply log into their Google Calendar to see their telemedicine appointments for the day, and joining the conference is as easy as clicking on the calendar,” Merok said.

“It was a huge relief when our patients quickly adapted to the platform, but probably even more so that our physicians and staff found it simple to use as well,” he continued. “They’re so busy, you don’t want to introduce a system with a high learning curve or not intuitive in nature.”

RESULTS

“While the automated telemedicine technology was a logistical Godsend, one of the most impressive results came from the behavioral health screening feature,” Merok explained. “Using that, we were able to pick up hundreds of cases of depression that we wouldn’t have otherwise identified.

“It was amazing how much patients were willing to share on the screening forms, in many instances addiction or mental health symptoms that they didn’t always share in person with their physicians.”

The practice also was able to free up time for front-of-house staff who no longer were burdened with data entry, appointment management, video conference setup and general paperwork.

ADVICE FOR OTHERS

“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we, as healthcare providers, need to up our games in terms of the patient experience,” Merok advised. “It’s the only way to stay competitive in our consumer marketplace that has become more demanding, especially in the area of mobile convenience. They want to be able to communicate and manage their health, on their time, no matter where they are.

“Technologies like telemedicine and contactless waiting rooms were adopted because of the pandemic, but they’re clearly here to stay as baseline features patients will expect their healthcare service providers to offer.”

Seamless automation and integration of patient intake data also is fast becoming part of the “new norm,” with time and cost benefits both patients and the practice can realize, he added. The ability to intake, evaluate and securely share patient data has become a streamlined process because of comprehensive technologies that make use of digital information, he said.

“Some solutions are even helping practices maintain their reputations, allowing patients to take satisfaction surveys while monitoring social feeds for practice reviews and mentions,” he noted.

“Digital solutions are the next evolutionary step in the patient experience,” he concluded. “If your practice hasn’t started to implement some of these, 2022 is the year to do a candid assessment of your practice’s needs – and the needs of your patients – so you can start offering them a more frictionless experience.”

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Prescribing rules promise flexibility but leave room for improvement, industry experts say.

By Caroline Catherman January 23, 2025 / 3 min read

New year, new rules!

In the final days of President Joe Biden’s tenure, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced three new rules to allow medical providers to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth.

These rules would make temporary flexibilities—enacted in 2020 following difficulties getting prescriptions during the Covid-19 pandemic—permanent.

Telehealth companies have long pushed for a permanent extension, but there are still a few hiccups in the fine print of this proposal that need to be addressed, Christopher Adamec, executive director of industry group Alliance for Connected Care, told Healthcare Brew.

He hopes the Trump administration will make some tweaks. The White House didn’t provide an answer on that by deadline.

“The Biden administration put forward a great framework, but there are some pretty serious issues with it that would aggressively curtail the way telehealth is used today,” Adamec said.

Tell me more. The DEA’s new rules include one that allows telehealth providers to prescribe buprenorphine—a medication used to help treat opioid dependence—for six months. Previously, a patient needed to have an in-person medical evaluation to get more than 30 days of buprenorphine.

This rule is finalized and set to take effect February 18, though the Trump administration could nix those plans.

The problem here: the six-month limit, Adamec lamented. Not all patients will be able to secure an in-person appointment after six months.

“ have to cut off treatment in a potentially harmful way when the patient may need it most,” he said.

Another proposed rule allows providers to get a special registration to prescribe Schedule III–V controlled substances without an in-person visit, as well as an advanced telemedicine prescribing registration to prescribe Schedule II–V controlled substances without an in-person visit.

However, the new proposed rules say that even if providers sometimes prescribe Schedule II drugs via telehealth, at least 50% of their Schedule II prescriptions need to be done after an in-person visit. This makes it impossible to prescribe Schedule II drugs—such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, Adderall, or Ritalin—as a telehealth-only practice, Ademac said.

Telehealth providers would also be required to be in the same state as the person they’re remotely prescribing a Schedule II controlled substance to, with the rationale that it’s easier for state agencies to monitor prescribing practices.

“That’s a challenge for expanding access to treatment for patients that may be in an area where there are clinician shortages,” Adamec said.

Not everyone found issues with the rules, however.

“The DEA’s new rules and registration requirements demonstrate a much-needed, mindful approach to balancing telehealth access with patient safety,” Hari Prasad, co-founder and CEO of mobile patient intake management system Yosi Health, told Healthcare Brew via email.

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Federal government officials—they’re just like us! (Procrastinators.)

By Caroline Catherman, March 28, 2025

As every chronic procrastinator knows, nothing feels better than an extension on a due date.

So we bet it was a big relief for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to push back the effective date of two new telehealth rules from March 21 to Dec. 31.

The rules would permanently expand some temporary telehealth flexibilities for prescribing buprenorphine—a medication used to treat opioid dependence—and for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinicians to prescribe controlled substances.

These telehealth flexibilities were enacted during the pandemic and are set to expire Dec. 31. But telehealth clinicians have long called for a permanent solution, and these rules—two of three final controlled substances guidelines released on Jan. 16—were part of that solution.

“Unfortunately, the DEA’s decision fosters uncertainty for both healthcare providers and their patients,” Hari Prasad, CEO of mobile patient intake management system Yosi Health, told Healthcare Brew. “Delaying the implementation of these rules signals hesitation at a time when we should be prioritizing access and continuity of care for vets.”

Tell me more. This isn’t the first extension, either. The rules were initially set to take effect on Feb. 18, but were pushed back to March 21 after President Trump took office and issued a regulatory freeze.

Rule one, Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter, would let telehealth providers prescribe the drug for up to six months without an in-person visit. Pre-pandemic, a patient needed to have an in-person medical evaluation to get more than an initial 30-day supply of buprenorphine.

The other rule, Continuity of Care via Telemedicine for Veterans Affairs Patients, would give special prescribing privileges to VA practitioners, allowing them to prescribe controlled substances remotely to patients they have never met in person, as long as that patient has received an in-person medical exam from another VA clinician.

Non-VA providers would have to get special registrations to prescribe Schedule II–V controlled substances—such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, Adderall, or Ritalin—without an in-person visit.

Christopher Adamec, executive director of industry group Alliance for Connected Care, previously told Healthcare Brew he felt these laws didn’t go far enough to expand telehealth access, adding that the buprenorphine rule’s six-month limit means a doctor could be forced to cut off treatment “in a potentially harmful way when the patient needs it most.”

The DOJ said in federal documents that it’s postponing the effective date to address public comments and to add more time to review “any questions of fact, law, and policy that the rules may raise.”

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April 7, 2025 | by Donna Cusano

TTA has an open invitation to industry leaders to contribute to our Perspectives non-promotional opinion and thought leadership area. Today’s topic is the closure of rural hospitals and whether telehealth can bridge this access gap. The author, Hari Prasad, is co-founder and CEO of  Yosi Health, a full-service technology ecosystem that connects patients with their providers through the entire care journey before, during and after the visit, creating delightful patient experiences and modernizing the entire healthcare patient experience. 

Rural hospitals across the United States are at risk of closing especially if Medicare and Medicaid cuts are enacted. According to a March 2025 report by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, over the past two decades, nearly 200 rural hospitals have already closed. It’s an economic reality that could leave hundreds of thousands of Americans without local medical care.

Rural communities, which already face challenges related to limited healthcare resources, transportation, as well as staffing and economic constraints, are likely to experience even greater disparities in access to essential services. As these hospitals and clinics face potential shutdowns, telehealth is emerging as a critical tool to maintain healthcare connectivity and improve patient outcomes in these underserved areas.

The threat of rural hospital closures has far-reaching implications. For many residents, these facilities provide not only emergency care but also routine health services, chronic disease management, and preventive screenings. With the loss of a nearby hospital, patients are often forced to travel long distances for care—a situation that can delay treatment and exacerbate health conditions. Additionally, the closure of rural hospitals often leads to increased pressure on remaining facilities, further straining resources and limiting access.

Telehealth, which allows patients to connect with healthcare providers through digital platforms, offers a promising solution to these challenges. By enabling virtual consultations, remote monitoring, and digital care coordination, telehealth can mitigate some of the negative effects of hospital closures. It provides patients with timely access to medical advice and treatment without the need for long, costly journeys to distant facilities.

In my experience at Yosi Health, we are witnessing a notable trend: rural healthcare providers are increasingly turning to telehealth as a means of bridging the access gap. Digital tools and virtual care platforms have evolved to support not only routine consultations but also more complex care management needs. For example, remote patient monitoring is now being used to track chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, ensuring that patients receive ongoing care – without the constant need for in-person visits.

Furthermore, telehealth solutions are proving effective in reducing hospital strain. By diverting non-emergency cases from overcrowded emergency departments, these platforms help ensure that hospital resources are preserved for patients in critical need. Virtual visits can also lead to more efficient use of healthcare resources, allowing providers to manage larger patient loads with improved workflow efficiencies.

There are, however, challenges that must be addressed for telehealth to reach its full potential in rural areas. One of the key issues is the digital divide. While broadband expansion initiatives and improved rural telecommunications infrastructure are making strides, many rural communities still lack reliable internet access—a crucial component for successful telehealth implementation. Policymakers at the state and federal levels, including considerations in the Federal 2026 budget, are beginning to recognize the importance of investing in these areas. Such investments are essential to ensure that telehealth can serve as a viable alternative to in-person care in rural settings.

Another challenge is ensuring that telehealth services are fully integrated with existing healthcare systems. Interoperability between telehealth platforms and electronic medical records (EMRs) is vital to maintain a seamless flow of patient information, which in turn supports continuity of care. As more healthcare providers adopt digital solutions, the need for standardization and robust data exchange protocols becomes increasingly important.

Ultimately, while telehealth is not a complete substitute for all in-person care, it is a powerful tool that can help maintain continuity in the face of rural hospital closures. By improving access to care, reducing travel burdens, and alleviating pressure on overstretched facilities, telehealth can play a central role in preserving the health of rural populations.

The ongoing evolution of telehealth technology offers a hopeful outlook for rural healthcare. As innovations continue to improve service delivery and integration, it is imperative for stakeholders—providers, policymakers, and technology developers alike—to collaborate in expanding these solutions. In doing so, we can help ensure that rural communities are not left behind, but instead have access to the high-quality, timely care they deserve.

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The technology can help close care gaps in underserved populations and areas, and lessen the strain on already burdened providers, Yosi Health CEO Hari Prasad writes.

Across the United States, nearly 800 rural hospitals are at risk of closing, putting hundreds of thousands of patients at risk of losing local access to health care. For many, these hospitals serve as the only nearby option for routine checkups, chronic disease management, and even emergency care. As these facilities struggle financially and, in some cases, close their doors, telehealth has emerged as a viable solution — keeping rural communities connected to medical professionals, improving patient outcomes and easing the strain on overburdened health care staff.

The rural health care crisis

From declining patient volumes to staffing shortages and reimbursement cuts, rural hospitals face mounting challenges their metropolitan counterparts aren’t. Many operate on razor-thin margins, and without sustainable funding, closures become inevitable. For the patients they serve, the impact is profound. Instead of a short drive to the nearest hospital, rural residents often find themselves traveling hours for basic care — an obstacle that can discourage people from seeking medical attention until conditions become critical.

This crisis disproportionately affects older adults, low-income families and individuals with chronic conditions who rely on consistent access to care. Delayed treatments, missed appointments and lack of specialist availability can turn manageable conditions into life-threatening emergencies.

Bridging the gap in rural health care

While rural hospital closures paint a bleak picture, technology is stepping in to fill the void. Telehealth platforms, like those offered by Yosi Health, are revolutionizing the way patients access care. By enabling virtual consultations, remote patient monitoring and digital care coordination, telehealth is ensuring that distance is no longer a barrier to receiving timely, quality health care.

With telehealth, patients can:

• Consult with primary care doctors and specialists without the need for long-distance travel.
• Receive consistent chronic disease management through remote monitoring and digital check-ins.
• Access mental health services, an area often under-resourced in rural communities.
• Get prescription refills and follow-up care without unnecessary hospital visits.

Reducing hospital strain, expanding access

Telehealth doesn’t just benefit patients. It also alleviates the burden on hospitals and providers. Many rural hospitals struggle with staffing shortages, making it difficult to offer specialized care. Telehealth allows doctors in larger health care systems to consult with rural patients and their local providers, expanding access to expertise without requiring specialists to be physically present.

Additionally, virtual care reduces the volume of unnecessary emergency department visits. Many patients use the ED for non-emergency concerns simply because they have no other options. By providing remote access to care, telehealth helps divert cases that don’t require hospitalization, freeing up emergency resources for those who truly need them.

A call for policy and infrastructure support

Despite its benefits, telehealth adoption in rural communities still faces hurdles, including broadband limitations and reimbursement challenges. Policymakers must prioritize expanding internet access in underserved regions and ensure that telehealth visits are reimbursed at parity with in-person care. Programs that support telehealth infrastructure in rural hospitals and clinics are also critical to making virtual care a long-term solution rather than a temporary fix.

Looking ahead: The future of rural health care

As rural hospitals continue to face financial instability, telehealth will play an increasingly crucial role in ensuring health care access remains intact. The ability to receive care should not depend on geography. By embracing telehealth as a core part of rural health care strategy, we can create a system that is more resilient, efficient and accessible to all.

At Yosi Health, we are committed to leveraging technology to bridge gaps in care, reduce barriers to treatment and ensure that patients — no matter where they live — receive the quality health care they deserve. Telehealth is not just a stopgap solution; it is the future of equitable health care access.

Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.

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