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An eruption of disruption

August was a big month for digital disruptors. Maven Clinic proved the success of their women- and family-focused virtual care model by reaching unicorn status. Headspace merged with Ginger to transform global behavioral health as Headspace Health. Chronic disease management app Kaia Health hired five seasoned healthcare leaders from Allscripts, Microsoft, Teladoc, and more to their team. Funding across the digital health industry is still breaking records, with global investments surpassing $14.1B for Q2 2021 – and those numbers have been rising for nearly two years.

These big moves by big players (and new entrants) in the virtual health space show that digital is going nowhere fast, which is also reflected in the conversations the AVIA team has been having with our Members. Leaders are asking about how they can integrate digital into their health system at an organization-wide level and reimagine operations to fit in a digital-first future. Digital is here to stay, disruptors are making a massive impact, and it’s time for health systems to embed digital into their DNA. Let’s get started. 

Industry Insights

• Healthcare Digitized: Building a Digital Transformation Strategy at Your Health System [AVIA]: Digital health is the future, and organizations need to start making digital a part of their DNA. This shift starts with creating an organization-wide digital transformation strategy.
• State of Healthcare Q2’21 Report: Investment and Sector Trends to Watch [CB Insights]: 60% of organizations are starting new digital projects, and 42% are accelerating their digital transformation efforts. The digital health landscape is expanding to support this shift – here’s the top trends to pay attention to. 
• Increased Workforce Turnover and Pressures Straining Provider Operations [McKinsey]: With increasing turnover and a changing care model, health systems are struggling to meet increased demand and ensure access to care. Automating operations can help reduce some of the pressure facing providers during COVID-19 and beyond.  
• Study: Scheduling Systems Lead to Longer Wait Times for Black Patients [Healthcare IT News]: Researchers found that online appointment scheduling tools were penalizing patients from underserved communities for no-shows due to socioeconomic factors out of their control. As the industry shifts to digital-first, it’s essential to consider inequities that digital solutions may be perpetuating. 

AVIA events

Recording | Health Equity in the Spotlight: A Conversation with HonorHealth and ChristianaCare | View the recording and access the slides

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Visual of the week: 12 digital capabilities to advance health equity

Health equity is a healthcare imperative. With communities across the country facing inequitable distribution of resources and implicit bias in care delivery, health systems need to make progress. Digital gets you there, faster. These 12 key digital solutions help health systems provide more equitable care. 

Learn more

What we’re into this week

Thanks for reading to the bottom of the newsletter! We’re highlighting some non-healthcare-related items that the AVIA team is into this week. Share your recs with us at contact@avia.health.

• Read: Tiny Love Stories from The New York Times for little doses of beauty in less than 100 words. 
• Listen: to Ear Hustle, a podcast that shares the voice and thoughts of people incarcerated in California’s San Quentin State Prison.
• Watch: The Chair on Netflix for an all-too-real and hilarious look at academia starring the inimitable Sandra Oh.