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News From Mass Digital Health at the Massachusetts eHealth Institute
September 2024
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Launch Event: Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts Challenge | |
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Join MeHI on Wednesday, October 30 from noon – 1:00 p.m. for the virtual launch event for our next Digital Health Sandbox Challenge, designed to support the goals of the Healey-Driscoll administration’s Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM) Initiative.
This Challenge is seeking tech companies with solutions in four different areas:
- Addressing Social Determinants of Health for Cardiometabolic Diseases;
- AI for Health Equity;
- Maternal and Infant Health; and
- Medicaid Pilot with Community Care Cooperative (C3), a primary care ACO.
At the virtual event, Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services Undersecretary for Health, Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, co-chair, AHEM, will discuss the research that led the Healey-Driscoll administration to launch the AHEM Initiative. Dr. Mahaniah will share how the state is aligning its work and investments to eliminate racial, economic, and regional disparities in health outcomes. Attendees will also hear a panel discussion with past participants in MeHI’s Sandbox Challenges about the benefits of participating in the program.
There will be an overview of the Challenge and application process as well as time for questions and answers.
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Digital Health Success Story: Moneta | |
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Moneta's unique, phone-based program offers cognitive rehabilitation therapy, a behavioral intervention shown to preserve cognitive function and promote independence in older adults with mild cognitive impairment and early dementia.
As a finalist in MeHI's Healthy Aging Challenge, Moneta was connected with the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Deaconess Abundant Life Communities, two organizations in the Massachusetts Digital Health Sandbox Network. Moneta was able to leverage these key relationships to design a research project to advance their AI capabilities. The project, which recently received funding through the a2 Pilot Program from the National Institute on Aging, will help Moneta improve and scale their clinician experience.
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Resources: Health AI Assurance Lab Webinar | |
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MeHI recently hosted a webinar featuring a panel discussion with leaders of the Health AI Assurance Lab. The first-of-its-kind in Massachusetts, the Lab aims to improve the safety and effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in health care. The Lab is a joint effort between the UMass Chan Medical School and MITRE and has been funded in part by a grant from the Innovation Institute at Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech).
During the webinar, panelists addressed the need for trustworthy AI in health care and the AI Assurance process. Panelists also covered the objectives of the Lab and resources that will be available to developers in the future. View a recording of the webinar here.
In addition, the following resources are related to the topics discussed during the webinar:
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MeHI welcomes Haven Nichols, who joins the MeHI team as the digital health ecosystem manager, a newly created position to support digital health innovation in Massachusetts. Nichols will be focused on building relationships across the ecosystem and growing MeHI’s work to support startups and R&D organizations through the Digital Health Sandbox Program. Nichols’ professional interest is in helping apply innovative technology solutions to address public policy issues, work that he has been involved in for over a decade, with time spent at Uber, MassChallenge and Citizens Bank. Earlier in his career, he served as deputy legislative director at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Connect with Haven Nichols on LinkedIn here.
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Health Care Provider Cybersecurity Monthly Call | |
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Join MeHI and the MassCyberCenter on Thursday, October 10 at 10:00 a.m. for the monthly health care provider cybersecurity call. Representatives of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Commonwealth Fusion Center will provide updates on recent cyber threats and trends.
These calls are held on the second Thursday of every month and feature a discussion leader from MeHI, the MassCyberCenter, DHS, the Commonwealth Fusion Center and additional guest speakers to provide updates on emerging threats and address monthly interest topics.
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Thursday, October 10
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
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Health Care Cybersecurity Updates | |
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The bipartisan Healthcare Cybersecurity Act, which would create a special liaison to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), has received support from the House of Representatives. Read more from HealthExec.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is notifying people potentially impacted by a data breach involving the MOVEit file transfer platform. Read more from Healthcare Innovation.
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Across the state, hospitals and health centers are seeking staff for a variety of Health IT roles. A few of the over 100 opportunities from MeHI's Health IT Jobs Board are listed below:
To learn more and sign up for Health IT job alerts, click here.
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Mass Digital Health Jobs Board | |
As the only free resource solely dedicated to open digital health roles in Massachusetts, the MassDigitalHealth Jobs Board is the best way to find opportunities in this growing sector. Below are just a few examples of the over 1,100 open roles currently on the board: | |
Mass Digital Health Roundup | |
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Cambridge-based health care AI company Synthpop recently brought its total fundraising amount to $8.2 million. Read more from Boston Business Journal.
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HealthEdge, based in Burlington, announced a strategic partnership with Zelis to streamline healthcare payments. Read more from Business Wire.
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Boston-based Sonde Health, maker of a voice-based cognitive fitness tool, was awarded a contract to develop mental health monitoring solutions for Department of the Air Force personnel. Read more from Business Wire.
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Rendever, based in Boston, released a new report on the use of virtual reality in senior care. Read more from Globe Newswire.
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Carna Health, a startup focused on kidney health, relocated to the Back Bay. Read more from Boston Business Journal.
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MedTech Regulatory Considerations 101 | |
Join M2D2 on Wednesday, October 2 for the first half of a lunch and learn series with Regulatory Quality Management Information Source (RQMIS) to learn about the nuts and bolts of the medtech regulatory process. Topics covered will include regulatory path overviews, presubmission strategies, insurance reimbursement, and quality management systems. The second half of the lunch and learn series on Thursday, October 24 will cover pre-clinical testing, clinical testing, cybersecurity, and navigating regulatory submissions. Don't miss this free opportunity to gain valuable insight into the medtech regulatory process. | |
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First Session
Wednesday, October 2
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
M2D2
110 Canal Street, 4th Floor
Lowell, MA 01852
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2024 EDDIES Innovation Showcase | |
Join the Mass Innovation Network for their 2024 EDDIES Innovation Showcase. The EDDIE awards provide a high-touch experience for early-stage startups to help them take the next steps in their commercialization journey. The Innovation Showcase event will feature live pitches from the 2024 EDDIE awards finalists, as well as mini-exhibits introducing a slew of amazing innovations and solutions. | |
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Wednesday, October 9
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
155 Seaport Boulevard
Boston, MA 02210
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Boston Health Innovation Night | |
Boston Health Innovation Night is an opportunity for innovators and investors in health care in Massachusetts to get together and talk about the future. Investment Director Katerina Fialkovskaya at Phillips Ventures will speak on trends in digital health investing. | |
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Thursday, October 17
5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Liberty Lobby Bar
215 Charles Street
Boston, MA 02114
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UMass LIFT Program Final Pitch Presentations | |
Join the UMass Lowell Innovative Fellows Training (LIFT) Program for an evening filled with new ideas, collaboration and innovation in aging and Alzheimer's Disease. The UMass LIFT Program is a cohort-based accelerator initiative tailored for those passionate about aging-related innovations. Over the course of a semester, participants have engaged in 12 enriching sessions, delving deep into the realms of biotech and MedTech. At the final pitch event, these dedicated individuals will showcase their insights to a discerning panel. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a community dedicated to advancing innovations in aging and Alzheimer's Disease. | |
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Thursday, December 5
4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
UMass Lowell
110 Canal Street, 3rd Floor
Lowell, MA 01852
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