Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Head of IBM Watson Health To Depart Following Three Years At Helm Of Initiative That's Failed To Live Up To Hype
Stat: Head Of IBM Watson Health Leaving Post After Company Stumbles, Growing Criticism
After a rocky three years as head of IBM’s health division, Deborah DiSanzo is leaving her role. A company spokesman told STAT that DiSanzo will no longer lead IBM Watson Health, the Cambridge-based division that has pitched the company’s famed artificial intelligence capabilities as solutions for a myriad of health challenges, like treating cancer and analyzing medical images. Even as it has heavily advertised the potential of Watson Health, IBM has not met lofty expectations in some areas. Its flagship cancer software, which used artificial intelligence to recommend courses of treatment, has been ridiculed by some doctors inside and outside of the company. (Swetlitz and Ross, 10/19)
In other health industry news —
Stat: Former J&J Employee Says She Was Fired For Blowing Whistle On Eye Group
A former Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) employee claims she was fired after complaining about purportedly unlawful activities — including kickbacks — that occurred at an educational institute the health care giant runs for eye-care professionals, according to a lawsuit filed in a Florida state court. Colleen Jones, who worked for J&J for the past 25 years and most recently had been director of the Vision Care Institute, alleged the practices encompassed giving free contact lenses to company executives, including the head of the vision business, and other employees on a “grab-and-go” basis without a complete eye exam or a follow up. And sometimes, freebies involved monthly or annual supplies. (Silverman, 10/19)
Modern Healthcare: Primary-Care Companies Cut Costs Through Preventive Models
For most Americans, it's not easy to schedule an appointment to see a primary-care physician or speak to one by phone. When patients can get in for a visit with a doctor, they're lucky to get 15 minutes of their time. That's not the case at a JenCare primary-care center in Chicago's South Side Ashburn neighborhood. Executives for JenCare and its parent, ChenMed, urge doctors and staff to get their senior patients in often and spend as much time as they need with them. Patients there average more than three hours of face time a year with their primary-care doctor. (Meyer, 10/20)
