Last week, we sat down with the team at Inception Health, the digital innovation arm of the Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin health network. Michael Anderes, Chief Innovation and Digital Officer, Froedtert Health and President, Inception Health; and Kelly Stevenson, Senior Manager, Inception Health, shared how they approach innovation to ensure that new digital health solutions are impactful and sustainable.

In the news this week, more research on the impact of COVID-19 and maternal health, including disturbing links between the coronavirus and a decrease in prenatal care, resulting in poor outcomes such as premature birth and stillbirth. The industry considers the digital health divide across incomes and geographies, and a look forward to digital health's future in 2021. 

This article is the first in a series to introduce readers to our team at Babyscripts.

Juan Pablo Segura has come a long way from the CPA who founded Babyscripts in 2014 with zero experience in healthcare.

A key player in the DC Council’s recent passage of the Postpartum Coverage Expansion Act of 2020, and recent finalist (his second nomination in as many years) for the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Mid-Atlantic program, Juan Pablo Segura has also led the team at Babyscripts from accolade to accolade this year, including nomination to CB Insights’ Digital Health 150.

Juan Pablo Segura, co-founder and President of Babyscripts, testifies before the DC Council to advocate for the digital health reimbursement mandate, included in the new Postpartum Care Expansion Act. 

In this week's news, coronavirus poses challenges for pregnant mothers outside of their physical health, including stress on their support system and mental health and barriers to preventative care. Wholesale adoption of digital health still lags although Covid is driving it forward. 

Plus, big news on the policy front as the DC Council votes to extend coverage for postpartum care, including language proposed by Juan Pablo Segura, co-founder and President of Babyscripts.

In the news this week, advice for practices implementing virtual care solutions, insight into the future of digital health as providers and patients return to the office, and the role of payers in delivering better care. Plus, the 2020 Digital Health Consumer survey from Accenture.

One of the greatest challenges to healthcare transformation is the lack of financial incentives, and this barrier has only been exacerbated by the events of the past year.

Health systems see razor thin profit. A 2018 study showed average margins that failed to break 2%, and that was before the coronavirus pandemic wreaked financial havoc on hospitals. That means that a health system bringing in a billion dollars of revenue only sees about 17 million in profits — and that’s not a lot to risk on new solutions that don’t have an immediate and direct impact on ROI.

In the news this week, black breastfeeding week puts the spotlight on racial inequity in maternal health and the particular challenges of delivering better outcomes to minority populations. Telehealth presents some patient and provider challenges, but enhancements like remote monitoring to make virtual care more comprehensive can circumvent and begin to solve some of those issues. Plus, state legislatures are making positive gains towards better outcomes through new maternal health mandates and community centered care. 

In the news this week, new statistics spark increased discussion on maternal mortality and the disproportionate affect on minority women. Women are reevaluating their decisions to become pregnant as fears around the pandemic create unrest and insecurity. The future of telehealth and virtual care remains unclear even as researchers explore its potential.

In the face of the urgent demands of the pandemic, aided by relaxed regulations and expanded reimbursement codes, many health systems transitioned to remote care by whatever means possible, scrambling to avoid dangerous gaps in care.

Telehealth and its reimbursement continues to be a major topic in the healthtech space, as innovators present its benefits, particularly for rural and underserved populations. Providers and policy-makers weigh the purchase of telehealth in a world without a Covid-19 vaccine. The pandemic has accelerated the public health crisis of maternal mortality, which has come back into the spotlight as the CDC recently released an initiative for combatting the US' shockingly high rates.