<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="9337633" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="acuity-insurance">Acuity Insurance</keyword> flag, located in <keyword id="567797" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Wisconsin">Wisconsin</keyword>, was ripped in half after a thunderstorm.</li><li>It is measured at 70' by 140' and weighs 340 pounds.</li><li>Severe thunderstorms hit several portions of the state, knocking out power for over 31,000 homes.</li></ul><p>The world's largest free-flying American flag was torn in half after severe thunderstorms in Wisconsin on Tuesday evening, according to an image obtained by WTMJ-TV.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.acuity.com/about/flagpole">Acuity Insurance</a> flag, located in the company's headquarters in Sheboygan, is measured at 70' by 140', and weighs 340 pounds. It is nearly 100-feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, according to Acuity Insurance's website.</p><p>Constructing the flagpole in the area, where temperatures can reach below zero-degrees, was also a feat in of itself — over 500 gallons of paint were used to layer the 420,000 pound pole, and 680 cubic yards of concrete were applied for its foundation.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—TMJ4 News  (@tmj4) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1268026368601870337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2020</a></blockquote><p>On its base, a memorial is featured that includes the name of the county's residents who died while serving in the military.</p><p>"We proudly fly this flag because we are blessed to live and work in the United States of America," Acuity Insurance CEO Ben Salzmann said on the company website.</p><p>On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/2020/06/02/wisconsin-weather-severe-thunderstorms-expected-tuesday-night/3129253001/">severe thunderstorms</a> hit several portions of the state, knocking out power for over 31,000 homes. The National Weather Service issued a thunderstorm watch until midnight as weather forecasters shifted their timetables for when they expected the storm to hit.</p>

The world's largest free-flying American flag has been ripped in half after a thunderstorm

<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-of-inequity-how-inequity-persists-in-american-daily-life-2021-6"></a></p><div type="image" title="mental health illness depression anxiety headache migraine therapy" height="1736" width="2314" msid="83989102" hostid="261"></div><br /><ul class="summary-list"><li>Access to affordable <keyword id="875096" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mental-Healthcare">mental healthcare</keyword> in the US remains deeply unequal across socioeconomic lines.</li><li><keyword id="6354802" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="depression">Depression</keyword> alone annually costs an estimated $211 billion in lost productivity and medical care.</li><li>Therapists say insurers do not compensate fairly, while new digital care options only cater to users with milder conditions.</li></ul><p>More than a year since the coronavirus hit the US, experts have begun to tally the pandemic's effects on our collective <keyword id="6354774" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mental-health">mental health</keyword>.</p><p>Symptoms of anxiety and depression, the most commonly diagnosed conditions, increased fourfold among adults compared to those surveyed in 2019, the Kaiser Family Foundation<a href="https://www.kff.org/report-section/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use-issue-brief/"> reported in February</a>. Those aged 18 to 24 were twice as likely as adults overall to report more substance use or recent suicidal thoughts.</p><p>Since the pandemic began, experts have warned of a "<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1078390320919803">second pandemic</a>" of mental-health conditions. So far, statistics and<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/16/many-americans-continue-to-experience-mental-health-difficulties-as-pandemic-enters-second-year/"> major surveys</a> have borne this out, but this second-pandemic frame obscures a grim reality: Even before COVID-19, America's mental-health issues have cost billions of dollars in indirect and direct costs. After musculoskeletal disorders, those with mental-health conditions formed the<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/di_asr/2019/sect02.pdf"> second-largest group</a> receiving government disability benefits.</p><p>For people with mental illness who remain in the workforce, mental-health conditions cumulatively add up in the form of absenteeism and lessened productivity. In a<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25742202/"> 2015 study</a> looking at the financial burden of major depressive disorder, researchers estimated the ICD diagnosis cost $211 billion in medical care, suicide-related costs, and decreased productivity in the workplace. Major depressive disorder is just one billable diagnosis for depression, which means the figure does not reflect depression's overall costs. Among US workers, an estimated<a href="https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-depression-in-america-20141203-story.html"> 7.6% of people</a> have the diagnosis.</p><p>But what these figures fail to account for is the effect of more severe mental-health illnesses, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, on a person's ability to secure long-term employment and housing. In a<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4182106/"> 2014 study</a> looking at survey trends between illness severity and employment, fewer than half of people with severe mental-health conditions were employed. For those receiving mental <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword> through Medicare or Medicaid, the rate of <keyword id="6358907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="unemployment">unemployment</keyword> is closer to 80%, according to a<a href="https://www.nami.org/Press-Media/Press-Releases/2014/Mental-Illness-NAMI-Report-Deplores-80-Percent-Un"> 2014 report</a> from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.</p><p>Accounting for all diagnoses, the US spent <a href="https://openminds.com/press/u-s-mental-health-spending-reached-225-1-billion-in-2019-open-minds-releases-new-analysis-on-market-spending/">$225 billion</a> on mental health in 2019 between private insurers and public Medicaid programs for low-income Americans. Although<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-271.html"> about two-thirds</a> of Americans have private health insurance, either through employers or state-run marketplaces, the public sector accounts for the majority of America's mental-health spending.</p><p>Even without taking the pandemic into consideration, mental-health disabilities have adversely affected the economy and society. Despite changing cultural attitudes, increased public-health advocacy, and new tech-enabled options like remote therapy in the past decade, America's collective mental-health issues have largely not improved.</p><p>The US's largely unchanged rates of depression, anxiety, and public spending on severely ill Medicaid patients reflect the ongoing problems with the nation's healthcare system and the largely fee-for-service private-insurance industry.</p><div type="image" title="Abraham Gomez, a person experiencing homelessness in Washington DC Christmas Day 2020." height="2000" width="2666" msid="83989107" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Mental-healthcare quality varies widely, and insurers largely do not reimburse fairly for therapy</strong></h2><p>For those who have employer-based insurance that covers mental-healthcare options like medication management and talk therapy, finding care isn't necessarily easy or affordable.</p><p>"Probably 70 to 80% of our clients are on insurance," said Natalie Jeung, a therapist at Skylight Counseling, a private mental-health treatment center in Chicago. At Skylight, most clients are on Blue Cross Blue Shield, with some paying a copay between $15 and $30 and others maxing out an overall deductible.</p><p>"That's actually a really huge issue for a lot of therapists in the beginning of the year," Jeung added. At the start of the year, when many patients' insurance deductibles are reset to zero, patients often temporarily stop seeing their therapists rather than pay out of pocket for care. Skylight charges upwards of $120 for a weekly session, or more if a therapist has more experience.</p><p>The remaining 30% of Skylight clients typically pay out of pocket. The onus is on the client to chase reimbursement from their respective insurance company. In general, Jeung said most private therapists forgo insurance altogether, since major companies don't reimburse "at a reasonable rate."</p><p>"This directly impacts a therapist's ability to earn a livable wage, and is why there's burnout at community health centers," Jeung said. "They're not getting paid enough."</p><p>Lack of sufficient reimbursement from insurance companies is precisely why psychologist Karol Darsa largely doesn't accept insurance at her Los Angeles outpatient clinic, Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Center. Unlike most therapists who see clients only once a week, Darsa's clinic offers intensive outpatient care for people with severe mental illness. That level of care, which includes 25 hours of therapy weekly, costs $6,200, though Reconnect also offers less intensive programs at a lower cost, as well as hour-long sessions.</p><p>"To keep the quality of care I need to go with what is right," Darsa said. Some clients' private insurers reimburse from out-of-network benefits, but most insurers provide guaranteed reimbursement for only seven days of treatment at a time, whereas Reconnect's programs typically last at least two weeks.</p><div type="image" title="mental health depression anxiety stress disorder ADD panic OCD mood trauma sad tired  9" height="1665" width="2220" msid="83989110" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Teletherapy startups like <keyword id="9020936" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="talkspace">Talkspace</keyword> want to 'democratize access' to mental healthcare, but essentially restrict treatment to those with milder conditions</strong></h2><p>Against this collective backdrop of unequal socioeconomic access and byzantine barriers, VCs poured<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/these-are-the-6-mental-health-startups-setting-fundraising-records-2020-10"> $417 million into mental-health startups</a> in 2020, hoping to provide digital solutions through teletherapy and other app-based approaches to mental health. Among them is teletherapy app Talkspace, which announced plans to<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/talkspace-stock-ipo-analysis-factors-that-could-determine-success-2021-2"> go public via SPAC</a> in January.</p><p>Started in 2012 with a mission to "democratize access" to therapy, Talkspace as of January had 46,000 users, including those who receive access to the app through<a href="https://www.talkspace.com/partners"> their employers, health plan, or local government</a>. But Talkspace's founders<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/talkspace-interview-founders-oren-and-roni-frank-merger-public-2021-1"> told Insider in January</a> it focused on treating those with milder conditions and life crises.</p><p>"We tend to limit ourselves to those with lower acuity," a Talkspace representative said when asked if the company's remote therapists had experience with treating severe mental illnesses.</p><p>Talkspace defined "lower acuity" as patients capable of managing life on their own without consistent medical intervention, including going to work and taking care of family.</p><p>Adrian Aguilera, the director of UC Berkeley's Digital Health Equity and Access Lab, said there were no easy choices in the bifurcated and screwed-up mental-health system. </p><p>Direct-to-consumer therapy apps aren't the only way to solve the US's mental-health issues, but they're part of a broader solution.</p><p>"We currently do not have the ability to meet the need for mental health off one-to-one therapy alone," Aguilera said. "If we tried to help everybody, we could just not do that, right?"</p>

The US spends at least $225 billion on mental illness each year in a broken system with no clear-cut solutions

<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/future-of-healthcare"></a></p><div type="image" title="Spill video therapy" height="1502" width="2000" msid="83780253" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Startups are using technology to expand access to basic <keyword id="6354774" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mental-health">mental health</keyword> services and preventive care.</li><li>Despite limitations, <keyword id="2147060" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="digital-health">digital health</keyword> apps are still helping to chip away at the mental health crisis.</li><li>By even just taking therapy online, these companies are forging a brighter future for mental health.</li></ul><p>When it comes to treating mental illness within the broken US <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword> system, few good solutions that suit most people's healthcare needs and budget exist. </p><p>Despite a push to destigmatize common conditions like depression and anxiety, the vast majority of Americans still face systemic barriers in treating their mental health conditions. For those priced out of mental health services covered by Medicaid, even the cost and hassle of private or insurance-backed therapy translates into fewer people getting the care that could help them manage their conditions.</p><p>This combined need for mental health services is dizzying in its scale and scope. While the existing healthcare system is nowhere near a major overhaul, a new crop of technology-enabled options targeting milder conditions and prevention hope to chip away at the larger problem. </p><p>Through online therapy for both groups and individuals, startups like <keyword id="9020936" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="talkspace">Talkspace</keyword> and Real are taking a direct-to-consumer approach to facilitating basic, digitally accessible talk therapy.</p><p>"We're building for preventative care," Real's founder, Ariela Safira, previously <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-raised-10-million-for-a-preventive-mental-health-app-2021-4">told Insider</a>. </p><h2><strong>There's 'definitely a place' for teletherapy in solving the nation's mental health crisis</strong></h2><p>Clinical psychologist Adrian Aguilera, the director of University of California, Berkeley's Digital Health Equity and Access Lab, said the bottom line of most digital health companies is to make the most money, using the scalable aspect of technology to achieve that.</p><p>That doesn't always overlap with addressing the country's mental health crisis.</p><p>"The system is totally bifurcated and screwed up," Aguilera said, particularly for Medicare and Medicaid patients. At the same time, Aguilera said there's "definitely a place" for teletherapy options. However, just increasing access to mental health providers, even via mobile app, is not enough. </p><p>Although the pandemic's relaxed regulations provided "the perfect pressure" test for digital mental health options, a recent TIME/Harris Poll nationwide survey found that although overall telehealth usage doubled, <a href="https://time.com/6071580/teletheraphy-mental-health/">only 5% of respondents got mental healthcare</a> for the first time during the height of COVID-19. This suggests that telehealth expansion didn't necessarily help patients new to mental healthcare into treatment.</p><p>"Something my mentor drilled into me is that we currently do not have the ability to meet the need of everyone who wants one-on-one therapy - we simply do not," Aguilera said. "So if we tried to help everybody who needed it, we just could not do that."</p><p>What excites Aguilera most are less flashy aspects of digitally enabled mental health services.</p><p>For example, in a recent depression study, Aguilera paired <a href="https://www.jmir.org/2017/5/e148/">texting with in-person group therapy,</a> measuring if an automated text reminder improved attendance and thus treatment adherence. Aguilera and his team found that patients who received the reminder stayed in therapy significantly longer than those who didn't receive a text message, supporting the initial hypothesis of the study.</p><h2><strong>How mental health startups want to integrate data science and AI into treating depression and anxiety</strong></h2><p>To what extent venture-funded mental health startups can tackle the worst of the nation's mental health crisis is remains to be seen.</p><p>Talkspace, for instance, tends to limit itself to "those with lower acuity," compared to more severe diagnoses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, according to a Talkspace spokesperson. However, it does have clients with those conditions. </p><p>"We define lower acuity as patients who are able to manage care on their own," the spokesperson said. "For example, they are patients who, outside of occasional episodes, can take care of their family and go to work most of the time."</p><p>Others, like Ginger, have a system of mental health services that encompasses behavioral health coaching as well as therapy from a fully licensed practitioner. Ginger in April <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cigna-taps-startup-ginger-for-virtual-mental-healthcare-coverage-2021-4">partnered with Cigna</a>, extending its reach to the major insurer's 14 million members.</p><p>Startups are already using advancements in predictive data science and AI to try to better match their patient-users with their offered mental health services. </p><p>Brightside, a mental health startup that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-mental-health-startup-brightside-series-a-pitch-deck-2021-5">recently raised $24 million</a>, takes teletherapy one step further by adding medication management and diet and mood tracking components within their app. It also uses past patient treatment and outcomes to recommend new users' best course of treatment. </p><p>Others, like Wysa, are aiming to remove humans entirely from lower level mental health services. Its AI-powered chatbot interface, which just raised $5.5 million in May, has 3 million users, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/21/mental-health-app-wysa-raises-5-5m-for-emotionally-intelligent-ai/">TechCrunch reports</a>.</p><p>Largely aimed at people who "just want to vent," founder Jo Aggarwal told TechCrunch that Wysa's goal is not to diagnose or treat formal mental health conditions. Instead, it's meant to serve as an additional tool for managing stress around sleep, anxiety, and relationships. </p><p>If a user's conversations in Wysa correlate with higher scores on traditional depression and anxiety questionnaires, the chatbot will suggest traditional therapy. Aggarwal said many of Wysa's predictions are the product of over 100 million conversations it's hosted since she started working on it in 2016. </p><h2><strong>A better future in mental healthcare depends on whatever forms prevention can take</strong></h2><p>Most of these mental health startups largely work within the existing system, often with large insurers or by using a consumer-first approach that prices out low-income patients. As a result, they ignore the healthcare needs of those unable to pay for their services.</p><p>Still, by creating a variety of online options for tech-literate US consumers, the startups are furthering the development of a mental health system that prioritizes preventing, rather than treating, mental health diagnoses.</p><p>With the nation's increasing mental health burden, it's a step in the right direction.</p>

Through expanding access to basic care, mental health startups are working toward a healthcare system where prevention comes first

<p><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-a-good-resting-heart-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a></strong></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Your <keyword id="185997" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="ER">ER</keyword> experience and wait time will depend on the severity of your condition. </li><li>Reasons to go to the ER might be excessive bleeding, a high fever, a seizure, or chest pains. </li><li>If you need to see a doctor immediately, but it's not an emergency, urgent-care is another option. </li></ul><p>When you or a loved one arrives at an <keyword id="2318881" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="emergency-room">emergency room</keyword> (ER) in the US, you should expect to have a nurse briefly assess you shortly after arrival. The nurse will determine the severity of your condition, which will determine your wait time. If you're in serious condition, you may be brought by paramedics or EMTs and be taken directly to a trauma ward, or seen by a doctor immediately depending on your condition. </p><p>People in the ER are treated in order of how sick they are, says <a href="https://health.uconn.edu/graduate-medical-education/emergency-medicine-residency-program/pgy2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Chu</a>, MD, an emergency medicine physician at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.</p><p><strong>Due to COVID-19<em>:</em></strong> Hospitals are temporarily inaccessible to visitors or family members unless there are extenuating circumstances. These restrictions may vary from state to state. </p><p>"For example, if you are brought in after having a cardiac arrest, you will be taken to the resuscitation bay where you will be seen immediately. In other cases, you may walk into the waiting room, be assessed by a nurse, and then depending on your acuity, have to wait until a room is open for you," says Chu. </p><p>Average wait times in the ER can range from <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/factsheets/factsheet_nhcs.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">25 to 50 minutes</a>, depending on how busy the hospital is. "I think the biggest factor on how long it'll take to be seen in the ER is where you live and which hospital you go to. I have seen patients wait six hours just to be put into a room. It also depends on what time and which day you go. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2850834/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mondays</a> are notorious for being the busiest day of the week and the weekends are usually the least," says Chu. </p><p>Here are some instances when you might need to go to an ER, and what you can expect once you're there. </p><h2><strong>What to expect at the ER</strong></h2><p>When your wait time is over, a trained emergency nurse will assess your condition and determine the urgency of your situation; this process is referred to as "<a href="https://www.northwestcareercollege.edu/blog/what-does-triage-mean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">triage</a>."</p><p>While you're waiting to see a doctor, you may be x-rayed, given medications for your symptoms, or be asked to provide blood or other samples.</p><p><strong>Important</strong>: If your or a loved one are experiencing a potentially life-threatening medical emergency, call 911 immediately. </p><p>"You will be seen by a doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner when you are moved to a room. Treatment or further tests may be done at this time. Consultants, including cardiologists, nephrologists, or neurologists, may also be involved in your care, if required. Then, depending on how sick you are, you may be discharged or admitted to the hospital," says Chu.</p><h2><strong>When should you go to the ER?</strong></h2><p>As the name suggests, an ER is <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000593.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">essentially for emergencies</a> that could be fatal or cause permanent disability. </p><h2><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000593.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Symptoms</a> that could indicate a life-threatening medical condition and warrant a trip to the ER:</h2><ul><li>Sudden inability to see, speak, move, or walk</li><li>Pain in the jaw, arm, or chest</li><li>Drooping on one side of the body</li><li>High fever</li><li>Coughing or vomiting blood</li><li>Seizures that last over three minutes</li><li>Choking or difficulty breathing</li><li>Severe allergic reaction with swelling, difficulty breathing, or hives</li></ul><p>You may also need to go to the ER if you or a loved one have been in an accident or have experienced trauma and require immediate attention.</p><h2>You should call 911 and have an emergency team or ambulance come right away <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000593.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in the event of</a>:</h2><ul><li>Alcohol or drug overdose</li><li>Heavy bleeding, deep wounds</li><li>Inhaled smoke or poisoning</li><li>Head, neck or spine injuries, especially if they are accompanied by a loss of sensation or inability to move</li><li>Electric shocks or severe burns</li></ul><p>On the other hand, if you're feeling unwell and need to see a doctor immediately, but it's not an emergency, you can go to your primary care doctor if they have a same-day opening or go to an <a href="https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/health-and-wellness-articles/when-to-go-to-the-emergency-room-vs-an-urgent-care-clinic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urgent-care clinic</a>. </p><p>Many urgent care clinics are open every day, and you can get treated faster and for a substantially lower cost than at an ER. If your symptoms are mild and you can wait a day, you can also visit your primary care physician during clinic hours.</p><h2><strong>What to bring to the ER</strong></h2><p>If possible, you should try to gather some <a href="http://blog.johnsonmemorial.org/important-items-to-take-to-the-emergency-room" target="_blank" rel="noopener">essentials</a> before you go to the ER, to help the ER physicians understand your medical history and any allergies you might have.  </p><p>"Things that are helpful to bring to the ER include your home medication list, the names of your doctors, any paperwork from recent hospital or doctors' visits, and your insurance information (if you have insurance). For example, if you had a recent heart attack, it may be helpful to bring the paperwork from that admission and what medications you have been taking," says Chu. </p><p>You should also try and take a trusted <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/patients/information/questions-to-ask-your-doctor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">family member or friend</a> along with you to help with paperwork and answer any of the physician's questions, if you are too ill to do so yourself. </p><p>If you're not going to the ER under acute circumstances, Chu recommends bringing a book or a phone charger, since you could be waiting a long time. </p><h2><strong>What is the cost of an ER visit?</strong></h2><p>The cost of your ER visit will depend on the tests conducted, medication and treatment provided, and your <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> insurance coverage, says Chu. This can vary from hospital to hospital. "One hospital may charge you $30 for a medicine while another may charge you $300," he says. This variation in cost can be due to <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0747" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several factors</a>. For example, larger hospitals, teaching hospitals, or hospitals that provide highly specialized services may charge considerably higher fees.</p><p>The average cost of an ER visit is around <a href="https://www.insider.com/emergency-room-urgent-care-injury-broken-bone-bleeding-insurance-2017-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1,500</a>. Sprains, which are among the top causes for <keyword id="9516970" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="er-visits">ER visits</keyword>, could <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3584078/">cost</a> around $1,100, whereas treating a kidney stone could cost around $3,500. If you have insurance, it may help cover some of this cost, depending on your insurance plan.</p><p>Whether your ER visit is covered by insurance can depend on several factors, including whether the hospital or provider are included in the insurance provider's network, says Chu. </p><p>"It can also depend on whether your insurance covers certain costs, like an ambulance ride, for example. An ambulance ride that is not covered by insurance can be quite expensive," says Chu. Ambulance rides can range between <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/650/649018.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$224 and $2,204</a> per transport. </p><h2><strong>Insider's takeaway</strong></h2><p>You may need to visit the ER for life-threatening situations. The course of your visit can vary quite a bit depending on your condition. While ERs provide necessary and oftentimes lifesaving services, they can involve long wait times and expensive bills, making urgent care or your primary care provider a better option if the situation isn't an emergency. </p><h1>Related stories from <keyword id="9035245" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health-reference">Health Reference</keyword>:</h1><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-are-hypertension-heart-disease-and-stroke-related" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How hypertension, heart disease, and stroke are related</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-causes-high-blood-pressure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What causes high blood pressure and how to know if you have hypertension</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-lower-blood-pressure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to lower blood pressure with a heart-healthy diet and exercise</a></strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-a-good-resting-heart-rate"></a></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-causes-a-heart-attack-2019-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 of the most dangerous things that put you at risk of a heart attack</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-a-good-resting-heart-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What is a good resting heart rate, for adults and kids</a></strong></li></ul>

What to expect at the ER: A guide to navigating the emergency room

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The coronavirus pandemic has been a test for corporate leaders.</li><li>People, especially employees, are watching how CEOs respond to troubling times and judging them based on it.</li><li>To find out which CEOs are viewed most favorably by their employees during the pandemic, jobs site  <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/research/highest-rated-ceos-coronavirus">Glassdoor analyzed</a> anonymous employee reviews posted on its website between March and July.</li><li>Leaders from <keyword id="10296" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Zoom">Zoom</keyword>, <keyword id="1933944" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Docusign">DocuSign</keyword>, <keyword id="6500687" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Box">Box</keyword>, and <keyword id="166458" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boston-Scientific">Boston Scientific</keyword> made the list.</li></ul><p>The coronavirus pandemic has been, and continues to be, a major test for corporate leaders.</p><p>The public is watching whether CEOs lay off or furlough workers, as well as how they treat their employees during this time. As billionaire <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billionaire-mark-cubans-message-ceos-focus-on-your-employees-coronavirus-2020-3">Mark Cuban</a> said in April, customers who see companies laying off employees will send those brands "to the toilet." </p><p>Employees themselves are obviously taking note, too. Bank of America's Sheri Bronstein, the company's chief human resources officer, recently told Business Insider that employees are paying close attention to the benefits their employers choose to give them or not, such as added <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-offering-more-mental-health-benefits-amid-coronavirus-2020-4">mental health</a> benefits or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/discount-daycare-childcare-employee-benefits-kpmg-citibank-dell-2020-9">childcare</a> benefits. </p><p>So which CEOs have done a good job navigating the pandemic crisis, according to employees? Jobs posting and research website <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/research/highest-rated-ceos-coronavirus">Glassdoor analyzed</a> anonymous company reviews on its website between March and July to find out.</p><p>To determine the ranking, Glassdoor looked at the quality of employee reviews, CEO approval ratings, and how employees talked about their <keyword id="34454" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="leadership">leadership</keyword> during the pandemic. Leadership scores are rounded to the nearest hundredth for reporting simplicity. </p><p>Glassdoor provided data for both CEOs in the US and in the UK. We've listed US CEOs first, then those from the UK.</p><p>Here are the top 25 US CEOs, ranked. </p><h2>25. Bill Goldstein is the director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Government</p><p><strong>Leadership score during <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>:</strong> 85% </p><h2>24. Steven P. Richman is the group president of power tool company Milwaukee Tool.</h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Manufacturing </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>85% </p><h2>23. Mark Pearson is the CEO of financial services firm Equitable Advisors. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Finance</p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19:</strong> 85% </p><h2>22. Paul Markovich is the president and CEO of insurance company Blue Shield Of California. </h2><h2><div type="image" title="Paul Markovich CEO Blue Shield" height="1337" width="1783" msid="78149103" hostid="261"></div></h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Insurance </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>86%. </p><h2>21. Scott Moorehead is the CEO of TCC Verizon Authorized Retailer. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Retail </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>86% </p><h2>20. Michael F. Mahoney is the president and CEO of medical device manufacturer Boston Scientific. </h2><div type="image" title="Boston Scientific Michael F. Mahoney CEO" height="935" width="1247" msid="78149105" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Manufacturing </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>86% </p><h2>19. Chad Richison is the CEO of human capital management software provider Paycom. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Tech </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>86% </p><h2>18. Krishna Sudheendra is the CEO of UST Global. </h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="Krishna Sudheendra, CEO, UST Global" height="785" width="1047" msid="78150571" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Tech </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>86% </p><h2>17. Shelly Sun is the CEO and founder of BrightStar Care, a home care and medical staffing company.  </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Healthcare </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>86%</p><h2>16. Steve Hasker is the CEO of Thomson Reuters.</h2><div type="image" title="Newly announced Thomson Reuters president and chief executive officer Steve Hasker poses in Toronto, Ontario, Canada February 24, 2020. Picture taken February 24, 2020.    REUTERS/Mark Blinch " height="2046" width="2728" msid="78149107" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Business information services</p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>86% </p><h2>15. Daniel Springer is the CEO of digital signature company DocuSign. </h2><div type="image" title="Docusign CEO Daniel Springer" height="600" width="800" msid="78149111" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Tech </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>87% </p><h2>14. Paul Todd is the CEO of professional education services firm GLG.</h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Consulting </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>87% </p><h2>13. Stu Sjouwerman is the founder and CEO of security training company KnowBe4. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Tech </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>88% </p><h2>12. Kenneth Cooper is the CEO of North American Dental Group. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Healthcare </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>88% </p><h2>11. Steve Beauchamp is the CEO of HR and payroll provider Paylocity.</h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Tech </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>88% </p><h2>10. Michael Schall is the president and CEO of real estate investment trust Essex Property Trust. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Real Estate</p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>88% </p><h2>9. Jim Kavanaugh is the CEO of tech services provider World Wide Technology. </h2><div type="image" title="WWT CEO Jim Kavanaugh " height="600" width="800" msid="78149112" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Tech </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19:</strong> 88% </p><h2>8. Ben Salzmann is the CEO of Acuity Insurance. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Insurance </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>89% </p><h2>7. Corey Schiller and Asher Raphael are the co-CEOs of Power Home Remodeling. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Construction </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>89% </p><h2>6. Aaron Levie is the cofounder and CEO of file sharing and cloud content management company Box. </h2><div type="image" title="Box CEO Aaron Levie" height="654" width="873" msid="78149115" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Tech </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>89% </p><h2>5. Stanley Middleman is the founder and CEO of mortgage banker Freedom Mortgage. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Finance </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>89% </p><h2>4. Eric S. Yuan is the CEO and founder of video conferencing service Zoom Video Communications. </h2><div type="image" title="Eric Yuan" height="2400" width="3200" msid="78149118" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Tech </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>89% </p><h2>3. Michael Weinstein is the president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a nonprofit that provides medical care to those impacted by HIV and AIDS. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Healthcare</p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>92% </p><h2>2. G. Brint Ryan is the chairman and CEO of tax advisory firm Ryan, LLC. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Accounting </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>93% </p><h2>1. Mark Aslett is the president and CEO of defense electronics company Mercury Systems. </h2><p><strong>Industry: </strong>Aerospace and Defense </p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19: </strong>95% </p><p>Here are the top 5 UK CEOs, ranked. </p><h2><strong>5. Daya Thayan is the CEO of the care-homes company Kingsley Healthcare.</strong></h2><p><strong>Industry:</strong> Healthcare</p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19:</strong> 91%</p><h2><strong>4. Greg Reed is the CEO of the </strong><strong>home assistance provider HomeServer UK.</strong></h2><p><strong>Industry:</strong> Insurance</p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19:</strong> 93%</p><h2><strong>3. Duncan Rendall is the founder and CEO of the property management agency Rendall and Rittner.</strong></h2><p><strong>Industry:</strong> Real Estate</p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19:</strong> 94%</p><h2><strong>2. Alan Hirzel is the CEO of Abcam, a company which develops biological reagents and tools for diagnostics and drug discovery. </strong></h2><p><strong>Industry:</strong> Biotechnology</p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19:</strong> 94%</p><h2><strong>1. Steve Hare is the CEO of the </strong><strong>enterprise software company </strong><strong>Sage.</strong></h2><p><strong>Industry:</strong> Computer Software</p><p><strong>Leadership score during COVID-19:</strong> 95%</p>

The 30 highest-rated US and UK CEOs during the coronavirus pandemic, according to employees

<p><em>Hello, everyone! Welcome to the new edition of <keyword id="9095853" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="insider-today">Insider Today</keyword>. </em><em>We hope you enjoy our new look. </em><em>Please </em><a href="http://insider.com/insidertoday"><em>sign up here</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><em>Please take a moment to complete the <a href="https://insidertoday.questionpro.com/">following three-minute survey</a> so that we can better deliver you Insider in your inbox.</em></p><h2><strong>QUOTE OF THE DAY</strong></h2><p>"<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-says-inspecting-white-house-bunker-not-hiding-dc-protests-2020-6">I was there for a tiny, short little period of time</a>." <em>—Trump telling Fox <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> Radio he was inspecting the White House bunker, not hiding in it, during the protests</em></p><h2><strong>BLODGET &amp; PLOTZ</strong></h2><p><strong>How do democracies slide into dictatorship? The Lafayette Park photo op is how</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-church-photo-op-in-fury-at-bunker-mockery-reports-2020-6">The president</a> wanted to look strong after he saw himself being mocked for hiding in his bunker. <a href="https://www.insider.com/trump-church-photo-op-white-house-officals-say-ivanka-idea-2020-6">Daughter Ivanka Trump</a> concocted the idea of a church photo op. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/barr-personally-ordered-removal-of-protesters-near-white-house-leading-to-use-of-force-against-largely-peaceful-crowd/2020/06/02/0ca2417c-a4d5-11ea-b473-04905b1af82b_story.html">AG Bill Barr</a> personally ordered protesters pushed back from the church. A park police commander gave the actual command to deploy gas and other weapons. The top echelon of the military — Defense Secretary Esper and Joint Chiefs Chair Milley — accompanied the entourage with a phalanx of Secret Service guards.</p><p>Then, afterward, the president <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-congratulates-overwhelming-force-domination-against-protesters-2020-6">congratulated himself for being tough and dominating the protesters</a>. In other words, Trump is no longer just talking like a fascist. He's acting like one. This is how democracies slide into dictatorships. </p><p><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-church-photo-op-example-how-democracies-slide-to-dictatorship-2020-6">Read Plotz's full thoughts»</a></em></p><p><strong>Thankfully, military leaders are resisting Trump's call to use active-duty military on the streets</strong></p><p><div type="image" title="FILE - In this April 1, 2020, file photo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. The U.S. military is bracing for a months-long struggle against the coronavirus. It is looking for novel ways to maintain a defensive crouch that protects the health of troops without breaking their morale. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)" height="1968" width="3936" msid="76185501" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Just a day after telling governors that the military could control protests by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-didnt-expect-trump-deploy-more-troops-after-esper-call-2020-6">dominating "the battlespace,"</a> Defense Secretary Esper <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/esper-says-he-opposes-use-of-insurrection-act-which-would-allow-regular-military-to-perform-law-enforcement-duties/2020/06/03/045e076c-a5a7-11ea-898e-b21b9a83f792_story.html">seems to be getting cold feet</a> about putting troops on the streets. Trump has been talking about tanks, but Esper now says the president shouldn't invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow the Pentagon to deploy active military against Americans.</p><p>This is a relief. The image of masked National Guard troops guarding the Lincoln Memorial was disturbing enough. The prospect of American soldiers fighting American citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble is too terrible to imagine. <em>—DP</em></p><p><strong>Blackout Tuesday and the relative pointlessness of digital activism</strong></p><p>Yesterday was Blackout Tuesday, when people were encouraged to express solidarity with the protest movement by not posting on social media or by limiting their posts to sober messages supporting the cause. A <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/02/us/blackout-tuesday-black-lives-matter-instagram-trnd/index.html">small furor erupted</a> when some activists said that streams of empty black images were clogging social channels where they needed to communicate about gatherings and police activity.</p><p>The intent of Blackout Tuesday was admirable enough, but it ended up highlighting the lameness of digital activism in an age of actual activism. If you wanted to express your solidarity with the <keyword id="9316626" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="george-floyd-protests">George Floyd protests</keyword> yesterday, participate in a way that goes beyond simply posting a black box, like, say, donating to a racial-justice cause or discussing these issues with people close to you.</p><p>Using digital tools to organize and communicate during these protests is fantastically productive. Using digital tools to virtue-signal solidarity seems pointless.<em> —DP</em></p><h2><strong>OTHER NEWS</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/us/politics/convention-charlotte-virus-republicans.html"><strong>Trump won't deliver his nomination speech in Charlotte.</strong></a> The GOP isn't officially moving the convention because of a contractual obligation, but they're seeking to relocate important convention business to a city that might be willing to allow an unmasked mass gathering. Republican officials are furious that North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, wouldn't relax social distancing and gathering rules as much as they wanted.</p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/tear-gas-what-to-do-when-exposed-2020-6"><strong>What to do when you're hit with tear gas.</strong></a> Find fresh air. Rinse your eyes. Wash off your clothes.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/largest-american-flag-ripped-in-half-after-storm-2020-6"><strong>The world's largest freestanding American flag was torn to shreds.</strong></a> Just in case you need a metaphor for this terrible week. A thunderstorm ripped apart the Acuity Insurance flag, which stands outside the company's headquarters, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The flag is 70 feet by 140 feet.</p><h2><strong>BUSINESS &amp; ECONOMY</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="amazon truck worker mask" height="1482" width="2964" msid="76185502" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-cuts-2-dollar-hazard-pay-bezos-150-billion-2020-6"><strong>Amazon ended its $2-an-hour hazard-pay bonus for warehouse workers.</strong></a> Warehouse employees, whose starting wage is $15 an hour, had been earning the bonus since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword>'s warehouses have been a high-profile source of viral anxiety, with infections at more than 100 of them, and at least eight deaths among warehouse employees. That said, Amazon employs 250,000 people in its warehouses, so that death rate is far lower than among the general public. Amazon seems to have decided it no longer needs the emergency incentives to persuade people to come to work. But workers are not happy, with one telling Insider, "We want the pay until the masks go away."<em> —DP</em></p><h2><strong>LIFE</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-george-floyd-black-lives-matter-teens-parents-racist-views-2020-6"><strong>Teens on Tik Tok are showing the generational rift over #BlackLivesMatter.</strong></a> They're flooding the platform with content about Floyd's killing and the protests — and with criticism of their parents' attitudes.</p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/youtubers-who-rehomed-their-adoptive-child-are-being-investigated-2020-6"><strong>Authorities are investigating the YouTube influencers who "rehomed" her autistic son.</strong></a> Ohio sheriffs are looking into the case of Myka and James Stauffer, and the welfare of their son, Huxley, who featured in Myka's parenting videos.</p><h2><strong>REVIEWS</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/first-trimester-comfort-products"><strong>Pregnant during the pandemic:</strong></a> The lounge pants, comforter, and more that kept Insider's Emily Hochberg comfortable while isolated and sheltering in place.</p><h2><strong>THE BIG 3*</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="Boris Johnson" height="1135" width="2269" msid="76185504" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/twins-compare-vegan-diet-eating-meat-leads-to-more-mass-2020-5"><strong>Identical twins compared a vegan and an omnivorous diet.</strong></a> The vegan twin had more energy and lost fat. The meat-eater gained muscle.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-has-offered-full-british-visas-to-nearly-3-million-hong-kong-residents-2020-6"><strong>Britain has offered residency visas to more than 3 million Hong Kong citizens.</strong></a> Boris Johnson's offer, a response to China's recent crackdown, enraged Beijing, which warned the UK to "step back from the brink."</p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/best-and-worst-things-to-do-with-an-air-fryer-tips"><strong>The worst thing you can do with your air fryer.</strong></a> Also, sneaky tips for cooking better with it, liking sticking a slice of bread in the bottom to collect grease.</p><p><em>*The most popular stories on Insider today.</em></p>

This is how democracies slide into dictatorship

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e9882780b3c9b56da4becfb-2400/gettyimages-1208945782.jpg" alt="HCA Healthcare nurse" /><ul class="summary-list"><li>At least two hospitals in California have suspended nurses for calling out inadequate access to protective gear such as airborne-resistant masks. </li><li>Nurses at these hospitals - Providence Saint John's in Santa Monica and West Hills Hospital in Los Angeles - said there aren't enough caregivers to treat coronavirus patients.</li><li><strong>Nearly 90,000 volunteer nurses and healthcare workers have signed up to help short-staffed California hospitals, but the state hasn't deployed any of them yet.</strong></li><li><em>If you are a nurse in a short-staffed hospital, email aakhtar@businessinsider.com. </em></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Jacob Childs used to work alongside his brother as registered nurses in the designated coronavirus floor at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California - until his brother and 10 other nurses were suspended after they complained they didn't have access to airborne-resistant masks. </p><p>As a result, Childs said he and other nurses on his floor have been short-staffed and that he now has to care for five coronavirus patients at a time, two more than before the suspensions. He called his floor "wildly understaffed" due to the 11 suspended nurses and another 21 workers taking personal time off.</p><p>"It's really stressful and scary," Childs told Business Insider. "You have to be slow taking [protective gear] on or off because you have to be careful about contaminating yourself or your coworkers, and it's very difficult to manage the time and pressure for all of us."</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hca-healthcare-suspends-nurse-who-spoke-out-about-coronavirus-2020-4">Business Insider previously reported</a> on a similar nurse suspension, at HCA Healthcare's West Hills Hospital in Los Angeles, as well as hospitals having <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nurses-sue-after-state-of-ny-hospitals-worse-than-expected-2020-4">staffing issues</a> amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 600,o00 Americans and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hhs-inspector-general-report-on-hospital-response-to-coronavirus-2020-4">pushed US hospitals and healthcare workers to their limits</a>. Hospital nurses worry they will contract the virus due to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nurses-are-understaffed-and-frustrated-as-they-battle-coronavirus-2020-3">inadequate access to protective gear</a> (like masks and gowns) stemming from a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-hospitals-face-shortages-of-equipment-staff-and-beds-2020-3">nationwide shortage</a>.</p><p>And yet, despite hospitals suspending nurses and dealing with short-staffing as a result, California hasn't deployed any of the volunteers from the program announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom in late March. When he announced the "California Health Corps," Newsom <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/03/30/governor-newsom-announces-california-health-corps-a-major-initiative-to-expand-health-care-workforce-to-fight-covid-19/">asked healthcare volunteers to come to the state</a> to help hospitals that were overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. But two weeks later, as of April 13, the program hadn't placed any of its 89,437 registrants in hospitals, according to a spokesperson for the California Health and Human Services Agency. </p><p>While it's unclear whether Saint Johns and West Hills, neither of which have responded to requests for comment, have sought volunteer nurses, the spokesperson told Business Insider it was onboarding about 350 to be on standby to support Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. That will be an alternate care site to support the region's health care delivery system should hospitals reach capacity, the spokesperson added.</p><p>"We were pushing back and fighting for our safety, and stirring things up with the community and the media, and it felt like [the hospital] was retaliating by increasing our patient load," said Chelsea Halmy, a nurse suspended by Saint Johns and a member of the National Nurses United union. "It's just unsafe they're increasing the [nurse-to-patient] ratio when we have the nurses to work." </p><h2>California nurses say hospitals are short-staffed - but the hospital has not provided additional support.</h2><p>HCA Healthcare - the country's largest healthcare system - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hca-healthcare-suspends-nurse-who-spoke-out-about-coronavirus-2020-4">suspended registered nurse Jhonna Porter</a> earlier this month for posting about her floor's coronavirus protocol in a private Facebook group. HCA Healthcare said she had violated its social media policy as well as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html">HIPAA</a>, which mandates that healthcare workers keep patient information private.</p><p>The hospital has since reinstated Porter and another suspended nurse. But Porter told Business Insider that the hospital has since furloughed contract nurses working on a per diem basis. As a result, Porter said, nurses have been working without breaks while each of them cares for about three COVID-19 patients every day. </p><p>Porter said she asked her boss for permission to work extra hours and was denied. The floor has not received help from volunteer staff or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nurse-staffing-agencies-aya-increased-demand-during-coroanvirus-2020-3">private staffing agencies</a>, she added.  "Our floor is short-staffed and everyone is missing their breaks," Porter said.</p><p>The California Health Corps was launched to support hospitals overwhelmed with the coronavirus with the goal of having volunteer medical staff focusing on low-acuity patients, or those with mild symptoms. Hospital staff was meant to focus on severe cases, a spokesperson said. </p><p>Halmy said the hospital suspended her after she asked for airborne particle-resistant N95 masks. St. John's had previously told nurses that it couldn't provide them with this gear, after the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hcwcontrols/recommendedguidanceextuse.html">CDC had stopped mandating their use</a>. Though Halmy's suspension is paid, the nurse said she would rather be spending her time treating critical COVID-19 patients.</p><p>"I'm a nurse, all we want to do is go to work, keep our heads down, and take care of our patients," she said. "I don't want to quit my job or anything, I want to be there and work."</p><p class="tagline"><a href="/intelligence/digital-health?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_subscription&amp;itm_content=health&amp;itm_campaign=digital-health"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5cf6b11111e205471c5718a4" alt="Digital Health Pro" style="width: 100% !important" /></a><br /><br />Featured Health Articles:<br />- <a href="/telehealth-industry-explained">Telehealth Industry Explained</a><br />- <a href="/value-based-care-pay-for-performance-healthcare-model">Value-Based Care Explained</a><br />- <a href="/senior-care-market-trends">Senior Care &amp; Assisted Living Market</a><br />- <a href="/wearable-technology-healthcare-medical-devices">Smart Medical Devices &amp; Wearable Tech</a><br />- <a href="/artificial-intelligence-healthcare">AI in Healthcare</a><br />- <a href="/remote-patient-monitoring-industry-explained">Remote Patient Monitoring Explained</a>- <a href="/ai-medical-diagnosis-report">AI in Medical Diagnosis Systems</a></p>

Understaffed hospitals in California are suspending nurses just when they need them most - and volunteers aren't being deployed

There's overwhelming support for an age limit on the president and Congress. Here's why that won't happen anytime soon.

<p><em>Welcome to Digital Health Briefing, the newsletter providing the latest news, data, and insight on how digital technology is disrupting the healthcare ecosystem, produced by Business Insider Intelligence.</em></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/digital-health-briefing?IR=T"><strong>Sign up and receive Digital Health Briefing free to your inbox.</strong></a></p><p><em>Have feedback? We'd like to hear from you. Write me at:</em>   <em><a href="mailto:lbeaver@businessinsider.com">lbeaver@businessinsider.com</a></em></p><hr /><p><strong>OSCAR HEALTH SURPASSES $3 BILLION VALUATION, DRIVEN BY EMPHASIS ON DIGITAL SOLUTIONS:</strong> US-based insurtech Oscar Health <a href="https://www.hioscar.com/press/our-next-phase-of-growth">secured</a> a $165 million funding round led by Brian Singerman and Founders Fund, with participation from 8VC, Google's health-focused sister company Verily Life Sciences, and Fidelity, among others. This brings the company's <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/oscar#section-locked-marketplace">total funding</a> to $892 million, and a reported valuation of over $3 billion, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/27/oscar-health-raises-165-million-at-3-point-2-billion-alphabet-founders.html">according</a> to CNBC sources. Oscar will use the funding to <a href="https://www.hioscar.com/press/our-next-phase-of-growth">develop</a> its operations, forming new partnerships with insurers including Cleveland Clinic, Humana, and AXA. Additionally, Oscar plans to expand into Texas, Ohio, and New Jersey in 2018.</p><p><strong>Oscar's growth is driven by its ability to leverage virtual services that promote convenience and encourage user engagement, a key part of the consumerization of healthcare. </strong>In 2017, around two-thirds of Oscar's customers' interactions were virtual. For example, Oscar's Concierge team was accessed by 46% of Oscar members, its telemedicine service was used by 25% of customers, and the Care Router service - a yellow pages for finding physicians and booking appointments - was accessed by 45% of its members. These services aim to provide affordable care in place of more expensive healthcare services like emergency room visits.</p><p><strong>Oscar uses the data collected from these virtual services to expand its customer base and keep its members happy.</strong> Data from the virtual visits is made available to the Concierge team and providers, which in turn helps them to make improvements to their services. These improvements can make services more appealing to potential and existing customers, creating a virtuous cycle, Oscar product and technology communications manager Liz Robau said earlier this year.</p><p><strong>Providers and health systems are keen to join forces with tech-backed insurers like Oscar because the company helps to drive patients to its partners. </strong>In each city Oscar expands to, it partners with only a few health systems. As consumers, particularly those in the millennial age bracket (people born between 1977 and 2000) <span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-millennials-are-leading-the-consumerization-of-healthcare-digital-health-will-help-drive-wearable-shipments-paper-records-remain-a-data-hazard-for-patients-2018-3">increasingly</a> seek out alternative modes of healthcare delivery, such as telehealth, Oscar can direct its engaged customers to partner hospitals and clinics, driving up usage and revenue rates at these health systems. </span><span></span></p><p><strong>APPLE REVEALS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOSPITALS USING ITS HEALTH RECORDS SERVICE: </strong>An additional 27 health systems are ready to use Apple's updated Health app to push electronic health record (EHR) notifications to iPhone users, bringing the total number of partnered health systems to 39, the company <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/03/doctors-put-patients-in-charge-with-apples-health-records-feature/">announced</a> on Thursday. Apple <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-apples-moving-into-the-health-records-market-2018-1">introduced</a> the new service on January 24, as a part of a beta test for its iPhone operating system update to iOS 11.3, which has been rolled out to iPhone users. Eligible consumers will be able to store and share their EHRs with physicians, vastly improving patient insight and increasing their control over their own health data. Partnered hospitals can also push health record notifications to eligible consumers' phones, including medications, immunizations, lab results, and vitals, providing better transparency of care. The Health app update is an important step in solving the interoperability issues that plague the EHR market. EHRs are often held by the department the patient received care in, and are difficult to share between departments let alone organizations, which can lead to costly duplicate tests and procedures. Just 20% of US health systems use EHR data from outside sources, <a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/ehr/interoperability-usability-research-ehrs-onc-health-it-health-systems">according</a> to Health Affairs. Moreover, although some health systems already provide their patients with a way to view their EHRs through an app, Apple's app will across systems.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Apple" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a6a5446178425c4478b45a5-960/apple iphone x health app.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a6a5446178425c4478b45a5-723/apple iphone x health app.png" border="0" alt="apple iphone X health app" data-mce-source="Apple" /></a><p class="source"><span>Apple</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><strong>LYFT EXPANDS MEDICAL TRANSPORT REACH:</strong> Lyft has partnered with Acuity Link to expand its non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) offering, <a href="https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/lyft-expands-medical-transit-options-with-acuity-link-partnership/520267/">according</a> to Healthcare Dive. Acuity Link's dashboard organizes hospital transport for varying levels of care, including critical ambulance transport and outpatient transportation. It will now include Lyft as a transport option. </p><p><strong>This is the most recent effort by Lyft to expand its healthcare footprint: </strong></p><ul><li>Earlier this month, the company partnered with health IT company Allscripts, and in February it <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-google-ai-can-predict-heart-attacks-from-eye-scans-lyft-hitch-health-partner-for-medical-transport-nokia-executive-sees-no-path-for-digital-health-2018-2">partnered</a> with EHR company Hitch Health.</li><li>Further, there's already a substantial list of healthcare organizations that have access to the Lyft Concierge API, including American Medical Response, American Logistics Company, Carelinx, GoGo Grandparent, and One Call.</li></ul><p><strong>Lyft isn't the only ride-sharing platform moving into health. Uber <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-uber-launches-ride-sharing-platform-for-hospitals-teladoc-nearly-doubles-revenue-google-sister-verily-plans-insurance-market-play-2018-3">announced</a> its health platform at the beginning of March. </strong>Healthcare organizations are viewing Lyft's and Uber's moves into NEMT as an opportunity to overcome the massive annual loss of revenue caused by missed appointments. In the US, missed appointments cost healthcare providers as much as $150 billion each year, with no-show rates as high as 30%, according to SCI Solutions. It's worth noting that while Uber and Lyft are actively striving to increase their health audience, it's not yet clear whether ride-sharing has a significant, or positive, impact on appointment no-shows, <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2671405">according</a> to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.</p><p><strong>FDA APPROVES GLUCOSE MONITORING DEVICE, OPENS PATHWAY FOR SIMILAR DEVICES:</strong> On Tuesday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <a href="https://dexcom.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fda-authorizes-marketing-new-dexcom-g6r-cgm-eliminating-need">approved</a> DexCom's G6, the first fully interoperable continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device system that doesn't require patient calibration. This means that people with diabetes can continuously monitor their blood levels without having to repeatedly use painful finger sticks to check the reading. The device, which attaches to the user's stomach, automatically sends glucose readings to a DexCom receiver or a compatible smart device every five minutes. Patients can also personalize their alerts to warn them when their blood sugar levels are getting low. The approval was based on two clinical trials of the device and lowers the barrier of entry for other similar devices, by establishing criteria that classify these systems as moderate risk medical devices, the FDA <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fda-authorizes-first-fully-interoperable-continuous-glucose-monitoring-system-streamlines-review-pathway-for-similar-devices-300620505.html">announced</a>. The benefit of continuous monitoring devices is that they provide consumers and physicians with a trendline of their health, resulting in a fuller picture of the patient's status, rather than multiple snapshots of their health throughout the day. Streamlining the approval of continuous monitoring devices will also encourage better self-monitoring, since users will be able to tell which behaviors negatively and positively affect their blood sugar levels, potentially leading to fewer clinical visits.</p><p><strong>IN OTHER NEWS:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Bigfoot Biomedical</strong>, a startup that develops AI-powered solutions for people with diabetes, raised $55 million in funding in its recent Series B round, MobiHealthNews <a href="http://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/bigfoot-biomedical-closes-series-b-financing-round-55m">reports</a>. The company is set to announce a trial in late 2018 that will lay the groundwork for submitting its product to the FDA.</li><li><strong>Nokia</strong> will cut 353 staff in Finland as a part of its global cost-savings plan, down from the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-google-ai-can-predict-heart-attacks-from-eye-scans-lyft-hitch-health-partner-for-medical-transport-nokia-executive-sees-no-path-for-digital-health-2018-2">reported</a> 425 jobs announced in February this year, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/tomtom-ma/dutch-navigation-firm-tomtom-looks-for-potential-buyer-sources-idUSL8N1RA4QN">according</a> to Reuters. The majority of staff will come from its Network business, and 70 staff will come from its Technologies unit, which includes the Nokia's health business.</li></ul>

DIGITAL HEALTH BRIEFING: Oscar Health surpasses $3 billion valuation - Apple Health app adds 27 more hospitals - Lyft expands its NEMT footprint

<p><em>Welcome to Digital Health Briefing, the newsletter providing the latest news, data, and insight on how digital technology is disrupting the healthcare ecosystem, produced by Business Insider Intelligence.</em></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/digital-health-briefing?IR=T"><strong>Sign up and receive Digital Health Briefing free to your inbox.</strong></a></p><p><em>Have feedback? We'd like to hear from you. Write me at:</em> <a href="mailto:lbeaver@businessinsider.com"><em>lbeaver@businessinsider.com</em></a></p><hr /><p><strong>FORD IS ENTERING THE CROWDED MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION MARKET: </strong>Car manufacturer Ford is launching an on-demand non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) service, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/18/ford-launches-on-demand-medical-transportation-service/">according</a> to TechCrunch. Dubbed "GoRide," the service aims to help non-urgent patients get to their appointments at partnered hospitals and facilities. Ford will launch the project with Beaumont Health, a network with more than 200 facilities. The company currently has 15 transit vans with plans to expand to 60 vans by the end of the year. </p><p><strong>Ford is entering an increasingly crowded market.</strong> Ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft have made several forays into the NEMT market. For example, Lyft <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-oscar-health-surpasses-3-billion-valuation-apple-health-app-adds-27-more-hospitals-lyft-expands-its-nemt-footprint-2018-3">teamed</a> up with Acuity Link to expand its NEMT footprint in March, and in February <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-google-ai-can-predict-heart-attacks-from-eye-scans-lyft-hitch-health-partner-for-medical-transport-nokia-executive-sees-no-path-for-digital-health-2018-2">partnered</a> with Hitch Health. A beta version of the Uber Health platform <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-uber-launches-ride-sharing-platform-for-hospitals-teladoc-nearly-doubles-revenue-google-sister-verily-plans-insurance-market-play-2018-3">released</a> in July 2017 is already being used by more than 100 healthcare organizations in the US. That's on top of other companies, like Veyo, that are dedicated NEMT services providers. </p><p><strong>Health systems likely view the growing interest in NEMT </strong><strong>as an opportunity to overcome the massive annual loss of revenue caused by missed appointments.</strong> In the US, missed appointments cost healthcare providers as much as $150 billion each year, with no-show rates as high as 30%, according to SCI Solutions.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_left"><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/top-5-trends-shaping-the-future-of-digital-health?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=DH_Briefing&amp;utm_campaign=digital-health-top-5-trends-briefing&amp;utm_term=DH_briefing"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ad6111d146e711b008b4b89?maxX=431&amp;maxY=862" border="0" alt="The Top 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Digital Health: FREE Report" title="The Top 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Digital Health" width="431" height="862" /></a></div></div></p><p><strong>However, as non-health specific companies take on NEMT, they're likely to face barriers that could stymie adoption and growth.</strong> For example, there is some concern over whether drivers will be liable for anything that happens to the patient on route to their appointment, <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolineodonovan/taking-uber-lyft-emergency-room-legal-liabilities?utm_term=.jmM1853mj&amp;bftwnews#.ugGqzd76l">according</a> to BuzzFeed. Further, it's not clear whether ride-sharing has a positive impact on appointment no-shows, <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2671405">according</a> to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.</p><p><strong>GOOGLE GLASS IMPROVES HEALTH SYSTEM WORKFLOW: </strong>Physicians at California-based health system Sutter Health are using Google's augmented reality (AR) enabled Glasses to cut back on the amount of time they spend on administrative tasks, <a href="https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/with-google-glass-sutter-health-sees-mhealth-success-in-workflows">according</a> to mHealthIntelligence. Google Glass devices are embedded with mHealth tech from Augmedix - a company that makes software for smartglasses. With the physician wearing the Glasses, Sutter's remote scribes can "sit in" on the visit, taking notes in real-time as the physician sees to the patient. Doctors can also use the glasses to pull up patient files and look up health information without having to turn away from the patient. In addition to improving the physician-patient relationship, the tech streamlines the process of note taking, immediately storing it in the electronic health record server. This cuts down on the amount of time physicians spend writing notes after the session and reduces the risk of physician burnout, which can negatively impact productivity and customer relations. Physician burnout affects 32% of clinicians in the US, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-physicians-burnout/physician-burnout-takes-a-toll-on-u-s-patients-idUSKBN1F621U">according</a> to a survey by Medscape.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Business Insider Intelligence" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ada302719ee8646008b4674-960/bii global vr  ar in healthcare value.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ada302719ee8646008b4674-2342/bii global vr  ar in healthcare value.png" border="0" alt="bii global vr &amp; ar in healthcare value" data-mce-source="Business Insider Intelligence" /></a><p class="source"><span>Business Insider Intelligence</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><strong>EMPLOYER HEALTH BENEFITS DON'T ALIGN WITH WHAT EMPLOYEE WANT:</strong> Digital health offerings supported by employer health benefit plans aren't in line with employee demands, <a href="https://www.castlighthealth.com/resources/state-of-digital-health-2018/">according</a> to a newly released report from health navigation company Castlight Health. These offerings, which are value-adds to health insurance plans, include things like digital therapeutics, such as weight loss programs on apps, and telemedicine services that allow workers to have their consultations remotely. While 77% of employers surveyed offered their workers a smoking cessation service, the most sought-after health goal for employess was weight loss, for example.  As consumers continue to seek out digital health solutions, employers have an opportunity to provide them with health services that can improve workers' overall wellbeing. In turn, that can cut down on the amount of time-off taken by employees and increase productivity. Workers performing at less than full productivity because of illness is <a href="http://www.nationalpartnership.org/research-library/work-family/psd/paid-sick-days-lead-to-cost-savings-savings-for-all.pdf">estimated</a> to cost employers $160 billion per year. For insurers, these value-adds not only make their business more appealing to employers, but can help to reduce costs associated with unnecessary hospital visits and expensive services. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Business Insider Intelligence" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ada304219ee861f008b465d-960/bii employees health goals.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ada304219ee861f008b465d-2342/bii employees health goals.png" border="0" alt="bii employees health goals" data-mce-source="Business Insider Intelligence" /></a><p class="source"><span>Business Insider Intelligence</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><strong>JURY I</strong><strong>S STILL OUT ON WHETHER APPS CAN IMPROVE MEDICATION ADHERENCE: </strong>Smartphone apps may not be very effective at improving medication adherence, <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2678454?alert=article&amp;appId=scweb&amp;appId=scweb">according</a> to a new study published in JAMA. The randomized study aimed to determine if the Medisafe smartphone app could improve self-reported medication adherence and blood pressure control among hypertension patients. The results of the study suggest that it's still unclear whether these services have any positive impact on patient care. There was a small improvement in self-reported medication adherence by the test group - those who downloaded and used the app - compared to the control group - those who didn't get the app. However, blood-pressure results were the same between the two groups. Despite the lack of research supporting the advantages of mHealth apps, the solutions remain an attractive option for healthcare professionals and health systems looking to engage with and monitor their patients outside of the clinical setting. And the popularity of the overall mHealth app market continues to accelerate - by the end of 2017, the global mHealth market is <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/research2guidance/research2guidance-mhealth-app-developer-economics-2014-study-slideshareresearch2guidance-m-health-app-developer-economics-slideshare">estimated</a> to have raked in $26 billion in revenue, up 33% year-over-year. And we believe the market will continue on this trajectory, particularly as demand for things like virtual consultations spread into emerging and developing smartphone markets, such as India, parts of Asia and Latin America.</p><p><strong>IN OTHER NEWS:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Pear Therapeutics</strong>, the digital health startup that makes apps to help people with substance abuse disorder, joined forces with Novartis-owned pharmaceutical company Sandoz to commercialize new prescription digital therapeutics, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-pear-therapeutics-sandoz-announce/brief-pear-therapeutics-sandoz-announce-deal-to-commercialize-prescription-digital-therapeutics-idUSFWN1RV0XN">according</a> to Reuters.</li><li><strong>A texting service</strong> could reduce the rate of opioid relapses, <a href="http://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/text-communications-could-prevent-opioid-abuse-relapses">according</a> to a joint study developed by a team of researchers at Washington University, Epharmix, and Preferred Family Healthcare. By the end of the three-month study, the researchers found that 50% of participants reported not using opiates, while 12% said they had in the past three days - down from 42% at the beginning of the study.</li><li><strong>T</strong><strong>he US House Agriculture Committee</strong>, passed a bill Wednesday that increases funding for distance learning and telemedicine by $82 million and re-authorizes the program through 2023, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-ehealth/2018/04/19/core-data-set-recommendations-advance-at-hitac-176610">reports</a>.</li></ul><p class="tagline"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/top-5-trends-shaping-the-future-of-digital-health?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=ctgr&amp;utm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_content=digitalhealth_ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_campaign=digitalhealth_ctgr_leadgen_5-trends"><img src="https://media-bii.businessinsider.com/images/5ad74ece0b0b9224008b46e9-750-188.jpg" alt="Exclusive FREE Report: The Top 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Digital Health by Business Insider Intelligence" border="0" style="width: 100% !important" /></a></p>

DIGITAL HEALTH BRIEFING: Ford to offer medical transportation - Google Glass improves clinical workflow - Employer health benefits miss value for workers

<p><em>Welcome to Digital Health Briefing, the newsletter providing the latest news, data, and insight on how digital technology is disrupting the healthcare ecosystem, produced by Business Insider Intelligence.</em></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/digital-health-briefing?IR=T"><strong>Sign up and receive Digital Health Briefing free to your inbox.</strong></a></p><p><em>Have feedback? We'd like to hear from you. Write me at:</em> <a href="mailto:lbeaver@businessinsider.com"><em>lbeaver@businessinsider.com</em></a></p><hr /><p><strong>DOCTOR ON DEMAND SECURES $74 MILLION AMID TELEMEDICINE BOOM:</strong> Video-based telemedicine company Doctor On Demand secured $74 million in the latest funding round, led by Goldman Sachs and Princeville Global, bringing the company's total funding to $160 million, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/25/video-consultation-service-doctor-on-demand-raised-74-million-so-everyone-can-see-a-doctor-anytime/?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29">according</a> to TechCrunch. Doctor On Demand, one of the leading telemedicine companies in the US, plans on using the money to further develop its platform and expand the accessibility of its services. Telemedicine refers to the use of mobile and video technology to deliver clinical care, such as through patient-physician video conferencing. The startup is partnered with more than two dozen health services and serves more than 400 employer clients, bringing its reach to more than 2 million US patients.</p><p><strong>The significant funding round comes as telemedicine balances on the verge of rapid adoption in the US.</strong> Business Insider Intelligence <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-telehealth-market-report-2018-3">projects</a> the US telehealth market - which includes telemedicine, mHealth, and remote patient monitoring - will grow at an annualized rate of 75% in the five years through 2023 to reach more than 57% of the total US population. This growth will be spurred by several drivers, including the following:</p><ul><li><strong>A substantial addressable market. </strong>Although telehealth solutions aren't suitable for all patients, about 45% of the US population, or 147 million consumers, falls within the addressable market. Each year, there are more than 1.2 billion instances of outpatient medical care. Existing telehealth tools and solutions can serve anywhere between 42% and 45% of these visits using virtual care and RPM, equating to around 500 million instances that could be addressed by telehealth annually.</li><li><strong>The US government making telehealth a priority. </strong>No fewer than 12 pieces of legislation on telehealth were brought up in 2017, mHealthIntelligence <a href="http://www.fruitstreet.com/2017-the-year-of-telehealth-bills-and-telemedicine-legislation/">notes</a>. This was driven by the impending expiration of some bills, as well as the need to keep up with consumer and industry demand for telehealth technology.</li><li><strong>High demand from consumers. </strong>According to the 2018 Business Insider Intelligence Insurance Technology survey, 57% of consumers said they'd use telehealth for a remote general consultation if given the option. Further, 28% said they'd use telehealth if provided with a free in-person follow-up visit if it was required.</li></ul><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Business Insider Intelligence" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ae4585419ee8659008b462c-960/bii leading us telehealth incentives.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ae4585419ee8659008b462c-2342/bii leading us telehealth incentives.png" border="0" alt="bii leading us telehealth incentives" data-mce-source="Business Insider Intelligence" /></a><p class="source"><span>Business Insider Intelligence</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><strong>NOVARTIS GROWS ITS DIGITAL ROOTS FOR EYE-TEST DATA:</strong> On Wednesday, pharma giant Novartis launched FocalView, an iPhone app that will help researchers track ophthalmic disease progression without requiring patients to travel to their doctors, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-novartis-digital/novartis-digital-drive-continues-with-eye-disease-app-idUSKBN1HW0LI?eminfo=%7b%22EMAIL%22%3a%22jYIfXlJMpmvvriBwz1yQxFVoL0aneOnlwQUDPlrOtHw%3d%22%2c%22BRAND%22%3a%22FO%22%2c%22CONTENT%22%3a%22News">according</a> to Reuters. Patients will self-report through the app by taking tests to measure functions including visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. This differs from current modes of trial data collection, whereby physicians gather data based on interactions with their patients. The company is hoping to increase the volume of data being collected by making it easier for patients to report the progression of their conditions. This is just the latest instance of the pharmaceutical giant using digital technology to bulk up its data collection efforts for the research and development of new treatments. Novartis is padding its offerings with digital services to differentiate itself from the competition and become more attractive to clients. The drugmaker is one of the most active investors in healthcare technologies, including telemedicine platforms, point-of-care diagnostics, and oncology therapeutics, <a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/big-pharma-investing-private-markets/">according</a> to CB Insights. In March, for instance, Novartis <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-novartis-pear-therapeutics-partner-to-improve-digital-offerings-heart-app-saved-johns-hopkins-over-200k-medical-logistics-platform-raises-5m-2018-3">partnered</a> with digital therapeutics firm Pear Therapeutics to improve the treatment of schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis, and it <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-top-announcements-from-himss-2018-novartis-looks-into-virtual-drug-trials-value-based-care-could-hurt-small-hospitals-2018-3">announced</a> plans to work with <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="science">Science</keyword> 37 to develop "remote trial" technology that uses video conferencing to lower the barrier of entry for recruiting study participants.<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_left"><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/top-5-trends-shaping-the-future-of-digital-health?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=DH_Briefing&amp;utm_campaign=digital-health-top-5-trends-briefing&amp;utm_term=DH_briefing"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ad6111d146e711b008b4b89" border="0" alt="The Top 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Digital Health: FREE Report" title="The Top 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Digital Health" width="300" height="600" /></a></div></div></p><p><strong>NVIDIA JOINS THE RANKS OF TECH COMPANIES APPLYING AI TO MEDICAL IMAGING: </strong>The US tech company is developing an AI platform, dubbed "Clara," to create a virtual medical imaging platform, <a href="http://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/nvidia-looks-ai-future-medical-imaging-technologies">according</a> to MobiHealthNews. The service will be completely virtualized and "live" within a hospital's data set. Radiologists and doctors will be able to use the platform to provide clinical decision support, such as by sorting through thousands of images including ultrasounds, X-rays, and CT scans to identify specific ailments. Importantly, the company is ensuring that Clara is compatible with a range of existing medical equipment. That means hospitals, clinics, and care facilities don't need to buy new instruments to use the platform. It's likely Nvidia chose to pursue medical imaging as it gears up for an eventual rollout to the broader medical industry. Computer vision - the form of visual AI used in medical imaging - is an established and tested field in several industries and has been actively explored within health by several companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, and several arms of Google-parent Alphabet. By establishing an early focus on medical imaging, the company can build up connections and clinical trials to serve as an entry-point to other segments of healthcare, such as genomics and drug discovery. Eventually, the company hopes to use AI to develop and deliver precision medicine.</p><p><strong>IN OTHER NEWS:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>American Well</strong> and <strong>Philips</strong> have added a telemedicine feature into the Philips Avent uGrow app for parents of young children, <a href="http://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/philips-adds-american-well-telemedicine-ugrow-baby-tracking-app">according</a> to MobiHealthNews. The new offering is the first to come from their partnership announced in January 2018.</li><li><strong style="color: #222222;">Proteus Digital Health</strong><span style="color: #222222;">, a digital therapeutics company, <a href="http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/business_ap/proteus-digital-health-announces-digital-medicines-pipeline-development-and-expansion/article_9665be78-ad0c-5529-a834-f45d41e62d4c.html?eminfo=%7b%22EMAIL%22%3a%22jYIfXlJMpmvvriBwz1yQxFVoL0aneOnlwQUDPlrOtHw%3d%22%2c%22BRAND%22%3a%22FO%22%2c%22CONTENT%22%3a%22Newsletter%22%2c%22UID%22%3a%22FO_DGH_E4A4FE36-34C0-4595-8693-F12D0F40EDA6%22%2c%22SUBID%22%3a%2282853191%22%2c%22JOBID%22%3a%22721847%22%2c%22NEWSLETTER%22%3a%22DIGITAL_HEALTH%22%2c%22ZIP%22%3a%22%22%2c%22COUNTRY%22%3a%22%22%7d">revealed</a> its pipeline of 31 digital medicines for a range of illnesses including mental health, cardiovascular conditions, and oncology. Digital therapeutics are gaining the attention from larger pharma companies and health systems alike because of early signs they'll garner high retention rates. Patients using Proteus' DigiMeds take them around 90% of the time, compared with traditional medications, which sit at around 50%.  </span></li><li><span style="color: #222222;">The <strong>US Drug Enforcement Agency</strong> is tapping Google Maps to help the Agency engage with consumers for the third National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, <a href="http://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/google-lends-map-expertise-support-deas-prescription-drug-take-back-day">according</a> to MobiHealthNews. The event is one of the US government's efforts to tackle the opioid crisis by providing people with a way to safely dispose of expired and unnecessary prescription drugs. The DEA is working with Google to make it easier for consumers to locate nearby drop-off locations. Users can enter their zip code to find the nearest site or scroll over a map of their location to find a center. </span></li></ul><p class="tagline"><a href="http://read.bi/ai-101-free"><img src="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/image/5aa7e48a3be59f1d008b46e5" alt="Exclusive FREE Report: The AI 101 Report by Business Insider Intelligence" border="0" style="width: 100% !important" /></a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-saffron-world-most-expensive-spice-2018-4">Why saffron is the world's most expensive spice</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/YCrIscDw-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

DIGITAL HEALTH BRIEFING: Doctor On Demand raises $74M amid telemedicine boom - Novartis adds another digital solution - Nvidia joins the ranks of AI in health

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54fa29fa6da811340f915b9a-1195-896/google-136.jpg?maxX=600" border="0" alt="google" width="600"><p class="source"><span>Adam Berry/Getty</span></p><p class="caption">Google has been number one on Fortune's list for six years in a row.</p></img></div><p></p></div>Fortune has released its 18th annual "<a href="http://fortune.com/best-companies/">100 Best Companies to Work For</a>" and Google is once again atop the list.</p><p>Fortune partnered with the <a href="http://www.greatplacetowork.com/">Great Place To Work Institute</a> to distribute an employee satisfaction survey across corporate America asking questions about management, office culture, benefits, and hiring practices.</p><p>Here are the top 15 companies with the happiest employees:</p><h3>1. Google</h3><p>The tech giant from Mountain View, California holds the top spot for the sixth straight year due to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-employees-favorite-perks-2014-7">its long list of perks</a>, including a newly enhanced paternity leave program.</p><p><em>Last year: #1</em></p><h3>2. The Boston Consulting Group</h3><p>Fortune praises Boston's elite consultancy for its <a href="http://www.bcg.com/about_bcg/social_impact/">Social Leave of Absence</a> program, which allows employees to take up to a year to pursue social-impact work somewhere around the world while developing expertise that benefits their career.</p><p><em>Last year: #3</em></p><h3>3. ACUITY</h3><p>The Sheboygan, Wisconsin insurance company made its debut on Fortune's list at a top spot for <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/03/05/acuity-worker-loyalty/">its recent focus on benefits</a> like unlimited tuition reimbursement and an 8% contribution to employees' 401k plans.</p><p><em>Last year: N/A</em></p><h3>4. SAS Institute</h3><p>Fortune has regularly praised <a href="http://www.sas.com/">the analytics company</a> from Cary, North Carolina for its focus on every employee, which includes full benefits given to the campus' land contractors.</p><p><em>Last year: #2</em></p><h3>5. Robert W. Baird</h3><p>Paul Purcell, CEO of the Milwaukee-based <a href="http://www.rwbaird.com/">wealth management company</a>, has one rule: "no assholes here" - and actually fires employees for breaking it.</p><p><em style="line-height: 1.5em;">Last year: #9</em></p><h3>6. Edward Jones</h3><p>This large <a href="https://www.edwardjones.com/en_US/index.html">investment services firm</a> headquartered in St. Louis is one of the few remaining private partnerships on Wall Street and boasts an "industry low turnover rate of 8%."</p><p><em>Last year: #4</em></p><h3>7. Wegmans Food Markets</h3><p>Consumer Reports rates the Rochester, New York-based <a href="http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomepageView?storeId=10052&amp;catalogId=10002&amp;langId=-1&amp;clear=true">supermarket chain</a> the best grocery store in America, and Fortune credits its culture for compelling its employees to excel at their jobs.</p><p><em>Last year: #12</em></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54fdae05eab8ea92147039b2-1200-924/marc-benioff-41.jpg" border="0" alt="marc benioff" width="480"><p class="source"><span>Robert Galbraith/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Salesforce chairman and CEO Marc Benioff runs interactive and theatrical corporate events to engage employees.</p></img></div><p></p></div></p><h3>8. Salesforce</h3><p>The <a href="http://www.salesforce.com/">cloud computing giant</a> in San Francisco has grown twofold over the past few years largely due to its "fun-laden events" like an Oktoberfest-themed 'Bring a Referral' happy hour with plane tickets as a reward for a successful referral, according to Fortune.<strong><br /></strong></p><p><em>Last year: #7</em></p><h3>9. Genentech</h3><p>The biotech company headquartered in South San Francisco is proud of its diversity initiatives, which include <a href="http://www.gene.com/good/diversity-inclusion/workplace">developing female leadership</a>.</p><p><em>Last year: #6</em></p><h3>10. Camden Property Trust</h3><p>Fortune says that the office culture of the Houston-based <a href="http://www.camdenliving.com/">real estate trust</a> is not only fun but the company also "takes care of employees' families with fully furnished vacation suites, [a] 20% discount on rent, and college scholarships."</p><p><em>Last year: #11</em></p><h3>11. Kimpton Hotels &amp; Restaurants</h3><p>Employees at this hospitality group based in San Francisco are encouraged to strive for leadership through <a href="http://careers.kimptonhotels.com/love.html">mentorship programs to keep the company growing</a>.</p><p><em>Last year: #21</em></p><h3>12. Quicken Loans</h3><p><a href="http://www.quickenloans.com/">The mortgage company</a> is dedicated to revitalizing its home city of Detroit, and employees get to enjoy a company box at Lions games.</p><p><em>Last year: #5</em></p><h3>13. Riot Games</h3><p><a href="http://www.riotgames.com/">Riot Games</a> is the Santa Monica-based developer behind the best-selling video game "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/League-Legends-PC/dp/B002HOIPCW">League of Legends</a>" and has video game tournaments with its South Korean offices.</p><p><em>Last year: N/A</em></p><h3>14. David Weekley Homes</h3><p>After 10 years at the <a href="http://www.davidweekleyhomes.com/">Houston real estate developer</a>, employees have the chance to go on a four-week paid sabbatical as well as the option of a two-week unpaid extension with an extra $2,000 for expenses.</p><p><em>Last year: #13</em></p><h3>15. Burns &amp; McDonnell</h3><p>Fortune says that this Kansas City, Missouri-based, <a href="http://www.burnsmcd.com/">employee-owned engineering firm</a> "boasts one of the best stock-ownership plans in the nation," according to Fortune.</p><p><em>Last year: #14</em></p><p><strong><a href="http://fortune.com/best-companies/">You can check out the full list at Fortune's website.</a></strong></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/follow-up-questions-end-job-interview-2015-1">7 smart questions to ask at the end of every job interview</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="B4ODhobjqemZPKhZS_YxGsIknwbquGn9" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'B4ODhobjqemZPKhZS_YxGsIknwbquGn9',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

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