PITTSBURGH -- The Center for Connected Medicine, a collaborative executive briefing center showcasing the transformation of health care, today welcomed KARL STORZ as its newest strategic partner. Specializing in state-of-the-art technologies for minimally invasive surgery as well as EHR-compatible operating room integration and information management solutions, KARL STORZ becomes the 14th partner of the Center for Connected Medicine.

JACKSON, Tenn. & BLOOMFIELD, Conn.--First-year results from Cigna's (NYSE: CI) collaborative accountable care initiative with The Jackson Clinic indicate that the program is showing progress toward achieving the “triple aim” of improved health, affordability and patient experience. The Jackson Clinic serves over 5,500 individuals covered by a Cigna health plan and has shown significantly positive results in delivering quality care while controlling total medical cost trend.

Boise, IDAHO and Arlington, VA, July 31, 2013 -- When it comes to collaborative care and sharing critical patient data, not all information is created equal. To help solve the most persistent interoperability barriers in every healthcare setting, Inofile is combining its leadership in capturing and transforming unstructured content with Surescripts’ national clinical health information network to advance healthcare.

Sensors embedded in teeth could tell doctors when people have defied medical advice to give up smoking or eat less. Built into a tiny circuit board that fits in a tooth cavity, the sensor includes an accelerometer that sends data on mouth motion to a smartphone.

CLAREMONT, N.H., July 30, 2013 -- New Hampshire-based Red River, a leading information technology (IT) services provider, announced a partnership today between Red River Healthcare and EXTENSION, INC., developer of a next generation alarm safety platform for healthcare enabling collaborative communication among caregivers and patients. Red River will work with EXTENSION to address these gaps found among clinical staff in healthcare settings, which will ultimately benefit both caregivers and patients.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.-- Qsource and the Tennessee Office of eHealth Initiatives today unveiled next steps in a joint statewide initiative to enhance patient care by helping healthcare providers obtain and share important patient information in faster, more secure ways. As part of the Tennessee Health eShare Direct Project, the partners are introducing Direct Technology for securely exchanging patient data across medical offices, hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies and other care settings.

INDIANAPOLIS (July 29, 2013) – Zotec Partners, LLC (“Zotec”), an industry leader in physician’s revenue cycle services, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of the stock of Medical Management Professionals, Inc. (“MMP”), a medical billing and practice management company, and a subsidiary of the publicly traded CBIZ, Inc. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, with an anticipated close on or before September 1, 2013.

ARLINGTON, Va., July 25, 2013 -- Surescripts, the nation's largest health information network, has expanded its reach by enabling five additional health technology vendors to offer clinical messaging capabilities to their users.  Surescripts' Basic Messaging and Communications product for clinical interoperability will now be offered to all users of Inofile, Greenway, SCI Solutions and Vitera.  SOAPware users will be able to communicate with users on the Surescripts network using a HISP-to-HISP connection. These enhanced capabilities will allow care providers to seamlessly communicate and share important clinical information through a secure and integrated messaging service powered by the Surescripts network.