Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Cross Country Healthcare to be taken private by PE firm for $437M
Private equity firm Knox Lane has agreed to acquire Cross Country Healthcare, a travel nursing and healthcare staffing company, for $437 million in an all-cash deal. The offer of $13.25 per share represents a 31% premium over the stock’s pre-announcement closing price, with the transaction expected to close in Q3 2026. Cross Country had previously agreed to a $615 million deal with staffing rival Aya Healthcare, but that agreement collapsed in December 2025 following FTC antitrust scrutiny. Cross Country reported Q1 2026 revenue of $241.1 million—down 18% year over year—and a net loss of $4.3 million.
Sources: Healthcare Dive
OpenAI’s growing healthcare footprint
OpenAI has made healthcare a major 2026 priority, rolling out a string of products since January. The company launched ChatGPT Health for personal health data integration, unveiled OpenAI for Healthcare—a suite of clinical and administrative AI tools—and acquired health data startup Torch for $60 million. Research by OpenAI found that more than 40 million Americans use ChatGPT daily for health questions. In April, the company introduced GPT-Rosalind for biology and drug discovery, launched ChatGPT for Clinicians free to verified U.S. clinicians, and published a policy blueprint calling for expanded patient data access and updated AI regulatory pathways.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Amwell expects smaller losses in 2026 after Q1 performance
Telehealth company Amwell reported a narrowing net loss of $10.3 million in Q1 2026, compared to $18.4 million a year earlier, even as revenue declined 18% to $54.9 million. Subscription revenue fell 23% to $24.9 million, though management said renewals and retention exceeded expectations. Amwell raised its 2026 adjusted EBITDA loss guidance from a range of negative $18 to $24 million to negative $12 to $16 million. The company renewed a three-year contract with Elevance Health and expects a Defense Health Agency renewal in Q2 or early Q3. Amwell expressed confidence in achieving positive operating cash flow by Q4 2026.
Sources: Healthcare Dive
UT Austin launches Epic ahead of new academic medical center
University of Texas at Austin went live with Epic on its ambulatory side in April, laying the digital foundation for the planned $2.5 billion UT Dell Medical Center, expected to open by 2030. The health system—backed by over $1 billion from the Dell family and a $100 million AI-focused gift—is building what it calls an “AI-native” hospital with AI and automation from Day 1. The Epic rollout, dubbed Project Cornerstone, included Abridge for ambient documentation, Workday, Kodiak, and Rackspace. With help from consulting firm Nordic, UT Austin’s MyChart already serves nearly 7,000 patients, about 60% of its patient population.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Mayo Clinic, Abridge build AI for nurses
Mayo Clinic and AI documentation startup Abridge have co-developed a nursing-specific ambient AI tool, with nurses leading every stage of the design process. The Rochester, Minnesota-based health system began the partnership in 2024, and early adoption was striking: between 80% and 100% of nurses on the initial units adopted the tool within the first few days of launch, even though use was optional. When Mayo expanded access to 200 additional users, many slots filled within the first hour. Chief Nursing Officer Ryannon Frederick described the project as “For Nurses, By Nurses,” with nurses shaping the future of their own documentation workflows.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
AHA: Cyber resilience critical to prevent nation-state hacks
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has launched a new initiative to bolster critical infrastructure against nation-state cyberattacks, with the American Hospital Association highlighting its relevance for healthcare organizations. The effort emphasizes preemptive isolation and recovery planning, including proactively disconnecting from third-party vendors and rehearsing a return to manual systems before a crisis occurs. John Riggi, AHA’s national advisor for cybersecurity and risk, called cyber resilience “essential to maintain patient care and safety during any incident.” The initiative aligns with a joint AHA and Joint Commission program designed to help hospitals sustain safe clinical operations during cybersecurity-related IT outages.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Fitness wearable Whoop rolls out virtual clinician visits, EHR integration
Boston-based fitness wearable company Whoop is expanding into clinical territory, announcing May 8 a rollout of on-demand virtual clinician visits and EHR integration. The new features—part of a broader pivot toward clinical-grade health support—include live video consultations with licensed clinicians, launching in the U.S. this summer. Visits will draw on months of biometric data, bloodwork, and medical history. Separately, Whoop announced a partnership with HealthEx to enable EHR syncing, giving members access to diagnoses, medications, and procedures directly within the app. The company aims to create a connected health ecosystem combining AI, continuous biometric monitoring, and clinical insight.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Hospital at home linked to lower ED visits, in-hospital mortality: study
Providing acute hospital care in patients’ homes is linked to better clinical outcomes including fewer emergency department visits within 30 days, lower in-hospital mortality, and reduced risk of ICU escalation and hospital-acquired infections, according to a new JAMA Network Open study. Researchers analyzed Medicare data from 68 hospitals with hospital-at-home programs in 2021 and 2022. Patients in home-based programs also saw minor reductions in total healthcare costs, though care duration was longer. Readmission rates at 30 days showed no significant difference. Adoption remains uneven: just 11 hospitals accounted for roughly half of all hospital-at-home admissions, all in urban areas.
Sources: Healthcare Dive
Curated by JD · samwise.agency