Deerfield
About Deerfield

Launched in 1994, Deerfield Management Company is an investment firm dedicated to advancing healthcare through information, investment, and philanthropy—all toward the end goal of cures for disease, improved quality of life, and reduced cost of care.

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Investment

Supporting companies across the healthcare ecosystem with flexible funding models…

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Information

Delivering market research to the Deerfield team, its portfolio companies and other partners.

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Philanthropy

A New York City-based not-for-profit devoted to advancing innovative health care initiatives.

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Portfolio Companies

Deerfield generally maintains a combined portfolio of more than 150 private and public investments across the life science, medical device, diagnostic, digital health and health service industries at all stages of evolution from start-up to mature company.

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Research Collaborations

Deerfield partners with leading academic research centers, providing critical funding and expertise to further sustain and accelerate the commercialization of discoveries toward meaningful societal impact by advancing cures for disease.

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Strategic Partners

As a strategic partner, Deerfield offers capital, scientific expertise, business operating support, and unique access to innovation.

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Deerfield Foundation

The Deerfield Foundation is a New York City-based not-for-profit organization whose mission is to improve health, accelerate innovation and promote human equity.

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Cure Campus

Cure is a 12-story innovation campus in New York City that intends to bring together innovators from academia, government, industry, and the not-for-profit sectors to advance human health and accelerate the fight against disease.

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Cure Programming

Cure has a series of expert lectures intended to advance thought in healthcare, management, innovation, policy, and other relevant subjects. This fosters growth and education for those at Cure and its guests.

Events at the Cure

Electronic Health Records – On The Cusp Of Shedding Its Awkward Adolescence

In 2009, in connection with the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, the government set aside over $30 billion to promote the implementation and use of electronic health records (EHR).  The policy objectives at the time encompassed a number of goals including: (1) improving the quality, safety and efficiency of care delivery; (2) engaging patients more fully in their care; (3) improving care coordination; (4) establishing an improved foundation for population health management; and (5) ensuring appropriate security protection for personal health information.  Notwithstanding the good intent, significant dollar investment and focused encouragement associated with this initiative, EHR adoption, and its presumed benefits, have been slower than expected to emerge.   Seven years and multi billions of dollars later the jury remains out.

On the one hand, great strides have been made in the number of physicians using an EHR.  The percentage of

providers reporting implementation of at least a basic system has doubled since HITECH was passed, and now stands at just over 80%.  On the other hand, it remains highly equivocal as to whether this expanded adoption has improved patient care, enhanced patient and physician satisfaction, or generated promised cost savings.  For each of these questions, a quick Google search finds a myriad of conflicting statistics, opinions, and anecdotes, providing ample “evidence” to pronounce HITECH either a resounding failure or an undeniable success.

Rather than weigh in on either side of this debate, or offer what is likely a premature assessment of ultimate potential, I would instead like to flag several areas of both early success as well as concern, and to highlight several future areas of currently unlocked promise.  In the area of clear wins, the percentage of physicians e-prescribing via an EHR grew from 7% pre-HITECH to over 70% by the end of 2014.  This is important bec