Welcome to our latest international news in brief, where we take a look at some of the latest health tech news to have caught our eye from further afield over the last few weeks.
HIMSS EMRAM Stage 7 accreditation achieved at Lakeridge Health
Lakeridge Health in Canada has been awarded Stage 7 HIMSS EMRAM accreditation following assessment of its use of electronic medical records, clinical workflows, data sharing, analytics, clinical decision support, and more, it has shared.
Lakeridge points to its investment in digital tools such as bar code medication administration, integrated diagnostic imaging, the MyChart portal, and Epic in helping achieve the milestone.
“Digital technology is most valuable when it helps us deliver safer, more efficient care. EMRAM Stage 7 recognises that we are using technology in meaningful ways to support clinical decisions, optimise clinical operations, improve patient safety, and strengthen care coordination,” says CMIO Larry Nijmeh. “Ultimately, this translates into a better experience for providers, more effective use of healthcare resources and better outcomes for the patients we serve.”
US Veterans Affairs EHR expansion and new EHR chatbot
The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has deployed the federal EHR system to three VA hospitals in Indiana, along with 16 associated clinics. According to the department, the latest deployments bring the total to 11 hospitals so far this year, meaning over 617,000 veterans and 35,000 VA clinicians and staff are now using the system.
Introducing the system supports the transfer of military health records, and allows for the integration of health information from private sector facilities into VA’s care for veterans, the department states. It also reports that the system supports clinicians, reduces duplicative testing thanks to visibility of previous test results, and improves continuity of care.
Under the Trump Administration, the aim is to ensure every medical facility across VA has use of the system by 2031, VA deputy secretary Paul Lawrence notes. Remaining deployments for 2026 cover Alaska VA Healthcare System, and Louis Stokes Cleveland VAMC, both set for October.
The department further highlights the introduction of the VA ChatEHR tool, an AI chatbot providing support to staff by answering questions about the EHR and offering guidance on completing tasks within the system. Since April 2026, the chatbot has answered more than 53,000 questions from over 8,000 users, it adds.
M42 announces ten-year partnership with Ministry of Health in Botswana
Health AI company M42 has entered into a ten-year partnership with the Ministry of Health in Botswana. The partnership is said to focus on digital health transformation, a national genomics programme, precision medicine, and local and regional capacity development.
M42 will also work with Mubadala Bio to help build a sustainable medical supply chain to ensure better access for the population. “This agreement is about strengthening our health security, building resilience into our supply chains, and ensuring that no patient in Botswana is left without the medicines and medical products they need because of avoidable delays,” commented Minister of Health Stephen Modise. “Through this partnership, we are opening a reliable gateway to medicines, medical supplies and health products whenever and wherever the country needs them.”
US ChristianaCare prepares for October Epic EHR go-live
ChristianaCare in the US is preparing for the go-live of its Epic EHR in October 2026, bringing together workforce training, operational readiness, and new patient-facing digital tools to support the transition.
“As we move into the final months before go-live, our focus is on preparing our caregivers through a training model that combines convenient on-demand learning with live, role-based instruction,” said Ric Cuming, COO. “We are taking a deliberate approach to help protect patient safety and maintain continuity of care, including readiness checks designed to ensure caregivers complete required training before they use the new system.”
Patients will gain access to the MyChart portal, enabling them to view test results, visit summaries, appointments, and messages from care teams, ChristianaCare notes. “When ChristianaCare is live on Epic, all Delaware health systems — and many more regionally across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland — will be on Epic as well, making it even easier for patients to receive care across the region with their information available to support timely, coordinated treatment.”
DocGo acquires Hicuity Health
US-based proactive and virtual health company DocGo has announced its acquisition of virtual care provider Hicuity Health, “in exchange for the assumption of the company’s existing indebtedness held by Perceptive Advisors, which is estimated to be approximately $52 million at closing and matures in December 2029”.
Hicuity’s services include tele-ICU, virtual nursing, and telemetry monitoring services for health systems, hospitals, and post-acute facilities, DocGo shares. Lee Bienstock, CEO, states: “Hicuity brings technology-enabled acute and critical care telemedicine capabilities, serving a diverse portfolio of health systems across the United States. Integrating the power of Hicuity’s offering helps us create one of the most innovative healthcare delivery platforms in the industry – a holistic tech-powered solution that enables us to match the right clinician with the right patient at the right time in the right setting. This solidifies our company’s unique position to bridge patient care across the entire continuum – from the hospital to the home.”
