News

As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the evacuation of hospitals in low-lying sections of Manhattan in anticipation of Hurricane Irene's landfall, North Shore-LIJ health system began removal of patients from two of its hospitals and set up an emergency command center. In response to an evacuation order from the city and state, North Shore-LIJ's 775-bed Staten Island University Hospital began evacuation efforts Thursday night at its North and South campuses, Michelle Pinto, director of media relations for North Shore-LIJ, said Friday.

Aiming to single out high-potential health IT startups and help enable their "rapid development and growth," Healthbox is a new accelerator program that offers support for seed-stage companies that can chart the "complex transition into the digital age."Healthbox will officially launch in January 2012 with an inaugural class of 10 startups. For three months, these teams will share collaborate in Chicago, where they'll have access to:

One day after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck Virginia, two new surveys by the American Red Cross suggest that the uptick seen on sites such as Twitter and Facebook is part of a growing trend of Americans turning to social media in response to emergencies. "Social media is becoming an integral part of disaster response," said Wendy Harman, director of social strategy for the American Red Cross.

Morgenthaler Ventures, a venture capital firm, has named 11 finalists in the firm's nationwide contest to find the most promising health IT startups looking for seed and Series-A funding. The 11 company founders will present in front of leading venture capitalists, angel investors and entrepreneurs at a gathering dedicated to health IT innovation on Sept. 22 in Mountain View, Calif. The event is invitation only.