Google is dissolving its healthcare division as its boss, David Feinberg, MD, leaves for Cerner, according to an Aug. 20 issue. Insider report.
Five things to know:
- Because Dr. Feinberg will have to leave Google on Sept. 1, splitting his projects and healthcare teams into various parts of the company, according to an Aug. 19 internal note.
- Jeff Dean, head of Google’s search division, sent the note to employees and said Google Health would cease to function as a unified unit.
- Google CEO Karen DeSalvo, MD, who is leading her clinical initiatives, will now report to the legal director. The Google Health Medical Team, which is creating a EHR tool, will now report directly to Mr. Dean and his artificial intelligence team, which works on medical imaging, will report to the search and intelligence team. Google artificial license.
- “Google deeply believes in the power of technology to improve health and wellness and we have increased our investments in health across the enterprise,” a Google spokesman said Insider. “This has included developing projects within Google Health, launching and expanding health-related features on Search, Maps and YouTube that reach billions of people, and welcoming Fitbit.”
- Google Health was formed in 2018 as a way to organize its health initiatives. The company brought Dr. Feinberg to lead the division while serving as CEO of Geisinger Health, based in Danville, Pa.