Deja vu, Google once again closed its health department.The company was only three years old Hired Dr. David Feinberg In order to organize different health work, when he leaves, its projects and employees will be adjusted throughout the company Cerner Corp CEO’s new job
According to a Memo obtained by Insider, Google plans to close its health department and redistribute its 570 employees. A Google spokesperson confirmed that the company will indeed dissolve Google Health, but will not lay off employees, and plans to continue to carry out some ongoing projects in different departments.
This change is not entirely an accident.Earlier this summer, Google reorganized some health employees into Fitbit and search departments, leaving Fitbit leads its consumer health efforts. The rest of its employees focus on compliance, health artificial intelligence, and building tools for clinicians.
Now, a team led by Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Google’s Chief Health Officer, will play a role throughout the company. The team focuses on compliance, regulatory affairs and health equity. It will work in many divisions of Google, including its cloud business, YouTube and Fitbit.
Google’s health artificial intelligence team will report to Yossi Matias, who leads the company’s search and dialogue artificial intelligence efforts.And the team that develops tools for doctors, such as Google’s Controversial efforts to produce searchable electronic health records, Will report to Jeff Dean of Google’s artificial intelligence department.
Despite the lack of a unified department, the spokesperson said that health is still a major focus of Google and more of a company-wide effort. But this is not the first time Google has started and shut down its healthcare department.
As early as 2008, Google launched an effort to integrate people’s health records, also known as Google Health. Three years later, It shut down the platform, Part of the reason is that it does not have enough users.
Other large technology companies have recently stumbled in their healthcare work.
Earlier this year, the notorious collaboration between Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway disbanded, and some experts pointed out Lack of a clear strategy As a fatal flaw.Since then, Amazon has launched its own primary care and pharmacy job, even though it It is not clear whether it can beat established competitors.
Recently, Insider reported that Apple plans to Scale down digital health applications It has been developed for use in conjunction with employee medical clinics.
“Difficult to see a doctor” This may be a common restraint when reviewing these failed projects, but this is especially true as part of a large company, even with as many resources as Google or Amazon.
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