Connect with us

Technology

Persistent Achieves Databricks Brickbuilder Specialization for Healthcare & Life Sciences, Expanding Production-Ready Data and AI Solutions For Regulated Environments

Published

on

Enables HLS organizations to unify multimodal data, accelerate clinical and real-world evidence workflows, and operationalize governed AI at scale

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and PUNE, India, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Persistent Systems (BSE: 533179) (NSE: PERSISTENT), a global Digital Engineering and Enterprise Modernization leader, today announced that it has achieved the Databricks Brickbuilder Specialization for Healthcare and Life Sciences (HLS). This recognition validates Persistent’s ability to deliver production-grade, governed data and AI solutions on the Databricks Data Intelligence platform. It strengthens the Company’s position in enabling providers, payers, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device organizations to accelerate clinical development, improve patient outcomes and operationalize AI across regulated environments.

HLS organizations are under increasing pressure to accelerate clinical trials, shorten drug discovery timelines and generate real-world evidence. At the same time, legacy architectures struggle to integrate diverse datasets such as clinical records, genomics, imaging and patient data. Persistent leverages the Databricks Data Intelligence platform to unify these data sources into a governed, AI-ready foundation, enabling improved trial design, faster cohort identification, biomarker discovery and scalable evidence platforms.

Building on this foundation, Persistent delivers production-grade, regulatory-compliant data and AI solutions tailored for HLS environments. These solutions enable organizations to move from isolated pilots to enterprise-scale AI, ensuring accuracy, governance and interoperability across clinical, R&D, commercial and operational workflows. Underlying this are core Databricks technologies. Delta Lake provides a reliable data foundation for AI and compliance, Unity Catalog enables intelligent governance to monitor data and drive trusted insights, and Mosaic AI supports secure model development and deployment across use cases such as patient risk prediction, clinical trial optimization and pharmacovigilance.

The collaboration between Persistent and Databricks continues to expand through co-creation and go-to-market initiatives focused on delivering measurable business outcomes across the HLS ecosystem. This impact is visible in real-world implementations: for example, Persistent helped a Contract Research Organization improve trial success rates and supported a Scientific Instruments and Medical Devices leader to accelerate innovation using the Databricks platform.

Persistent is a Global Systems Integrator partner for Databricks at the Silver Tier, with more than 900 certifications and a growing portfolio of accelerators on the Databricks Data Intelligence platform.

Ganesh Nathella, Executive Vice President and General Manager – HLS Business, Persistent:
“For Healthcare and Life Sciences, the priority is shifting from simply accessing data to making it actionable across clinical, research and operational environments. Achieving the Databricks Brickbuilder Specialization for Healthcare and Life Sciences reflects the progress we are making in building the capabilities required to address this shift. Together with Databricks, we are helping payers, providers, pharmaceuticals, scientific instruments, biotech and medical devices organizations build more connected, insight-driven ecosystems that improve decision-making, accelerate innovation and enhance patient outcomes.”

Sameer Dixit, Corporate Vice President – Data, AI & Integration, Persistent:
“Data readiness is critical to scaling AI in healthcare and life sciences, where organizations must bring together diverse data sets. At Persistent, we build enterprise-grade, governed and scalable data and AI solutions on modern platforms, including Databricks. Earning the Databricks Brickbuilder Specialization for HLS underscores the strength of our partnership and our ability to help organizations unify multimodal data, operationalize trusted AI and improve outcomes in regulated environments.”

Josh Meyer, Global Head of Partner Solutions and Industry GTM, Databricks:
“Persistent’s achievement of the Databricks Brickbuilder Specialization for Healthcare and Life Sciences reflects their proven ability to turn data and AI into real-world impact for the industry. Their solutions demonstrate how the Databricks Platform can be applied to complex HLS challenges—ranging from clinical insights and patient outcomes to AI-driven drug discovery and operational efficiency—helping organizations move faster with confidence.”

About Persistent

Persistent Systems (BSE: 533179 and NSE: PERSISTENT) is a global services and solutions company delivering AI-led, platform-driven Digital Engineering and Enterprise Modernization to businesses across industries. With over 27,500 employees located in 18 countries, the Company is committed to innovation and client success. Persistent offers a comprehensive suite of services, including software engineering, product development, data and analytics, CX transformation, cloud computing, and intelligent automation. The Company is part of the MSCI India Index and is included in key indices of the National Stock Exchange of India, including the Nifty Midcap 50, Nifty IT, and Nifty MidCap Liquid 15, as well as several on the BSE such as the S&P BSE 100 and S&P BSE SENSEX Next 50. Persistent is also a constituent of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. The Company has achieved carbon neutrality, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. Persistent has also been named one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Inclusion & Diversity 2025 by Newsweek and Plant A Insights Group. As a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, the Company is committed to aligning strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, as well as take actions that advance societal goals. With 468% growth in brand value since 2020, Persistent is the fastest-growing IT services brand in ‘Brand Finance India 100’ 2025 Report.

www.persistent.com

Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements

For risks and uncertainties relating to forward-looking statements, please visit persistent.com/flcs

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1022385/4851381/Persistent_Systems_Logo.jpg

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/persistent-achieves-databricks-brickbuilder-specialization-for-healthcare–life-sciences-expanding-production-ready-data-and-ai-solutions-for-regulated-environments-302765504.html

Continue Reading

Technology

Harlem Children’s Zone Acquires FinTech Platform, Goalsetter, to Accelerate Universal Economic Mobility

Published

on

By

Acquisition combines HCZ’s proven model with Goalsetter’s innovative financial education technology to expand access and impact at scale

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), one of the nation’s leading anti-poverty organizations, announced the acquisition of Goalsetter, a financial technology platform that delivers best-in-class, engaging, technology-enabled learning experiences for people seeking to enhance their financial know-how, capabilities, and confidence.   

The acquisition marks a significant step in HCZ’s Wealth Builds–Universal Economic Mobility (WB-UEM) strategy, a national framework designed to help children and families build long-term economic security through cradle-to-career supports, financial education and experiences, and direct access to capital via a Child Capital Stack of asset boosts.

“We know that economic mobility is a two-generation challenge,” says Harlem Children’s Zone CEO Kwame Owusu-Kesse. “With this acquisition, we are solving for a critical component of Universal Economic Mobility by melding a proven financial education platform and HCZ’s decades of experience providing people with the knowledge and tools to build strong futures for themselves and their families. This is more than an investment in financial education. It is an investment in critical national infrastructure for economic mobility.”

Harlem Children’s Zone has decades of experience driving outcomes at scale, beginning as a one-block pilot, expanding to over 100 blocks in Central Harlem, and now working with over 70 communities across the United States. HCZ seeks to use its learnings, decades of experience driving outcomes at scale, and renowned best practices to provide pathways to economic mobility for all of America’s children and families.

“Goalsetter was built on the belief that everyone should have access to the financial knowledge and tools that can shape their future and livelihood,” said Tanya Van Court, Chief FinTech Officer at Harlem Children’s Zone and Founder of Goalsetter. “Joining Harlem Children’s Zone gives us an extraordinary opportunity to build on that work. Together, we can continue enhancing the platform, expand access for learners of all ages and walks of life, and demonstrate what is possible when mission, innovation, and technology come together to serve the most people.”

Goalsetter creates opportunities to deliver high-quality, developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant financial education with extensive reach,  including to low-income and rural communities that have historically had limited access to these resources. Its current offerings include Goalsetter Classroom, which provides standards-aligned financial education curriculum for middle and high school students, and MoneyLingo, a mobile-first financial education experience for college-aged students and adults in the workforce, covering practical topics such as saving, investing, credit, debt, and financial decision-making.                                                         

“This acquisition sends an important signal to the field,” said Owusu-Kesse. “Social impact organizations should not have to choose between mission and scale. By bringing a proven technology platform into HCZ, we’re demonstrating how non-profit organizations can be centers of business excellence, using vehicles of innovation, AI, and technology to create efficient and effective pathways to scale and impact. This acquisition strengthens our in-house capacity to build, innovate, and continuously improve outcomes.”

The organization plans to build upon Goalsetter’s existing offerings by exploring financial education products for younger learners and creating opportunities to establish a continuous financial learning journey from early childhood through adulthood.

“This is ultimately about extending opportunity to all,” added Owusu-Kesse. “By connecting financial education, technology, family engagement, and access to assets, we can help create more accessible pathways to economic mobility.”

Services to current Goalsetter clients will be unaffected by this acquisition.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harlem-childrens-zone-acquires-fintech-platform-goalsetter-to-accelerate-universal-economic-mobility-302917320.html

SOURCE Harlem Children’s Zone

Continue Reading

Technology

Common Ground in the Battlegrounds? Surveys Reveal Widespread Bipartisan Agreement in 11 Competitive States and 28 Congressional Districts, as Well as Nationally

Published

on

By

Bipartisan Majorities Say If Congress Were to Listen to the People More, They Would More Likely Find Common Ground

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Program for Public Consultation (PPC) conducted extensive surveys in competitive states and congressional districts, as well as nationally, revealing a remarkable level of bipartisan common ground.

Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agreed on: 

106 policies nationally 82 policies in all states and districts surveyed101 policies in at least two-thirds of all the states and districts surveyed

Over 40,000 Americans were surveyed in two waves with representative samples of 600-2,016 in each of the 11 competitive states surveyed, and 400-592 in each of the 28 competitive congressional districts surveyed, and 1,200-2,509 nationwide.

Nearly all policy questions were based on congressional legislation or executive branch proposals. 

Fourteen policy topics were covered: Artificial Intelligence, Housing, Healthcare, Low-Income Assistance, Families and Children, Social Security, Immigration, Abortion and Birth Control, Energy and Environment, Federal Taxes, Campaign Finance, Government Reform, Criminal Justice and America’s Role in the World. For every topic, most policies had bipartisan agreement across every battleground surveyed.

The policy questions used in these national and battleground surveys were chosen because they elicited bipartisan support in previous in-depth national surveys conducted by PPC, in which respondents received briefings on the topic and evaluated pro and con arguments for the proposed policy.

Steven Kull, director of PPC, comments, “What is striking here is that these surveys revealed widespread bipartisan agreement on over a dozen key issues that Congress has failed to resolve, from costs of healthcare, to risks of artificial intelligence, to Social Security’s impending insolvency, and many more. Clearly, there is far more common ground among the American people than there is in Congress.”

Americans Think Public Opinion Should Have More Influence
Respondents were also asked about the role of public opinion in policymaking. Across the battlegrounds, on average, respondents estimated that federally elected officials make the same decisions that the majority of Americans would make just 35% of the time.

Large majorities believe polarization in government comes not from the American people but from elected officials, and that more influence for the people would help break the logjam in Congress (Democrats 62 to 88%, Republicans 66 to 89%).

Perhaps most germane, overwhelming majorities of Democrats and Republicans in the battlegrounds believe that if members of Congress were more influenced by the people, they would be more likely to find common ground (Democrats 82 to 97%, Republicans 80 to 95%), and better serve the common good (Democrats 77 to 94%, Republicans 79 to 94%).

Steven Kull adds, “On the basis of this study, it does appear that the public is correct that if the people had more influence, Congress would be more likely to find common ground, and thus  function better.”

Americans also say that public opinion should play a substantial role in news reporting about policy. Over two-thirds say news reports on policy matters should include public opinion data most of the time or always when reliable information is available (Democrats 71 to 88%, Republicans 67 to 89%). Similarly, when Congress is about to vote on a law, large numbers say it is very or extremely important for news outlets to report whether a majority of Americans favor or oppose it (Democrats 65 to 84%, Republicans 60 to 85%).

MORE INFORMATION

Battlegrounds Common Ground SheetIndividual State and District Results, Questionnaires and MethodologiesNational Questionnaire with Toplines, Crosstabs and Methodology

About the Surveys
The state and district surveys used for this analysis were fielded July 21 – August 17, 2026, to a total of 19,949 adults, and May 27 – July 1, 2026, to 19,564 adults. They included 600-2016 in each of the 11 states, and 400-592 in each of the 28 congressional districts. Response rates ranged from 7.1 to 9.0%. Confidence intervals range from +/- 2.9 to 8.1%, and maximum weights range from 1.9 to 10.0.

The national surveys were fielded February 11-26, 2026, with 2,509 adults, and March 11-19, 2026, with 1,200 adults. The response rates were 7.6% and 8.3%, respectively. The confidence interval is +/- 2.9% for both surveys, and the maximum weights are 2.5 and 1.9.

The sample was obtained from multiple online opt-in panels, including Cint, Dynata and Prodege. Sample collection and quality control were managed by QuantifyAI under the direction of the Program for Public Consultation. The surveys were offered in both English and Spanish.

The samples were pre-stratified and weighted by age, race, ethnicity, gender, education, household income, marital status, and home ownership to match the general adult population. The national sample was further weighted by Census region. The distribution of partisan affiliation was within expectations, based on voter registration data for non-leaners and/or Cook’s Partisan Voting Index for leaners, or weighted to reflect those benchmarks.

About the Common Ground in the Battlegrounds? Survey Series
This effort aims to identify bipartisan common ground in competitive states and districts across the nation. The project seeks to educate the public, policymakers and candidates about the findings; and provide journalists with independent, nonpartisan research that brings the public into the conversation about public policy.

In addition to PPC, project partners include the Civic Innovation Center at the University of Maryland (CivIC) and Voice of the People (VOP), a national nonpartisan organization seeking to give the public a greater voice in government. None of these entities advocate for policy positions or endorse candidates.

States surveyed: Alaska; Georgia; Iowa; Maine; Michigan; Minnesota; Montana; Nebraska; New Hampshire; North Carolina; Ohio; and Texas.

Congressional Districts surveyed: Arizona’s 1st and 6th; Colorado’s 8th; Iowa’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th; Maine’s 2nd; Michigan’s 4th, 7th, 8th and 10th; Montana’s 1st; Nebraska’s 2nd; Nevada’s 3rd; New Jersey’s 7th and 9th; New Mexico’s 2nd; New York’s 3rd, 4th, 17th and 19th; Oregon’s 5th; Pennsylvania’s 1st, 7th, 8th and 10th; and Washington’s 3rd.

The survey series excluded several competitive districts because they were in states that had recently been redistricted and thus had no Census data yet to use for demographic benchmarks.

Program for Public Consultation
The Program for Public Consultation (PPC), affiliated with the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, seeks to improve democratic governance by consulting the public and bringing the people’s views into the public discourse. It conducts surveys with representative samples on policies proposed by elected officials and shares its findings with government officials, the media, other academics, and the general public.

Civic Innovation Center
The Civic Innovation Center (CivIC) at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy works to strengthen the foundations of civic health. It contributes to important debates about civic education, civic engagement, and needed democratic reforms in the state of Maryland and nationwide, in partnership with other BIG 10 universities. It works to build the connective tissue that brings together students, scholars and practitioners to help elevate the UMD community’s contribution to our wider democracy.

Voice of the People
Voice of the People (VOP) is a nonpartisan organization working to re-anchor our democracy in its founding principles by giving ‘We the People’ a greater and more effective voice in government. It champions innovative methods and technology that enable the American people to play a role in the policymaking process and provide policymakers with a more accurate understanding of the views of their constituents.

Contact: Jonathan Casaverde, jonathan.casaverde@wardcirclestrategies.com,(786) 469-9422

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/common-ground-in-the-battlegrounds-surveys-reveal-widespread-bipartisan-agreement-in-11-competitive-states-and-28-congressional-districts-as-well-as-nationally-302915872.html

SOURCE Program for Public Consultation

Continue Reading

Technology

FDA grants 510(k) clearance for BoneEnhance, the first machine learning layer on RIVANNA’s Accuro XV platform

Published

on

By

Anatomy segmentation and three-dimensional skeletal visualization arrive with this clearance; an injury detection module for clinical decision support is in development on the platform roadmap

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RIVANNA®, developer of AI-enabled clinical decision-support solutions, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for BoneEnhance®, a machine learning software module for the Accuro® XV diagnostic ultrasound system. The module segments bone and surrounding tissues and supports visualization of skeletal anatomy in three dimensions during image review.

The clearance moves the platform from acquisition toward interpretation. Accuro XV was cleared in April 2026 for B-mode imaging in musculoskeletal conventional and superficial applications. Its conformable three-dimensional probe automates large field-of-view image acquisition after initial patient positioning. BoneEnhance is the first machine learning software module cleared for the platform.

BoneEnhance identifies bone and surrounding tissues

Each automated acquisition creates a volumetric dataset for review. BoneEnhance identifies bone and surrounding tissues within that volume, then highlights them with color-coded overlays on the two-dimensional B-mode image. The original anatomical data remain unaltered and visible beneath the overlays. A three-dimensional indicator beside the image shows the scan orientation and the location of the displayed slice within the volume.

A platform milestone

The sequence is deliberate: decision support begins at acquisition. Accuro XV acquires the image; BoneEnhance identifies and labels the anatomy within it. Behind the integrated workflow stands a worldwide intellectual-property portfolio of more than 100 issued and pending patents across more than 20 patent families.

“We founded RIVANNA to solve a problem that cuts across care settings: decision-critical information sits outside the point-of-care workflow,” said Will Mauldin, PhD, Co-founder and CEO of RIVANNA. “BoneEnhance is where the stack begins to close that gap for musculoskeletal care: automated volumetric acquisition, now paired with cleared software-assisted review. This clearance is the foundation: the first machine learning layer, anchoring the decision-support capabilities now in development.”

Independently validated within a nationwide eight-site study

BoneEnhance was trained and validated within RIVANNA’s nationwide eight-site clinical study. Three sites contributed the training data; the other five provided the independent test set of 233 volumetric datasets, comprising 69,900 images from 173 subjects. None of the test data were used for training or tuning. Three board-certified radiologists established the reference labels, and per-volume label prediction accuracy, a measure of anatomical labeling, ranged from 95.1% to 100.0%.

Separate from the validation supporting this clearance, the platform’s automated acquisition carries peer-reviewed evidence: in a published study of 205 patients in the Journal of Emergency Medicine (DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2025.11.011), operators with one hour of hands-on training acquired wrist and ankle images rated adequate for diagnostic interpretation in more than 90% of scans, with image quality comparable to physician-acquired scans.

“This clearance reflects the strength of the team RIVANNA has built across AI development, clinical affairs, and regulatory execution, and the commitment of the clinical sites that partnered with us to generate the evidence,” said Delphine Le Roux, PhD, PMP, Senior Director, Market Access and Strategic Partnerships at RIVANNA. “None of it happens without BARDA’s sustained support, which allowed us to do this the right way: rigorous, multi-site, and independent. The infrastructure, partnerships, and regulatory playbook we established for BoneEnhance are designed to carry forward. That execution engine is what positions us to pursue the next clearance with confidence.”

The next layer in development

The platform’s progression continues with an investigational musculoskeletal injury detection module. Where BoneEnhance labels the anatomy, the new module is being developed to assist clinicians in evaluating potential extremity fractures within acquired ultrasound images. The nationwide clinical study that trained and validated BoneEnhance, now expanded from eight to ten sites, is building the datasets used to train the module. Because the sites and data infrastructure were established once and are reused for each new module, every subsequent module builds on the program’s federal investment.

Federal funding acknowledgment

This project has been supported in whole or in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR); Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under contract number 75A50121C00035.

About Accuro XV

Accuro XV is a portable, small-footprint point-of-care volumetric ultrasound imaging system for musculoskeletal imaging. Its conformable three-dimensional probe automates large field-of-view B-mode image acquisition without ionizing radiation. BoneEnhance is a cleared machine learning software module available during review of Accuro XV volumetric image acquisitions. It segments bone and surrounding tissues and supports visualization of skeletal anatomy in three dimensions.

An investigational computer-aided musculoskeletal injury detection module is in development for Accuro XV. It is designed to assist clinicians in detecting extremity fractures from volumetric ultrasound and annotating soft-tissue signs associated with injury, and to support triage decisions, including referral for additional radiographic imaging.

Accuro XV is designed to provide a fracture-care layer at the point of triage, helping to streamline emergency department workflows, expedite evaluation of low-severity extremity injuries, and reduce reliance on X-ray referrals. The platform is designed to support just-in-time training to promote consistent use across clinical experience levels, advancing a shared mission to transform musculoskeletal injury care while supporting broader emergency preparedness objectives.

About RIVANNA

RIVANNA is a medical technology company developing clinical decision-support solutions powered by proprietary clinical datasets, AI models, and purpose-built imaging hardware. The company’s platform is designed to automate complex anatomical analysis at the point of care, support faster and more confident clinical decisions, reduce variability, and expand access to advanced capabilities. Its initial applications address interventional guidance and trauma triage, beginning with neuraxial procedures and musculoskeletal injury assessment. RIVANNA has established an FDA-cleared product portfolio and maintains a worldwide intellectual-property portfolio of more than 100 issued and pending patents. RIVANNA is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, and operates an FDA-registered, ISO 13485:2016-certified manufacturing facility.

RIVANNA, Accuro, BoneEnhance, and the Rivanna Medical family of marks are registered and unregistered trademarks of Rivanna Medical, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fda-grants-510k-clearance-for-boneenhance-the-first-machine-learning-layer-on-rivannas-accuro-xv-platform-302917179.html

SOURCE RIVANNA

Continue Reading

Trending