The Oregon House of Representatives has passed House Bill 2748, which restricts the title "nurse" to human practitioners and prohibits artificial intelligence and nonhuman entities from using the designation. Sponsored by Representative Travis Nelson, a registered nurse, the bill reflects concerns about maintaining the integrity of the nursing profession amidst the growing use of AI in healthcare. It emphasizes the importance of human expertise and the necessity for trust in patient care, ensuring that the title is reserved for qualified individuals who can deliver essential empathetic care.

Oregon House Passes Bill to Protect Nursing Title from AI Invasion kpic.com

A recent report by Clearwater Security identifies significant gaps in cybersecurity preparedness among private equity-backed healthcare companies. These organizations often have inadequate governance and lack consistent cybersecurity policies, a concern heightened by their rapid growth. The report, which uses the HHS 405(d) Cybersecurity Practices framework for evaluation, reveals that technical controls frequently outstrip formal documentation, leading to governance deficiencies. Clearwater advises private equity firms to assess the cybersecurity risk profiles of potential acquisitions, as weak cybersecurity can devalue a company and result in regulatory consequences. Additionally, many healthcare organizations lack effective incident response plans, further exposing them to risks.

Private Equity-Backed Healthcare Firms Face Alarming Cybersecurity Gaps Fierce Healthcare

The 2024 KFF Women’s Health Survey reveals that nearly 25% of women aged 18 to 64 have experienced unfair or disrespectful treatment from healthcare providers in the past two years, with weight stigma being the most cited reason. The findings indicate higher rates of negative interactions among Black and Hispanic women, with 26% and 25% respectively reporting such experiences linked to their race or accent. Additionally, women of reproductive age, those with lower incomes, LGBT+ women, and women with disabilities also faced increased instances of discrimination, highlighting the complex layers of prejudice within healthcare settings. Approximately one-third of women who sought care reported encountering at least one adverse interaction.

Disrespect and Discrimination: Women Face Alarming Healthcare Disparities KFF

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is making gradual updates to its EHR system, which has faced a pause in its 2023 rollout amid user concerns. During this hiatus, the VA has implemented over 1,500 configuration changes but still has around 1,800 unresolved requests. While the agency has made some enhancements in patient safety and system performance, it has not yet revised cost estimates or the rollout schedule, which are critical for project oversight. A 2022 analysis estimated that the total costs for EHR modernization could approach $50 billion, highlighting the need for the VA to reassess its budgeting and to set a baseline for measuring progress, particularly in relation to the configuration change requests. User feedback remains largely negative, despite some improvements being reported in 2024.

VA Struggles with EHR Modernization Amid User Concerns and Cost Uncertainties GAO

The Oregon House of Representatives has passed House Bill 2748, which restricts the title "nurse" to human practitioners and prohibits artificial intelligence and nonhuman entities from using the designation. Sponsored by Representative Travis Nelson, a registered nurse, the bill reflects concerns about maintaining the integrity of the nursing profession amidst the growing use of AI in healthcare. It emphasizes the importance of human expertise and the necessity for trust in patient care, ensuring that the title is reserved for qualified individuals who can deliver essential empathetic care.

Oregon House Passes Bill to Protect Nursing Title from AI Invasion kpic.com

A recent report by Clearwater Security identifies significant gaps in cybersecurity preparedness among private equity-backed healthcare companies. These organizations often have inadequate governance and lack consistent cybersecurity policies, a concern heightened by their rapid growth. The report, which uses the HHS 405(d) Cybersecurity Practices framework for evaluation, reveals that technical controls frequently outstrip formal documentation, leading to governance deficiencies. Clearwater advises private equity firms to assess the cybersecurity risk profiles of potential acquisitions, as weak cybersecurity can devalue a company and result in regulatory consequences. Additionally, many healthcare organizations lack effective incident response plans, further exposing them to risks.

Private Equity-Backed Healthcare Firms Face Alarming Cybersecurity Gaps Fierce Healthcare

The 2024 KFF Women’s Health Survey reveals that nearly 25% of women aged 18 to 64 have experienced unfair or disrespectful treatment from healthcare providers in the past two years, with weight stigma being the most cited reason. The findings indicate higher rates of negative interactions among Black and Hispanic women, with 26% and 25% respectively reporting such experiences linked to their race or accent. Additionally, women of reproductive age, those with lower incomes, LGBT+ women, and women with disabilities also faced increased instances of discrimination, highlighting the complex layers of prejudice within healthcare settings. Approximately one-third of women who sought care reported encountering at least one adverse interaction.

Disrespect and Discrimination: Women Face Alarming Healthcare Disparities KFF

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is making gradual updates to its EHR system, which has faced a pause in its 2023 rollout amid user concerns. During this hiatus, the VA has implemented over 1,500 configuration changes but still has around 1,800 unresolved requests. While the agency has made some enhancements in patient safety and system performance, it has not yet revised cost estimates or the rollout schedule, which are critical for project oversight. A 2022 analysis estimated that the total costs for EHR modernization could approach $50 billion, highlighting the need for the VA to reassess its budgeting and to set a baseline for measuring progress, particularly in relation to the configuration change requests. User feedback remains largely negative, despite some improvements being reported in 2024.

VA Struggles with EHR Modernization Amid User Concerns and Cost Uncertainties GAO