A survey by West Health and Gallup reveals that over 31 million Americans borrowed around $74 billion last year for healthcare costs despite having health insurance, with nearly one-third fearing that significant health events could lead to debt. Younger Americans are particularly impacted, as nearly 20% of those aged 49 and under reported borrowing for medical expenses, a stark contrast to just 9% of individuals aged 50 to 64. Additionally, women in the older demographic were more likely to borrow than men. Racial disparities are evident, with Black (23%) and Hispanic (16%) adults borrowing at higher rates than White adults (9%), especially notable among younger Black adults.

Over 31 Million Americans Borrowed $74 Billion for Healthcare Costs West Health

A federal judge in Massachusetts has issued a preliminary injunction to halt a National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy that aimed to cap reimbursements for indirect research costs at 15%. This decision comes amid ongoing lawsuits from 22 states and research organizations that argue such cuts would adversely impact medical research and patient care. The NIH proposal, intended to reduce overhead costs from 27% to 15%, was associated with projected savings exceeding $4 billion annually. The Association of American Medical Colleges welcomed the ruling, asserting that the funding cuts could impede medical progress and threaten lives. Meanwhile, President Trump's recent congressional address focused less on healthcare and more on government spending and military issues.

Federal Judge Blocks NIH's Controversial Research Funding Cuts Becker's Hospital Review

Three significant vulnerabilities in VMware's virtual machine products expose customer networks to serious risks, enabling potential hyperjacking attacks that can compromise the hypervisor and allow unauthorized access to multiple virtual machines. This breach dismantles the isolation typically provided by virtual machines, raising concerns about the security of various organizations' internal networks. Security researcher Kevin Beaumont underscored the critical nature of the vulnerabilities, which have been reported to be actively exploited in the wild. Affected products include all versions of VMware's ESXi, Workstation, Fusion, Cloud Foundation, and Telco Cloud Platform, underscoring the extensive impact across different deployments.

VMware Vulnerabilities Expose Customers to Major Hyperjacking Threats Ars Technica

Augusta Health has appointed Leigh Williams as Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), effective January 12, 2025. Williams, who has been with Augusta Health since 2021 and previously served as Assistant CIO, has significantly contributed to the organization’s technology initiatives. She has implemented nearly 200 tech solutions aimed at enhancing system integration and workflow efficiency while prioritizing human-centered design. In her new role, Williams will take on additional responsibilities in clinical engineering, informatics, and information security, joining the executive leadership team. With over 15 years in healthcare IT, she brings extensive experience from prior roles at the University of Virginia Health System and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Augusta Health Appoints Leigh Williams as New CIO to Drive Innovation Augusta Health

A survey by West Health and Gallup reveals that over 31 million Americans borrowed around $74 billion last year for healthcare costs despite having health insurance, with nearly one-third fearing that significant health events could lead to debt. Younger Americans are particularly impacted, as nearly 20% of those aged 49 and under reported borrowing for medical expenses, a stark contrast to just 9% of individuals aged 50 to 64. Additionally, women in the older demographic were more likely to borrow than men. Racial disparities are evident, with Black (23%) and Hispanic (16%) adults borrowing at higher rates than White adults (9%), especially notable among younger Black adults.

Over 31 Million Americans Borrowed $74 Billion for Healthcare Costs West Health

A federal judge in Massachusetts has issued a preliminary injunction to halt a National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy that aimed to cap reimbursements for indirect research costs at 15%. This decision comes amid ongoing lawsuits from 22 states and research organizations that argue such cuts would adversely impact medical research and patient care. The NIH proposal, intended to reduce overhead costs from 27% to 15%, was associated with projected savings exceeding $4 billion annually. The Association of American Medical Colleges welcomed the ruling, asserting that the funding cuts could impede medical progress and threaten lives. Meanwhile, President Trump's recent congressional address focused less on healthcare and more on government spending and military issues.

Federal Judge Blocks NIH's Controversial Research Funding Cuts Becker's Hospital Review

Three significant vulnerabilities in VMware's virtual machine products expose customer networks to serious risks, enabling potential hyperjacking attacks that can compromise the hypervisor and allow unauthorized access to multiple virtual machines. This breach dismantles the isolation typically provided by virtual machines, raising concerns about the security of various organizations' internal networks. Security researcher Kevin Beaumont underscored the critical nature of the vulnerabilities, which have been reported to be actively exploited in the wild. Affected products include all versions of VMware's ESXi, Workstation, Fusion, Cloud Foundation, and Telco Cloud Platform, underscoring the extensive impact across different deployments.

VMware Vulnerabilities Expose Customers to Major Hyperjacking Threats Ars Technica

Augusta Health has appointed Leigh Williams as Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), effective January 12, 2025. Williams, who has been with Augusta Health since 2021 and previously served as Assistant CIO, has significantly contributed to the organization’s technology initiatives. She has implemented nearly 200 tech solutions aimed at enhancing system integration and workflow efficiency while prioritizing human-centered design. In her new role, Williams will take on additional responsibilities in clinical engineering, informatics, and information security, joining the executive leadership team. With over 15 years in healthcare IT, she brings extensive experience from prior roles at the University of Virginia Health System and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Augusta Health Appoints Leigh Williams as New CIO to Drive Innovation Augusta Health