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Jun 12, 2025·Digital Health

UPMC Ireland has announced the implementation of the MEDITECH Expanse electronic patient record (EPR) system to improve healthcare delivery across its facilities. The 10-year contract, finalized in April 2025, includes the deployment of the system at four hospitals, two cancer centers, and six sports medicine clinics, with implementation starting in the summer of 2025 and a planned go-live by the end of 2026. The unified platform aims to enhance patient care by streamlining processes and providing clinicians with necessary tools, while also improving patient engagement through a dedicated portal for accessing health information and managing appointments.

Jun 12, 2025·News Center Maine

Covenant Health is facing a class-action lawsuit after a cyberattack disrupted its operations in Maine. Filed by Michael McClain, the lawsuit claims that the organization failed to adequately protect patient data following the detection of unusual network activity on May 25, prompting Covenant Health to take its hospital data systems offline. The complaint accuses Covenant of using ineffective security measures, raising concerns about healthcare cybersecurity practices. Although the company has not confirmed if any patient data was compromised and has refrained from commenting on the lawsuit, the breach coincides with a similar cyber incident at Central Maine Healthcare. In response, MaineHealth has cut digital ties with both organizations.

Jun 12, 2025·HHS

Paula M. Stannard has been appointed as the Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she will focus on enforcing federal health information privacy and security rules under HIPAA, as well as overseeing compliance with civil rights laws. Her previous experience at HHS and within state health departments enhances her capability to advance the department's civil rights agenda. Stannard's leadership is anticipated to bring clarity to these significant issues, drawing on her extensive background in health law and civil rights.

Jun 12, 2025·Healthcare IT News

MetroHealth, an Ohio health system, has invested heavily in health information technology, such as telemedicine and electronic health records (EHR), but faced challenges in effectively integrating these tools for patients and staff. To address these issues, the organization has developed a virtual-first care strategy, aiming to improve coordination and enhance patient engagement. Among its initiatives, the launch of Ovatient, in partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina, aims to deliver comprehensive virtual care. Additionally, the introduction of the MetroHealth MyCare Anywhere platform, built on the Epic EHR, seeks to further engage patients in their care.

Jun 12, 2025·Cybersecurity Dive

Artificial intelligence is poised to enhance the functionality of security operations centers (SOCs) by automating repetitive tasks and supporting incident management; however, human oversight remains essential due to AI's inability to fully understand nuanced cybersecurity challenges. Presentations from the Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit outlined how AI can streamline processes, such as incident reporting and alert analysis, but also highlighted the risks of AI-generated misinformation if not adequately checked. The need for additional AI systems to monitor these automated agents may arise as their role expands, especially in more complex scenarios like strategic risk assessment and crisis communications, which still require human expertise.

Jun 12, 2025·AMA

As augmented intelligence tools become more integrated into healthcare, the American Medical Association (AMA) has introduced a new policy to promote transparency and trust in these technologies. Announced during its Annual Meeting, the policy emphasizes the importance of explainable clinical AI tools that provide accessible safety and efficacy data, enabling healthcare professionals to make informed decisions regarding patient care. It also calls for increased oversight and regulation of AI algorithms through independent evaluations, ensuring that their explainability supplements traditional methods of validating safety and efficacy. Dr. Alexander Ding, from the AMA Board, underscored the necessity of transparency for physicians to confidently utilize these tools in clinical settings.

Jun 12, 2025·Becker's Hospital Review

Edmund Siy, the new chief information and technology officer at Bon Secours Mercy Health, is prioritizing the alignment of technology initiatives with the organization's mission since his appointment in May. His focus includes building a secure digital infrastructure, enhancing support for clinicians, and guiding the ethical adoption of artificial intelligence. Siy emphasizes cybersecurity to protect patient data and plans to develop three-year roadmaps to strategically guide the IT department. He also highlights the importance of integrating AI responsibly within healthcare workflows, urging collaboration with providers to ensure ethical implementation.

Jun 11, 2025·Baystate Health

Baystate Health has appointed Clara Guixa as its new Chief Information and Digital Officer, effective June 2. In this role, she will oversee the organization's information technology strategy to improve operational efficiency and patient care. Guixa, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare IT, previously held leadership positions at Boston Children’s Hospital and other academic healthcare institutions. Her expertise in technology investments and data governance is expected to significantly contribute to Baystate Health's IT initiatives.

Jun 11, 2025·Healthcare IT News

Mayo Clinic in Florida has partnered with hellocare.ai to leverage ambient clinical intelligence to improve patient care and outcomes while aiming to reduce hospitalizations. Dr. Kent Thielen highlighted the importance of integrating innovative solutions to tackle future healthcare challenges. Hellocare.ai, which specializes in tools like ambient documentation and virtual support platforms, will collaborate with Mayo Clinic to enhance healthcare delivery through AI-driven resources. The partnership follows hellocare.ai's recent $47 million funding round, with Mayo Clinic also investing in the initiative, ensuring that revenue supports their non-profit mission in patient care, education, and research.

Jun 11, 2025·Stat News

The Joint Commission has partnered with the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) to develop guidelines for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. This collaboration aims to create a certification program and best practice "playbooks" to guide healthcare organizations in integrating AI technologies. With CHAI's diverse membership representing a wide array of professionals in healthcare and life sciences, the initiative seeks to establish standards that enhance patient care while ensuring the safe deployment of AI tools across over 80% of U.S. healthcare organizations.

Jun 11, 2025·BankInfoSecurity

The NHS in England is grappling with a serious blood supply shortage following a June 2024 ransomware attack on Synnovis, a key pathology laboratory provider. This incident disrupted essential testing services across several hospitals, leading to a critical deficit in type O-negative blood, vital for transfusions. In response, NHS Blood and Transplant is calling on one million individuals to donate blood to stabilize supplies, as the risk of reaching a "Red Alert" status looms due to increasing demand. The cyberattack, linked to the Russian-speaking group Qilin, also canceled over 10,000 outpatient appointments and elective procedures in London, highlighting a worrying trend of cyber threats to blood supply organizations.

Jun 11, 2025·Becker's Hospital Review

Leaders of major Catholic health systems, including Providence, Trinity Health, and Ascension, are warning that proposed Medicaid funding cuts could trigger a "polycrisis" in U.S. healthcare. Providence anticipates a $1 billion revenue loss if the cuts proceed, compounding existing financial challenges. Trinity Health could face up to $1.1 billion in losses, with Medicaid reimbursements already falling short by over $500 million annually. Ascension highlights that reductions in Medicaid enrollment would shift individuals into the uninsured population, increasing the financial burden on nonprofit hospitals. These leaders argue that the cuts would not only affect Medicaid recipients but also diminish access to care for all patients, especially in rural and underserved communities, potentially leading to service reductions or hospital closures.

Jun 11, 2025·Industrial Cyber

The First Quarter 2025 Health-ISAC Heartbeat report indicates a rise in cybersecurity incidents in the healthcare sector, with ransomware attacks increasing to 158 in January-March 2025, up from 154 in the previous quarter. The report notes that the healthcare sector has accounted for 5.8 percent of the 23,606 recorded breaches since 2021. To assist member organizations in addressing vulnerabilities, Health-ISAC issued 220 Targeted Alerts focusing on issues such as open databases and compromised credentials, particularly concerning BeyondTrust and Next.js software. Additionally, the report highlights the activities of cybercriminals selling stolen data and access to compromised systems, including an individual identified as MIYAK000 who attempted to market compromised VPN access.

Jun 11, 2025·LinkedIn

In his latest installment of his "Five questions all health systems should ask" series, Patrick Woodard, MD, CIO at Monument Health, highlights the critical need for health systems to focus on the true beneficiaries of their design—patients and staff—rather than prioritizing billing and internal workflows. He argues that this misalignment often leads to inefficiencies and a burden of "invisible labor" for those involved in patient care. Woodard emphasizes the importance of adopting patient-centered approaches, maintaining operational discipline for improved efficiency, and making technology choices that align with the organization's mission. He cautions against allowing financial pressures to overshadow the primary goal of healthcare: effectively serving patients. Ultimately, he advocates for a shift towards human-centered design in healthcare systems.

Jun 10, 2025·Healthcare IT News

Charles Worthington, the Chief Technology Officer and Chief AI Officer at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, stresses the importance of prioritizing human problem-solving over technology in AI implementation. He believes that addressing the most pressing issues within the VA should come first, using technology, including AI, as a tool for creative solutions. Since 2017, Worthington has led efforts to modernize the VA's digital services and enhance veteran experiences, focusing on areas like benefits processing and health data interoperability. His role also involves ensuring the safe and effective use of AI by promoting governance and measuring the impact of over 100 AI initiatives currently in use at the VA.

Jun 10, 2025·Charge AI

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is prompting hospitals and health systems to appoint Chief AI Officers (CAIOs) to manage AI governance and implementation. This trend highlights the sector's acknowledgment of AI's potential benefits and associated risks, such as patient safety and regulatory compliance. The article lists 48 notable CAIOs from various institutions, illustrating the growing focus on AI leadership. These executives, including Ashley Beecy from Sutter Health and Michael Burns from Michigan Medicine, are responsible for leveraging AI technologies to improve healthcare delivery while navigating the complexities involved.

Jun 10, 2025·AHA

Recent findings from Press Ganey reveal a slight decline in employee engagement among healthcare workers in 2024, following an earlier improvement post-pandemic. The overall engagement score fell by 0.02 on a 5-point scale, with the most notable drops among physicians and advanced practice providers. In response, the American Hospital Association collaborated with Press Ganey and healthcare leaders to identify four key challenges to improving employee and physician experience: balancing competing priorities, managing change, fostering psychological safety, and securing senior management support for workforce investments. These insights suggest that addressing individual performance areas in isolation may hinder overarching improvements and stress the importance of a coordinated strategy.

Jun 10, 2025·University of California

Data innovation is being emphasized as essential for improving healthcare accessibility and quality, according to Naveen Raja, D.O., MBA, chief medical officer of UCR Health. At the UC Health CDI2 conference, representatives from various UC academic health centers highlighted the implementation of innovative data collection and digital literacy initiatives aimed at enhancing patient care and health equity. UCLA Health has launched an electronic self-reporting tool for patients to share demographic and community data, facilitating a better understanding of health influencers for those with chronic conditions. Concurrently, UC Davis Health is increasing digital literacy among agricultural workers through community collaborations, equipping them with skills to manage their health effectively. UCR Health has also introduced an "Express Lanes" tool to streamline patient visits using electronic health records for more comprehensive care.

Jun 10, 2025·Cybersecurity Dive

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that revises or eliminates key cybersecurity initiatives established by the Biden administration, which the White House criticized as "problematic." The order removes Biden's software security requirements for federal contractors, aimed at enhancing security post-cyberattacks, and dismantles efforts related to artificial intelligence in cybersecurity and post-quantum cryptography. These changes reflect a shift towards what the Trump administration considers a less burdensome approach to cybersecurity, focusing on compliance over substantive improvements in security practices.

Jun 10, 2025·healthsystemcio.com

Building trust is a key focus for CIOs leading digital transformations, as discussed in a recent healthsystemCIO webinar featuring senior Robert Adamson, Joyce Oh, Jim Daly and Jordan Ruch. They emphasized the importance of relationship-building, transparent communication, and credibility in effective change management prior to formal announcements. Strategies for early engagement, such as involving IT leadership in strategic discussions, are essential for fostering collaboration and shared ownership among stakeholders. The panelists also highlighted the need for transparency and accountability when addressing setbacks, stressing that proactive communication and acknowledgment of mistakes can reinforce credibility and promote a learning culture within teams.