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.

Covenant Health Faces Class-Action Lawsuit After Major Cyberattack News Center Maine

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.

Paula Stannard Appointed Director of HHS Office for Civil Rights HHS

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.

MetroHealth Launches Virtual-First Care to Enhance Patient Engagement Healthcare IT News

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.

AI Revolutionizes Security Operations Centers, But Human Oversight Remains Essential Cybersecurity Dive