The Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center released a threat briefing about LockBit, a ransomware group that has recently debuted a new variant. The hackers were behind the widely publicized attack on Accenture this summer, in which the company reportedly faced $50 million in ransom. “Threat actors continue to view unpatched systems as an easy, […]
The journey from data sharing to improved health outcomes is dependent on high-quality clinical data. Without it, it is difficult for providers to make the best clinical decisions possible, and the ability to optimize care processes and coordinated care becomes an impediment to improving health outcomes. CommonWell Health Alliance, the Veterans Health Information Exchange, and […]
The Queen’s Speech to officially reopen Parliament promised legislation to empower the NHS to innovate and embrace technology. In the speech to the House of Lords yesterday, she delivered the government’s plans for a pandemic recovery that would beat COVID-19 and back the NHS. “My ministers will bring forward legislation to empower the NHS to […]
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Wednesday began to undo a Trump-era ban on clinics referring women for abortions, a policy directive that drove Planned Parenthood from the federal family planning program and created new complications for women trying to get birth control. The proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services follows […]
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT’s top goals include prioritizing interoperability, aligning with federal partners, centering health equity and continuing to work toward addressing the COVID-19 crisis, said ONC head Micky Tripathi in an opening keynote for the agency’s annual meeting Monday. Tripathi, who was appointed to lead the agency by President Joe Biden […]
A report Tuesday from South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday alleged that the regime of Kim Jong Un had tried to tap into the servers of a local drugmaker to obtain data on the Pfizer vaccine. WHY IT MATTERS The charge from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, reportedly relayed to Seoul lawmakers in a […]
Speaking on Thursday at Sirona Strategies’ Health IT Leadership Roundtable, newly-minted National Coordinator for Health IT Micky Tripathi offered an overview of ONC’s strategic priorities for the near future, and described how the agency is doing tactical work on wider Biden administration policy goals. Of course, said Tripathi, “Job number one is COVID-19 right now. […]
The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill sent to President Joe Biden on Wednesday includes a number of provisions aimed at expanding health IT. Like the coronavirus relief packages before it, the legislation acknowledges the role digital health tools can play in addressing the fallout from the COVID-19 crisis – and earmarks funds toward bolstering […]
Montana state senators this past week unanimously voted to pass a telehealth expansion bill out of committee. The bill, introduced by Sen. Rhonda Knudsen, R-Culbertson, by request of the state auditor, would safeguard telehealth coverage after the COVID-19 pandemic. “My constituents care about this, and this is important to everyone in Montana,” said Knudsen […]
A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives has reintroduced a bill aimed at expanding access to telehealth beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act of 2021 legislation was introduced this past week by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., cosponsored by Reps. Peter Welch, D-Vt., Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, David Schweikert, R-Ariz., John Curtis, R-Utah; and Doris Matsui, […]
