Data Security

With increasing federal scrutiny of health care data breaches, maintaining a secure network and clinical infrastructure is crucial for both payers and providers. Topics here include: data breaches, data encryption and other security techniques, access and authentication issues, and regulatory requirements.

HHS/OCR Fines Shasta Regional for Privacy Violations

Joseph Goedert | Jun 17

Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif., will pay a $275,000 fine and implement a corrective action plan under a resolution agreement it signed with the HHS Office for Civil Rights following violations of patient privacy.

Consumer Health

Hospitals

Policy & Regulation

Stimulus

FDA Warns of Malware on Medical Devices

Jun 17

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning and guidance about cyberattacks that could place malware on medical devices and affect configuration settings:

Group Practices

Hospitals

Medication Management

Medical Imaging

Hardware

Policy & Regulation

Lucile Packard Notifies 12,900 Following Laptop Theft

Jun 14

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford has posted on its Web site a public notice after an unencrypted laptop was stolen from the facility:

Consumer Health

Hospitals

Policy & Regulation

Stimulus

Hardware

Mobile Technology

ID Theft a Risk for 4,500 Sutter Patients

Joseph Goedert | Jun 11

California-based Sutter Health has notified approximately 4,500 individuals that they are at risk for identity theft.

Consumer Health

Hospitals

Policy & Regulation

Stimulus

EEOC Starts to Protect Genetic Information

Joseph Goedert | Jun 07

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has settled its first lawsuit for violations of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and has filed a second suit.

Consumer Health

Group Practices

Hospitals

Payers

Policy & Regulation

CCHIT Framework Walks Through I.T. Needs of ACOs

Joseph Goedert | Jun 07

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology has published a framework, or guidance, for the HIT capability necessary to support an accountable care organization.

Decision Support

EHR

Group Practices

Hospitals

Payers

Chronic Care

Revenue Cycle & Payments

Policy & Regulation

Health Info Exchange

Canadian Firm Acquires Hospital Vendor QuadraMed

Joseph Goedert | Jun 05

Quebec-based Harris Computer Corp. has acquired Reston, Va.-based QuadraMed Corp., a vendor of ancillary software for hospitals, for an undisclosed sum.

Hospitals

EHR

Document Management

Vendor News

Large Hospital Breach Caused by Inside Inappropriate Access

Joseph Goedert | May 31

Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital in Suffolk, Va., is notifying about 5,000 patients after discovering a significant amount of inappropriate access to patients’ electronic health records from two employees inside the facility.

EHR

Consumer Health

Hospitals

Policy & Regulation

Stimulus

New GE Product Monitors Medical Device Networks

Joseph Goedert | May 31

GE Healthcare has introduced a remote network monitoring service for medical devices.

Hardware

Health Info Exchange

Hospitals

Group Practices

Systems Integration

Mobile Technology

Vendor News

Leader of Hospital Identity Theft Ring Sentenced

Joseph Goedert | May 30

The ringleader of an identity theft/tax fraud ring that involved Troy Regional Medical Center in Alabama has received a 10-year prison sentence, the Troy Messenger newspaper reports.

Consumer Health

Group Practices

Hospitals

Policy & Regulation

U-Florida Health Hit Again with Identity Theft

Joseph Goedert | May 30

University of Florida Health is notifying 5,682 patients after an identity theft ring operating across the state apparently compromised patient information at a clinic, at least the second such incident for the delivery system.

Consumer Health

Group Practices

Policy & Regulation

Stimulus

Hospital Web Site Upgrade Causes Breach

Joseph Goedert | May 29

A mistake made while updating the Web site of Sonoma Valley Hospital in California has resulted in a notification to 1,350 surgery patients of a breach of their protected health information.

Consumer Health

EHR

Hospitals

Policy & Regulation

Stimulus

Hospital HIM Department Loses Paper Records

Joseph Goedert | May 28

Jackson Health System in Miami has notified 1,407 patients that their paper medical records have been lost.

Consumer Health

Group Practices

Hospitals

Policy & Regulation

University Settles with Feds After HIPAA Violations

Joseph Goedert | May 22

Idaho State University, which did not conduct a HIPAA security risk analysis for more than five years--even after suffering a breach of protected health information--has agreed to pay $400,000 to the HHS Office for Civil Rights to settle allegations of HIPAA privacy and security rule violations.

Group Practices

Consumer Health

Policy & Regulation

Stimulus