Ransomware attacks on the rise

PARCA eNews – Feb. 17, 2016 – Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (“HPMC”) announced in a letter that it had paid hackers $17,000 to end a malware attack on the hospital’s computer systems.

The hospital’s network was crippled by an attack that locked access to the medical center’s electronic medical record (“EMR”) system. For more than a week, clinicians had been unable to access patients' electronic health records and staff had not been able to communicate by email. Computers necessary for CT scans, pharmacy needs, lab work and documentation were also offline.

OCR launches cyber-security initiative

BBB scam map plots locations of online scams

PARCA eNews – Feb. 3, 2016 – The Office for Civil Rights, in the Department of Health and Human Services has announced its Cyber-security Initiative to improve cyber awareness of the latest security threats to healthcare data security, according to HIPAA Journal.

OCR kicked off the initiative with advice on two growing security threats: Ransom ware and tech support scams, both of which have increased in prevalence over the past 12 months.

ONC reports health IT progress to Congress

PARCA eNews – Feb. 29, 2016 – The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) issued its annual report to Congress on health IT progress on Feb. 29. 

The 47-page report outlines a string of initiatives aimed at improving the IT infrastructure supporting the nation’s moonshot aimed at moving from a paper-based to digital healthcare system.

ONC wants you to share your interoperability experience

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has announced its Interoperability Proving Ground (IPG), which is an open community platform where healthcare IT professionals can share, learn, and be inspired by interoperability projects taking place across the nation.

Fringe technology driving changes to PACS environment

Insight is a Fortune 500-ranked global provider of hardware, software, cloud and service solutions for business, government, healthcare and educational institutions. Insight provides clients with guidance and expertise in selecting, implementing and managing complex technology solutions to drive outcomes. Chief Information Officer Mike Guggemos is a recognized leader in IT and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal’s CIO Journal blog, Forbes, and other publications. He spoke at a recent information technology event about survival tips for IT administrators navigating the evolution from information technology to intelligent technology. PARCA eNews spoke with Mr. Guggemos about how those changes in information technology impact PACS administrators.

News Roundup

HiMSS 2016 set to begin leap day Feb. 29

The 2016 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition, Feb. 29 - March 4, 2016 in Las Vegas, brings together 40,000+ health IT professionals, clinicians, executives and vendors from around the world. Exceptional education, world-class speakers, cutting-edge health IT products and powerful networking are hallmarks of this industry-leading conference. More than 300 education programs feature keynotes, thought leader sessions, roundtable discussions and e-sessions, plus preconference symposia and workshops.

CMS ends Meaningful Use, proposes new model

Image from Twitter post

Speaking about the technology component for the Affordable Care Act at the J.P. Morgan Annual Health Care Conference, Jan. 11, 2016, CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt declared the Meaningful Use program over and announced a new initiative to replace it.

"The Meaningful Use program as it has existed, will now be effectively over and replaced with something better," Slavitt said.

Scotland implements nationwide health records breach detection

The National Health Service of Scotland is the first in the United Kingdom to have implemented a nationwide privacy breach detection system.

In a press release issued be FairWarning®, Inc. the electronic health records safeguard is intended to ensure that all patient-protected health information remains private. FairWarning system audits and monitors a variety of healthcare applications, including those used for emergencies and patient administration systems.

Final 2016 interoperability Advisory published

PARCA eNews – Dec. 22, 2016 – ONC released the 2016 Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA) – a coordinated catalog of existing and emerging standards and implementation specifications developed and used to meet specific interoperability needs. In short, the advisory provides a single resource for those looking for federally recognized, national interoperability standards and guidance.

HHS clarifies individual rights under HIPAA Privacy Rule

Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, MPH
MSc

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, the entity responsible for interpreting and enforcing HIPAA, published an important set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) clarifying how an individual’s right to access their individual health information operates, including key points related to electronic health information sharing. 

The clarifications made by this guidance help ensure that all Americans have access to their health information, in the form