20 Million US Patients Have Had Data Exposed In Hacks Already This Year
It's only halfway through the year, but the 338 data breach reports listed by the Health and Human Services Department's Office for Civil Rights is the second-highest ever for the first half of a year. Also: L.A.'s minimum health worker wage, the high cost of the nursing shortage and more.
Modern Healthcare:
Mid-Year 2022: 20M Patients' Data Exposed In Healthcare Breaches
As of Tuesday, the Health and Human Services Department's Office for Civil Rights lists 338 breach reports submitted to the agency by healthcare providers, insurers and their business associates through the end of June. The tally represents the second-highest number of breach reports filed in the first half of a year, following last year's 368 reports. (Kim Cohen, 7/12)
On health care worker shortages —
Los Angeles Times:
Hospitals Launch Effort To Repeal L.A. Healthcare Wage Rule
A coalition of Los Angeles hospitals and other health facilities launched a campaign on Tuesday to repeal a newly enacted ordinance boosting the minimum wage for thousands of healthcare workers to $25 per hour, saying the law will have a harmful effect on medical care across the city. (Zahniser, 7/12)
The Boston Globe:
Nursing Shortage At Hospitals Leads To Multimillion-Dollar Costs
A widespread shortage of nurses at Massachusetts hospitals is only getting more extreme, with an estimated 5,000 vacancies across the state and institutions hemorrhaging cash as they are forced to hire temporary staff at much higher rates. (Bartlett, 7/12)
AP:
Health System Plans Initiative To Increase Nurses
The West Virginia University Health System plans to launch an initiative that will increase the number of nurses in the state, officials said. WVU Health President and CEO Albert Wright Jr. told the Charleston Gazette-Mail’s “Outside the Echo Chamber” that the system plans to start an associate’s degree nursing program. Wright said the aim is to alleviate a “particularly challenging” nursing shortage in the state. (7/12)
In other health care industry news —
Modern Healthcare:
Supreme Court's EPA Ruling Jeopardizes Healthcare Regulations
Healthcare regulations could be thrown into question following a Supreme Court decision last month that curtails a different agency's authority to interpret laws. While the ruling may not have much of an immediate impact on healthcare, it creates a landscape of uncertainty that could hamper healthcare companies that need regulatory clarity to plan ahead. (Goldman, 7/12)
Health News Florida:
Orlando Health Announces Plans To Build A 300-Bed Hospital In Pasco County
Orlando Health is adding to its footprint in the Tampa Bay area, this time announcing plans for a new hospital in the Wiregrass Ranch community of Pasco County. (Mayer, 7/12)
