Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Different Kind Of Virus To Worry About: Hospitals Try To Shore Up Defenses Against Cyberattacks
NPR: Health Care Facilities Lag In Fending Off Hacking Attacks
In the neonatal intensive care unit of Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, a father is rocking a baby attached to a heart monitor. While doctors roam the halls trying to prevent infections, Chief Information Officer Theresa Meadows is worried about another kind of virus. "The last thing anybody wants to happen in their organization is have all their heart monitors disabled or all of their IV pumps that provide medication to a patient disabled," Meadows says. (Silverman, 7/26)
In other health technology news —
Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Can Expect Financial Pain From EHR Installs
Hospitals installing new electronic health record systems should expect a sizable cash drain as the process disrupts business and adds technology and training expense, Moody's Investors Service said in a report this week. During the first year of EHR installations, the median decline in operating cash flow for hospital systems is 10% with a 6% falloff in days cash on hand, Moody's said after examining system installs over the past several years. EHR installations can cost anywhere from several million dollars for a small, stand-alone hospital to a half-billion dollars for larger systems. (Barkholz, 7/26)
