Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Wake Of Change Healthcare Hack, Ransomware Incidents Escalated
Axios: Ransomware Attacks Surged After Change Healthcare Hack
Ransomware attacks against health care organizations surged following the hack of Change Healthcare that crippled much of the U.S. health care system, according to cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. (Reed, 6/13)
Modern Healthcare: Ascension Cyberattack May Have Compromised Patient Data
Ascension said Wednesday it believes a recent cyberattack may have compromised patient data. Hackers stole files that may contain protected health information from seven servers used for daily tasks after an employee mistakenly downloaded a "malicious file," Ascension said in a news release. (Hudson, 6/12)
More health industry news —
CBS News: UPMC, Leaders Celebrate Acquisition Of Washington Health System
A major transition for health care on Wednesday with UPMC merging with Washington Health System, creating UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene hospitals. Local leaders celebrated the merger and praised UPMC for saving the 127-year-old hospital from closing. "We help people in Washington, Greene, Fayette counties, as far as West Virginia and the tri-state area. Without this hospital, we have problems," said JoJo Burgess, mayor of Washington. (Sorensen, 6/12)
The Mercury News: New Sutter Health Medical Center Coming To Morgan Hill
Sutter Health has announced the lease of a medical center in Morgan Hill slated to open this winter and set to offer internal medicine, family medicine, and imaging services to the historically underserved region of south Santa Clara County. “Our expansion into Morgan Hill marks a milestone in our mission to continuously improve healthcare access and care delivery,” said Kevin Cook, Greater Silicon Valley president for Sutter Health in a news release. (Melecio-Zambrano, 6/12)
The Boston Globe: Owner Of 2 Safety-Net Hospitals In R.I. Ordered To Pay $17m Within 10 Days
Prospect Medical Holdings, the owner of two cash-strapped community hospitals in Rhode Island, was ordered by state Superior Court Judge Brian Stern to pay $17 million in unpaid bills within 10 days, according to court documents made public on Wednesday. (Gagosz, 6/12)
Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Consolidation May Be Fought With Gilded Age Laws
An idea birthed in the Gilded Age is gaining traction as a way to counter increasing consolidation in the healthcare industry: banning the corporate practice of medicine. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, physicians and state legislatures grew concerned that corporations and monopolists were hiring and controlling company doctors whose first concern would no longer be the needs of their patients, but of their employers'. About two-thirds of states enacted laws that, to varying degrees, dictate that lay people may not own or control medical practices. (McAuliff, 6/12)
KFF Health News: Funding Instability Plagues Program That Brings Docs To Underserved Areas
For Diana Perez, a medical resident at the Family Health Center of Harlem, the handwritten thank-you note she received from a patient is all the evidence she needs that she has chosen the right training path. Perez helped the patient, a homeless, West African immigrant who has HIV and other chronic conditions, get the medications and care he needed. She also did the paperwork that documented his medical needs for the nonprofit that helped him apply for asylum and secure housing. (Andrews, 6/13)
On health workers —
Los Angeles Times: Doctors At L.A. County-Run Hospitals To Get Bonuses Under Deal
Unionized doctors and dentists who work at hospitals and other health facilities run by Los Angeles County will get cost-of-living increases and bonuses under new agreements with the county, reached after more than two years of bargaining and threats of a strike. The tentative agreements with a pair of bargaining units represented by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists are expected to be voted on this month by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. (Alpert Reyes, 6/12)
St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Hospital Job Vacancies Drop But Are Still High
Hospital employment is rebounding from record-high vacancy and turnover, though rates remain higher than pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, according to a new survey of 128 of the state’s hospitals. The report from the Missouri Hospital Association found around 14% of all staff positions at hospitals were vacant in 2023, a rate that’s lower than it was at the height of the pandemic but still higher than in 2019. (Fentem, 6/12)
Modern Healthcare: URAC Accreditation Extends To Community Health Worker Programs
URAC, an independent quality and safety nonprofit, will accredit organizations that employ or contract with community health workers in an attempt to standardize their roles across the industry. The accreditation program, unveiled Wednesday, will be available to any entity with a community health worker program, including health systems, state and local governments, public health departments, insurers and community-based groups. (Devereaux, 6/12)
Health News Florida: USF Faculty Adds A Pioneering Virologist And An International Network Of Viral Researchers
The University of South Florida’s recognition as a top-tier research center just ascended to another level of prestige with two prized additions to its Morsani College of Medicine. Riding the synergy of last year’s inclusion in the Association of American Universities, USF last week sealed a deal to become the international headquarters of the Global Virus Network, an organization of prominent virologists from more than 40 countries. (Mayer, 6/12)
