Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Over 80% Of Health Care Leaders Say Hiring, Keeping Talent Is A Top Risk
Axios: Keeping Talent A Top Risk For Health Care, Execs Say
More than 8 in 10 health care leaders in a new survey say hiring and keeping talent is a top risk for their business — a reflection of the labor issues continuing to roil health care and other high-stakes industries. Health care executives (82%) were more likely than those from most industries (71%) to indicate concern about talent retention in this inflationary environment, according to a PwC August Pulse Survey. (Reed, 8/28)
Modern Healthcare: Clinician Burnout Leads 2 Health Systems To Wellness Tech Solutions
Two health systems of vastly different sizes are using technology to tackle a widespread problem—clinician burnout. Burnout was already an issue for providers and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the problem. A July study in JAMA Health Forum found nearly half of nurses and a third of physicians reported high levels of burnout. Also, more than 40% of nurses said they’d leave the profession if they could. (Perna, 8/25)
The Boston Globe: Doulas Advocate For Higher Pay Under MassHealth Proposal
As MassHealth considers covering doula care for pregnant and postpartum patients, a move intended to improve maternal outcomes for the most vulnerable populations, it must be sure to adequately compensate doulas, advocates said Friday at a public hearing. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services held the hearing Friday morning on proposed regulation that would govern how much doulas are paid if they become covered by MassHealth, a move expected to happen by October as part of the state’s efforts to reduce racial inequities in maternal outcomes. (Mohammed, 8/25)
Hospital systems left reeling from cyberattacks —
Becker's Hospital Review: Texas Hospital Alerts 350,000 Patients To Data Breach
San Antonio-based CentroMed is reporting a data breach affecting 350,000 individuals, according to a filing with the HHS. An unauthorized party accessed CentroMed’s systems on June 9. The HHS described the breach as a hacking incident. (8/25)
Becker's Hospital Review: Crozer Health Heals Systems After Ransomware Attack
Upland, Pa.-based Crozer Health confirmed to Becker's that its computer systems are back online after an Aug. 3 ransomware attack on its parent company, Prospect Medical Holdings, rendered them offline. "Crozer Health's computer systems are now back up and running as normal and the health system is continuing to provide safe, quality care to patients following a data security incident that disrupted our operations," Lori Bookbinder, manager of communications and media relations at Crozer, told Becker's. (Diaz, 8/25)
Becker's Hospital Review: Mississippi Health System, Clinics Still Reeling From Cybersecurity Incident
Ocean Springs, Miss.-based Singing River Health System, its three hospitals and its medical clinics are still resorting to paper records as the organization was forced to take its systems offline due to a cyberattack, BankInfoSecurity reported Aug. 24. "Systems remain offline and downtime procedures remain in place as we continue to see patients," a spokesperson for Singing River told the publication. (Diaz, 8/25)
Becker's Hospital Review: Connecticut Hospital Nurse Says Ransomware Attack Has Affected Payroll
A Eastern Connecticut Health Network nurse says staff are doing their best to make sense of their paychecks as their systems are still down due to a ransomware attack that started Aug. 3, WFSB reported Aug. 24. "Despite the fact that we're logging our hours on paper hour sheets, they've been telling us that there's no way to keep track of our hours," Dee, a nurse for Manchester-based Eastern Connecticut Health Network, told the publication. (Diaz, 8/25)
In other health industry news —
KFF Health News: Journalists Track Hospitals’ Delivery Of Charity Care And The Menace Of ‘Forever Chemicals’
KFF Health News senior Colorado correspondent Markian Hawryluk discussed how the community of Pueblo is pushing back against a nonprofit hospitals’ lack of charity care on Colorado Public Radio on Aug. 17. ... KFF Health News former senior editor Andy Miller discussed PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals,” on WUGA’s “The Georgia Health Report” on Aug. 18. Miller also discussed a KFF survey on weight loss drugs and health care fraud on WUGA’s “The Georgia Health Report” on Aug. 11 and Aug. 4, respectively. (8/26)
