Health Beat: Criminal Attacks Now No. 1 Cause Of Healthcare Data Breachers

Editor’s note: Each Wednesday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Health Beat,” a round-up of health-related topics in our email newsletter, which you can sign up to receive daily for free here.

PONEMON INSTITUTE: CRIMINAL ATTACKS NOW NO. 1 CAUSE OF HEALTHCARE DATA BREACHERS
The Ponemon Institute, a Michigan-based research center dedicated to privacy, data protection and information security policy, released a study showing that for the first time ever criminal attacks are the number-one root cause of healthcare data breaches.

In the Fifth Annual Benchmark Study on Privacy & Security of Healthcare Data, the report concludes that cyber criminals recognize that healthcare organizations manage a treasure trove of financially lucrative personal information, and they lack the resources, processes and technologies to prevent and detect attacks and adequately protect healthcare data.

“We calculated a 125 percent growth in these attacks over the last five years—a huge net change in any study. Employee negligence and lost or stolen devices still result in many data breaches, according to the findings. However, one of the trends we are seeing is a shift of data breaches — from accidental to intentional — as criminals are increasingly targeting and exploiting healthcare data,” the Michigan research center said on its blog. A complimentary copy of this study is available at www2.idexpertscorp.com/ponemon.

ARKANSAS FIRST LADY, LR BUSINESSWOMAN JOIN UAMS ADVISORY BOARD
Arkansas first lady Susan Hutchinson and Greer Grace, both of Little Rock, have joined the community advisory board of the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

Hutchinson, the wife of Gov. Asa Hutchinson, is a former teacher. As first lady, she is committed to several organizations that include the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, the Museum of Discovery, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County. She has also served on regional boards of the American Heart Association and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

Grace owned and operated Barbara Jean Ltd., a women’s designer apparel and luxury boutique in Little Rock, for 20 years. She has served with the Junior League of Little Rock and numerous community service activities, including the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, the Arkansas Arts Center, the Arkansas Cancer Research Center and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

The community advisory board was created to assist the Institute on Aging with cultivating resources necessary to expand its clinical, research and education components. Each board member may serve up to three, three-year terms on the board.

HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE HIRES CONSULTANT FOR $1 MILLION-PLUS
The Health Reform Legislative Task Force, the legislative panel considering changes to the state’s Medicaid system, voted to hire New Hampshire-based The Stephen Group for a maximum $1,036,500 contract to help the task force make its recommendations. The firm must present a report to legislators by Oct. 1 and then will serve as a consultant through the task force’s existence through the end of 2016. Read more at this link.

BRUMMETT DEBATES HEALTH REFORM WITH REP. COLLINS, SEN. HENDREN
John Brummett, columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and TB&P frequent contributor, sits down with the two legislative leaders spearheading the Health Reform Task Force, a bipartisan group of 16 lawmakers charged with presenting solutions to ending the private option and addressing larger Medicaid and health care needs in the state.

Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, and Sen. Jim Hendren, R-Sulpher Springs, are the co-chairs of the task force and they sat down with Brummett for an extended discussion on this week’s edition of Talk Business & Politics, which airs Sundays at 9 a.m. on KATV Ch. 7.

What territory did they plow? What statements were made? And what were the big takeaways? Read a recap of the conversation or watch the video at this link.