Latest news with #healthcareorganizations
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
SullivanCotter Releases the 2025 Results from Industry-Leading Health Care Compensation Surveys
CHICAGO, July 15, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SullivanCotter, the nation's leading independent consulting firm in the assessment and development of total rewards programs, workforce solutions, and data products for health care and not-for-profits, has released the latest benchmarks from this year's suite of health care compensation and workforce productivity surveys. These industry-leading surveys provide critical data and insights to help health care organizations navigate complex workforce and compensation strategies in an evolving operating environment. This year, SullivanCotter's longstanding flagship surveys included participation from nearly 4,800 health care organizations nationwide and collected data on 2.9 million incumbents. These surveys include: Health Care Management and Executive Compensation For more than 30 years, this survey has been and continues to be the largest of its kind for health care organizations nationwide. It includes data from more than 3,300 organizations on nearly 48,000 individuals. Physician Compensation and Productivity Tap into the industry's most expansive and detailed dataset with information from more than 500 organizations representing nearly 232,000 providers in 232 different specialties. Advanced Practice Provider Compensation and Productivity Inform strategic decision-making across the APP workforce with critical benchmarks for physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other certified clinicians (CRNAs, CAAs, and CNMs) across more than 150 specialties. This survey includes data from 800 organizations on more than 150,000 incumbents. Health Care Staff Compensation This comprehensive national survey contains data for 812 clinical and non-clinical staff positions within 20 different job families. Nursing makes up the largest subsection of this survey with data on nearly 900,000 individual RNs, LPNs, and nursing managers. With participation from more than 90% of the nation's largest 200 health care organizations, these surveys represent one of the most comprehensive sources of health care compensation and workforce benchmarks available. The results support data-driven decision-making in key areas such as executive and clinical leadership compensation, physician and APP productivity, market-competitive base pay for staff roles, and evolving compensation models across the care continuum. "As the health care industry continues to adapt to financial pressures, workforce shortages, and shifting delivery models, organizations rely on robust, timely, and industry-specific data to make informed compensation decisions," said Ted Chien, President and CEO, SullivanCotter. "Our survey results help health care leaders align pay practices with performance, support engagement and retention, and maintain competitiveness in a tight labor market." The 2025 survey reports are now available for purchase! Organizations that participated in the surveys receive discounted pricing and early access to the results. For more information or to purchase survey results, visit or contact surveys@ About SullivanCotter SullivanCotter partners with health care and other not-for-profit organizations to understand what drives performance and improves outcomes through the development and implementation of integrated workforce strategies. Using our time-tested methodologies and industry-leading research and information, we provide data-driven insights, expertise, and data products to help organizations align business strategy and performance objectives – enabling our clients to deliver on their mission, vision, and values. View source version on Contacts Becky LorentzSullivanCotterbeckylorentz@ 314.414.3719 Jenni 651.226.3858 Errore nel recupero dei dati Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati
Geek Vibes Nation
08-07-2025
- Health
- Geek Vibes Nation
How To Protect PHI In The Cloud: A Healthcare Guide
Protected Health Information (PHI) refers to a person's health data, including medical records, diagnoses, treatment details, or billing information. This data can be collected and stored when individuals interact with healthcare providers, insurance companies, hospitals, or health-related platforms. Since this information is sensitive and personal, anyone who stores or manages PHI is responsible for keeping it secure, whether it's a healthcare organization, a digital health service, or a cloud provider. This includes information such as: Patient names Medical record numbers Health insurance details Social Security numbers Test results and prescriptions Dates of birth and addresses Billing and payment information PHI becomes especially sensitive because it combines personal identity with private medical data, making it a high-value target for cybercriminals. If this information is exposed or compromised, it can lead to: Identity theft Medical fraud Unauthorized use of insurance benefits Reputational harm Loss of trust in healthcare providers In the wrong hands, even a seemingly minor piece of PHI can be used to construct full identity profiles or conduct fraudulent activities, making the consequences of a data breach potentially devastating for both individuals and healthcare organizations. Moreover, mishandling PHI can trigger serious legal and financial penalties under privacy laws such as HIPAA (in the U.S.), which strictly governs how PHI should be stored, transmitted, and accessed. Because of this high sensitivity and legal responsibility, PHI demands the highest level of protection, especially when stored or processed in cloud environments. Key Challenges of Storing PHI in Cloud Environments Storing PHI in the cloud helps healthcare organisations scale quickly, reduce costs, and improve accessibility. However, it also brings several challenges. From legal compliance to security missteps, each issue needs to be addressed carefully to keep data safe. 1. Meeting Security and Compliance Requirements Healthcare data must comply with strict privacy and security laws such as HIPAA, GDPR, and local regulations. These laws define how PHI should be stored, accessed, and shared. In cloud environments, ensuring compliance requires strong encryption, strict access controls, audit logging, and regular risk assessments. If not implemented correctly, non-compliance can lead to serious penalties. 2. Understanding Shared Responsibility Cloud service providers manage the physical infrastructure and core services. However, healthcare organizations are still responsible for securing their data within the cloud. This includes setting up proper access control, using secure architecture, writing secure application code, applying data encryption, and regularly monitoring their systems. Without this, misconfigurations and security gaps are likely. 3. Rising Cybersecurity Threats PHI is a common target for cyberattacks because it holds high value. Threats like ransomware, phishing, and unauthorized access can lead to data breaches. If attackers gain access, the data can be sold, misused, or leaked, resulting in privacy loss, financial damage, and legal action against the healthcare provider. 4. Cloud Misconfigurations Simple mistakes such as leaving cloud storage buckets publicly accessible or forgetting to enable encryption can expose sensitive data. These misconfigurations often happen during manual setup or due to a lack of proper knowledge, and they're one of the leading causes of PHI exposure. Cloud platforms often rely on third-party tools for added functionality. If these external tools are not secure or compliant, they become a weak link. Healthcare organizations must evaluate every vendor they connect with to ensure they meet security standards. 6. Limited Visibility and Control In traditional on-premise systems, organizations can see and control everything. In cloud environments, that visibility is reduced. It becomes harder to track who accessed what data, when, and from where, especially if real-time monitoring tools like AWS CloudTrail or Azure Monitor aren't in place. 7. Data Location and Jurisdiction Risks Cloud providers may store data across global data centers. If PHI is stored in another country, it may fall under different legal systems. This can lead to conflicts with local regulations and affect data privacy. Healthcare providers must ensure that data is stored in permitted locations. Best Practices to Protect PHI in the Cloud Protecting PHI in the cloud requires a combination of the right technologies, strong policies, and well-planned system design. Below are some essential practices healthcare organizations should follow to keep individual medical data safe and compliant. 1. Choose a HIPAA-Compliant Cloud Provider Cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and GCP offer HIPAA-eligible services along with a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA). For example, AWS HIPAA compliance ensures that healthcare organizations can use approved cloud services with the required security controls, encryption, and access management to safely process and store PHI. 2. Use Strong Data Encryption Data should be encrypted both at rest (when stored) and in transit (when being shared or moved). Most cloud platforms offer built-in encryption services. Organizations can also use Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) options for better control over encryption keys. 3. Implement Identity and Access Management (IAM) Not everyone needs access to all data. Use role-based access control (RBAC) to limit who can view or modify PHI. Also, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security when users log in. 4. Design a Secure Cloud Architecture Secure systems start with secure design. Use best practices like: Isolating sensitive workloads using virtual networks Applying firewalls and security groups Limiting public internet exposure Following the principle of least privilege These steps reduce the attack surface and help prevent unauthorized access. 5. Monitor, Audit, and Log Everything Set up continuous monitoring tools to detect unusual activities. Keep logs of who accessed what data and when. Regular auditing ensures that systems are working correctly and helps meet compliance standards. 6. Regular Backups and Disaster Recovery Create automatic backups of critical data and applications. Store them in secure, separate locations. Test your disaster recovery plans regularly to ensure systems can be restored quickly in case of an incident. 7. Train Your Staff Even strong technology can fail if employees are careless. Provide regular training on: Recognizing phishing attacks Following secure login practices Reporting suspicious activity Educated staff play a key role in keeping PHI safe. Conclusion Storing and protecting PHI in the cloud demands more than just a technical setup. It requires a security-first mindset backed by clear compliance measures. With growing data risks and strict regulations, healthcare providers must act wisely. Leveraging reliable and professional cloud consulting services ensures your cloud setup remains secure, HIPAA-compliant, and ready to scale with healthcare demands.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CyberCatch Publishes Health Industry Cyber Safety Guide for Healthcare Organizations in U.S. Facing Imminent Cyber Threats
Vancouver, British Columbia and San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 7, 2025) - CyberCatch Holdings, Inc. (TSXV: CYBE) (OTCQB: CYBHF) ("CyberCatch'' or the "Company"), a cybersecurity company offering an AI-enabled platform solution for compliance and cyber risk mitigation, is pleased to announce it has published the Health Industry Cyber Safety Guide for healthcare organizations in the U.S. There are approximately 600,000 healthcare organizations in the U.S. that are facing an unprecedented level of cyber risk. CyberCatch's Health Industry Cyber Safety Guide reveals that as of June 30, 2025: There are at least 2 successful cyberattacks and data breaches every day Already for first six months of 2025, data breaches have affected over 28.5 million individuals Data breaches increased 296% in 2024 from prior year and already the number of data breaches in first six months of 2025 are 77% of previous year According to IBM, the average cost of a health industry data breach in 2024 was $9.77 million, the highest among all industry sectors. CyberCatch's Health Industry Cyber Safety Guide: Provides a detailed analysis for the first half of 2025 Reveals why bad actors are being successful Explains what risk mitigation must be taken Provides a seven-step cyber safety check up checklist The bad actors are targeting not only large but also small and mid-size healthcare providers, ranging from medical practices, labs, pharmacies, nursing facilities, hospitals and insurance providers. The cyber attackers are successfully penetrating defenses and installing ransomware and stealing valuable confidential, sensitive patient data and demanding hefty ransom payments, and disrupting patient care. "CyberCatch recently launched an innovative cyber risk mitigation solution for the healthcare vertical market in the U.S. and is pleased to have conducted research to publish this timely Guide for the health industry in the U.S. that is facing a cyberattack epidemic. The Guide will help any healthcare organization quickly become more risk aware and attain cyber safety. Cyber safety is patient safety," said Sai Huda, CEO, CyberCatch. To download the Guide and learn more about CyberCatch's unique, AI-enabled cyber risk mitigation solution for healthcare organizations and watch demo, visit About CyberCatchCyberCatch Holdings, Inc. (TSXV: CYBE) (OTCQB: CYBHF) provides a proprietary, AI-enabled Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution that provides continuous compliance and cyber risk mitigation to organizations in critical segments, so they can be safe from cyber threats. The CyberCatch platform focuses on solving the root cause of why cyberattacks are successful: security holes from control deficiencies. It first helps implement all mandated and necessary controls, then the platform automatically and continuously tests the controls from three dimensions (outside-in, inside-out and social engineering) to find control failures so one can fix them promptly to stay compliant and safe from attackers. Learn more at: Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information, please contact: Investor RelationsPhone: 1-866-756-2923 Email: info@ SOURCE: CyberCatch To view the source version of this press release, please visit Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Medsien unveils care management programme
Medsien has introduced its Advanced Primary Care Management (APCM) programme, a solution aimed at assisting healthcare organisations in transitioning to the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) new care model. This model aims to enhance chronic care delivery and promote sustainable growth. Medsien's APCM programme is a response to the CMS' 2025 initiative, which introduced a new direction for Medicare reimbursement. The traditional time-based needs have been replaced with a monthly per-patient payment model, using G0556, G0557, and G0558 billing codes. Healthcare providers can categorise patients according to their risk levels and receive consolidated payments for a wide array of services, encompassing chronic, primary and transitional care management, virtual visits, telehealth check-ins, and remote evaluations. The transition underscores the significance of preparedness and continuity of care, rather than administrative time tracking, enabling practices to concentrate on patient care. The APCM programme by Medsien presents a swift, scalable, and forward-thinking approach that allows medical practices to become operational in as little as five days. It facilitates implementation without the requirements for additional personnel or intricate induction procedures, integrates with electronic health records (EHR) for consistent and automated record-keeping, and AI-driven workflows that streamline programme operations while ensuring compliance. Additionally, Medsien provides a full-service delivery model that covers everything from patient identification to tailored ongoing outreach, with care delivery managed by a team of dedicated care partners. Medsien co-founder and CEO Hamed Ahmadi said: "This programme is more than a billing opportunity, it's a transformation in how care is delivered. "We've built APCM to help practices embrace relationship-based, proactive care with confidence and scalability." The launch of Medsien's APCM solution is a step towards lessening the operational burden on healthcare organisations, ensuring compliance with new regulations, and empowering them to excel in the current value-based care landscape. This initiative is part of Medsien's aim to enhance care, leveraging patient-centred design and intelligent systems. "Medsien unveils care management programme" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Medscape
23-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Giving Patients a Leg Up for Healthy Behavior Change
Our patients regularly encounter an abundance of addictive ultra-processed, hyper-palatable, energy dense foods, and many also lead very sedentary lives. Expecting patients to restrict food and start exercising simply because they've been advised to assumes they have a level of self-regulation few people possess and many did not develop early in life. Connecting patients with health and well-being coaching (HWC) can help them overcome barriers to change and give them a leg up as they work to adopt and sustain healthy habits. HWC fills a gap between traditional and lifestyle medicine by effectively promoting healthy behaviors to assist in the prevention or treatment of lifestyle-related disease, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and pulmonary and vascular diseases. The need is great. According to the CDC, in 2020, 40% of US. adults had ≥ 2 chronic conditions, many of which can be effectively prevented and treated by lifestyle behaviors. Recognizing that unmet need, a consortium of three national coach credentialing organizations, four medical societies, and 72 healthcare organizations led by National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) was formed in 2020 to advocate for the reimbursement of HWC services in the US healthcare system, as described in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine ( AJLM ) article Health and Wellness Coaching Services: Making the Case for Reimbursement. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which offers HWC services to veterans, also partnered in the initiative to establish Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for HWC services. Lead co-authors of the AJLM paper, Moain Abu Dabrh, MB, BCh, MS, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, and Margaret Moore, MBA, McLean Hospital, Institute of Coaching, Belmont, Massachusetts, described 'our five-year path of evidence gathering, coalition building, and advocacy efforts.' They added, 'this coalition documented over 4 million delivered HWC sessions in making the case for reimbursement to CMS and the AMA.' These advocacy efforts contributed to the creation and implementation of Category III CPT codes that enable the tracking of and billing for HWC services , and the decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to add the codes on a provisional basis to the Medicare Telehealth list starting in 2024. The codes are: 0591T, health and well-being coaching face-to-face; individual, initial assessment (at least 60 min); 0592T, health and well-being coaching; individual, follow-up session, at least 30 min; and 0593T, health and well-being Coaching group (two or more individuals), at least 30 min. What is Health and Wellness Coaching? HWC is a patient-centered approach that includes patient-determined goals and the use of self-discovery or active learning to work toward those goals. Behavior change is facilitated by self-monitoring techniques, patient accountability, and health education — all within the context of an interpersonal relationship with a trained coach. Professional health and well-being coaches are qualified by education, completion of certified training, national examination, and when applicable, licensure/regulation. The NBHWC established national HWC standards and certification in partnership with the National Board of Medical Examiners, as noted in the AJLM article. Certified training includes behavioral change theory, motivational strategies, communication techniques, and health education and promotion theories, which are used to assist patients to develop intrinsic motivation and obtain skills to create sustainable change for improved health and well-being. Coaching in Action Since the VHA implemented the HWC CPT codes in 2020, 73,351 unique veterans have had 322,655 sessions with an NBHWC-certified coach, said Kavitha Reddy, MD, associate director of employee whole health in the VHA Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, St Louis. Within VHA, more than 300 NBHWC-certified whole health coaches are now in place across the enterprise. 'I frequently refer my patients to work with a coach,' Janet Clark, MD, physician lead of the VHA HWC program, told me. 'Our coaches are extremely effective with the veterans we serve, fostering sustainable engagement in healthy lifestyles and treatment plans, crucial for most chronic disease and symptom management.' Sara Noyes, NBHWC-certified HWC, leads the VHA HWC program with Clark and has written about the power of HWC. 'HWC can enhance the health and well-being of service members and veterans as they are better equipped and empowered to live lives to the fullest,' Noyes said. A study examining the VHA Whole Health Coaching program supports Noyes endorsement of HWC. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) contributed data to the AJLM article. Jacob Mirsky, MD, medical director of the Healthy Lifestyle Program at MGH, heads a team that includes four NBHWC-certified coaches who are paired with a physician or nurse practitioner for reimbursed patient visits. Their approach combines shared virtual lifestyle medicine appointments with virtual 1-on-1 HWC sessions. Mirsky has published multiple papers on lifestyle medicine using HWC sessions, demonstrating improved self-reported health behaviors and positive chronic disease outcomes. 'The coaches and their relational, goal-striving style are key to patient success," said Mirsky, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Challenges Remain The temporary approval of HWC CPT codes has been extended through 2029. Currently, payment for HWC services is challenging; however, the AJLM article outlined five emerging paths to reimbursement: Direct patient billing: Medical practices can bill patients directly for HWC services. Value-based care funding: When medical practices receive monthly value-based payments for patient care, some of the funds could be allocated to HWC services. CPT codes: Medical practices can use certain CPT codes to bill services provided by qualified HWC working under physician supervision. These include chronic-care management codes for Medicare beneficiaries and preventive medicine counseling codes for non-Medicare patients. Negotiated reimbursement: Medical practices could negotiate with payers to secure reimbursement for the telehealth HWC CPT codes Health savings and flexible spending accounts: Health and wellness services may qualify for reimbursement under these accounts when prescribed by a physician. Federal rules require that the services be part of medically necessary treatment. Medical practices should look into whether any of the existing reimbursement pathways can work for their practices and with their patients. Advocates continue to work on formal HWC reimbursement pathways, including urging CMS to integrate HWC CPT codes into Medicare's chronic care management program as permanent G codes. Their efforts emphasize that broad access to HWC services would help realize the government's goal to Make America Healthy Again and the vision of CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD. The hope is patients needing HWC will have access to it and providers are reimbursed for these invaluable services. The evolution of HWC along with lifestyle medicine presents 'a transformative shift in healthcare, ' the AJLM article noted. HWC is a long-awaited bridge between recommending healthy behavior change to patients and patients actually making those changes, thus improving their health. All qualifying patients should have access to HWC with physician oversight and referral. Mirsky is owner of Lifestyle Medicine Consulting LLC. Moore is CEO of Wellcoaches Corp.
