Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Legacy Medical Equipment Presents Security Liability

Even though Congress passed cybersecurity requirements for medical device manufacturers in 2023, some devices that are beyond their lifespan in terms of updates and support are likely vulnerable to attacks, according to MedTech Dive. Experts believe hospital systems still have plenty of unsupported legacy equipment in use, which may be overlooked because it’s still working well enough in everyday practice. It’s the lack of updates for the devices’ bespoke software that is most concerning because …

Cyberattacks Are One Thing, Exposed Records Are Another

Healthcare data statistics tracked by HIPAA Journal demonstrate a steady rise in breaches in the 14 years since the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) began publishing records. As of September 24, 2024, more than 490 breaches have been reported for the year. Reportable breaches, which only include incidents involving 500 or more health records, have been tracked by OCR since 2009, when just 18 breaches were recorded. From 2009 …

Why Urgent Care Marketers Need to Keep an Eye on SEO Tactics

Urgent care operators who rely on search engine optimization (SEO)—in other words, the art of building a website that Google will punch up to the top of search results for prospective patients—essentially have to guess at what digital tactics will get them into the top spot on Google. For the most part, Google’s algorithms have always been a closely guarded secret. Recently, media outlets like Inc. reported that some proprietary Google search algorithms were leaked. …

Posting Health Info on Your Website Is a Great Idea. Featuring the ‘Derek Jeter Herpes Tree’ Is Not

Offering information on various disease states, seasonal health concerns, and public health initiatives on your website is a great way to build engagement and establish a reputation as a trustworthy partner in patients’ wellbeing. Relying on technology to populate webpages with that information can be a great timesaver and help keep costs down—as long as that technology doesn’t run amok, as it apparently did recently on the website of a New York City urgent care …

A System-Wide Cyberattack Set Providers Back Decades—and Shut Down Urgent Care Operations

When hackers launched a cyberattack against Prospect Medical Holdings in Los Angeles, the ripples were felt from coast to coast and ultimately forced cessation of urgent care operations temporarily. As reported by CBS News Moneywatch, even some who escaped a total shut down found themselves working without the benefits of computers for a time, as Crozer-Chester Medical System in Springfield, PA reverted to using hard copies for necessary documentation and records. That was expected to …

Be Warned: Ransomware Has the Virtual World Looking ‘Like the Wild West Out there’

Point32Health, parent company of Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, is just the latest healthcare entity to fall prey to cyberattacks, having acknowledged that it was hit with a ransomware attack that left patient and provider data exposed. As reported by WBZ CBS Boston, some providers have also missed being paid on care they provided to Harvard Pilgrim plan members. One such psychologist was quoted in the WBZ story as likening the cyber world to “the Wild West” …

When Cyber Terrorists Attack, Fast Action Is Essential to Protect Data and Your Business

Lehigh Valley Health Network is the latest healthcare system to fall prey to Russian ransomware gangs, with the breach of patient records at one of its physician practices in Lackawanna County, PA. According to a report published by The Morning Call, a group called BlackCat gained access to patient radiologic imaging files and threatened to release them publicly unless Lehigh Valley paid an unnamed ransom. They refused and are working with cybersecurity specialists to tighten …

More Healthcare System Hacks Indicate a Need for More Focus on Cybersecurity

At least 17 health systems—many of whom include urgent care operations among their clinical assets—from New Hampshire to Los Angeles are wrestling with the aftermath of a major cyberattack launched the Russian hacker group Killnet, according to the technology company BetterCyber. Both University of Michigan Health and Atrium Health toldBecker’s Hospital Review that patient information and portals were not compromised, but the fact that any breach at all succeeded is cause for concern. This latest …

Ransomware Attacks Doubled in Just 5 Years. Are Your Preventive Measures Keeping Pace?

If it seems like you’ve been reading more than ever about ransomware attacks in JUCM News and elsewhere, there’s a good reason: A new study released by JAMA Health Forum reveals that the annual number of healthcare ransomware attacks doubled over a 5-year period, from 43 attacks in 2016 to 91 in 2021. In total, 342 attacks exposed the personal health information of nearly 42 million patients. While hospitals were the most likely targets, statistically, …

New Threats Are Putting Sensitive Patient Information at Risk. Are Your Records Safe?

A pair of high-profile incidents should serve as a sharp reminder to always keep cybersecurity in mind when conducting or promoting your business online. First, as reported by the Washington Post, hospitals and health systems that employ Twitter’s advertising pixel could inadvertently be sending sensitive information back to the social media company, with a high risk that the data could be shared with entities that have invested heavily in Twitter. According to the WaPo article, …

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