Bernie Monegain

Physicians are embracing electronic prescribing more rapidly than ever before, according to new data from Surescripts – especially in New York. In the Empire State, more than 48,000 providers have embraced digital prescriptions as a way to avoid fraud and abuse of prescription drugs – and a way to avoid fines. The deadline for complying with the state’s Internet System for Tracking Over Prescribing, or I-STOP, mandate for digital prescribing is March 27. [See also: NY e-prescribing law takes effect March 27, doctors now face fines for pen-and-paper.] Since March 1, the number of New York providers adopting electronic prescribing of controlled substances increased 28 percent, Surescripts reports. New York Is ahead of other states in e-prescribing adoption with 47 percent uptake, compared with numbers nationwide at just 8 percent. “The industry has made remarkable progress in adopting this critical technology that can have a direct and immediate impact on improving patient care and saving lives,” commented Surescripts CEO Tom Skelton, in a news release. Skelton pointed out that pharmacy adoption of the technology is nearly universal, with 95 percent of pharmacies in New York ready to prescribe controlled substances electronically. In 2013, more than two million Americans abused prescription painkillers such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and methadone, according to Surescripts. Drug diversion is a significant concern when it comes to controlled substances, officials say, with between three and nine percent of diverted drugs for abuse tied to fraud or forgery of paper prescriptions.  Twitter: @Bernie_HITN Email the writer: bernie.monegain@himssmedia.com Like Healthcare IT News on Facebook and LinkedIn

HIMSS Analytics said the Epic shop saw a return on its investment in half the expected time.

Tested at YMCA, this marks the first time a CMS Innovation Center preventative service has become eligible for expansion in Medicare.

A new 451 Research report found 90 percent of security executives are concerned about threats and 60 percent have experienced breaches. But they also listed attracting talent and investing in security as top barriers. 

A Government Accountability Office report points to security weaknesses and to Health and Human Services’ incomplete information about how many people are impacted when breaches happen.  

In a deal also involving the private equity firm GI Partners, the EHR maker will combine its Homecare products with Netsmart’s human services offerings.

Chino Valley Medical Center and Desert Valley Medical Center are the latest in a string of attacks that has security experts predicting more ransomware in the near-term. 

The Pittsburgh Health Data Alliance also announced that it will begin working on apps to help prevent falls, share medication lists, and reduce hospital-acquired ulcers.

Indiana University Health appointed Mark Lantzy to be its new chief information officer. Lantzy, who has built his health IT career in several leadership roles over 20 years, comes to IU after serving as chief operations officer and CIO for Gateway Health, a Pittsburgh-based managed care organization for Medicaid and Medicare members. Before Gateway, Lantzy held leadership positions for WellCare Health Plans, Aetna and Accenture. In his new role, Lantzy will have overall responsibility for information services – including strategic planning, operations and project delivery – for IU Health’s 16-hospital system, health plans and physicians network. "There is a rapidly growing technology sector in Indianapolis and the opportunity to bring innovation and new approaches to our health information technology capability is exciting," Lantzy said in a statement. Ryan Kitchell, IU executive vice president and chief administrative officer, called Lantzy "a dynamic and accomplished leader," who would help recruit top talent to IU’s 600-member IT team. Lantzy’s predecessor, Bill McConnell, led statewide IS integration projects, built IU Health’s data warehouse and decision support and analytics capabilities, stabilized IS infrastructure and systems performance, and worked to expand research systems capabilities with IU School of Medicine and associated institutes. McConnell plans to retire but will stay on the job at IU for several months to ease the transition.  Twitter: @HealthITNews

Methodist Hospital in Henderson, Kentucky, said that it has regained control of its computer systems and effectively fended off a ransomware attack without paying the cybercriminals. The attack started last Friday, March 18, and lasted five days, during which Methodist officials declared an internal state of emergency and posted this to their website: “Methodist Hospital is currently working in an Internal State of Emergency due to a Computer Virus that has limited our use of electronic web based services.  We are currently working to resolve this issue, until then we will have limited access to web based services and electronic communications.” As of this morning that message remained live and a local TV station is reporting that the FBI is investigating the attack. [Also: Hollywood Presbyterian hack signals more ransomware to come.] In reports last week, Methodist Hospital COO David Park said  that "Depending upon the number of records that were locked, depends upon whether we're going to consider looking into whether we pay anything or not." Methodist Hospital officials also noted the hospital would depend on its back-up system while the main network is locked. A similar attack was levied against Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles just last month. In that case, hospital executives paid $17,000 in bitcoin to hackers. And just last week attackers locked down four computers at Ottawa Hospital, after which officials said they had the data backed-up and thus did not need to pay the ransom.   The Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, meanwhile, published new research predicting that “in 2016 ransomware will wreak havoc on America’s critical infrastructure community,” and that ransomware is now so prevalent it's creating an economy all its own. Criminals operating in the so-called Ransomware economy, in fact,  savvy criminals are using social engineering and price calculations to target low-risk high-reward victims. [Like Healthcare IT News on Facebook] Ransomware is responsible for 406,887 attempted infections and accounts for a total of approximately $325 million in damages, according to a November, 2015 according to the Cyber Threat Alliance. “In most instances the majority of security and law enforcement professionals would advise against paying the hackers, because, 1) there is no guarantee you will get the decryption key, and 2) there is the fear that it will encourage others to follow suit,” Mac McMillan, cofounder and CEO of security firm CynergisTek, wrote in a commentary published on Healthcare IT News on Feb. 23, after Hollywood Presbyterian was attacked. “I would argue that is easy advice to give if you are not the one looking down the barrel of the ransom note. Until you have walked in those shoes you don't really know what you will do.” Twitter: @Bernie_HITN