Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Thursday, August 6, 2026
10 AnMed Facilities Remain Closed One Week After Cyberattack
Ten facilities at South Carolina nonprofit AnMed Health remained closed one week after a cyberattack began July 26, disrupting the health system’s IT infrastructure across upstate South Carolina and northeast Georgia. The affected locations include outpatient imaging facilities. Ransomware actors gave AnMed a 72-hour ultimatum to respond to demands or face exposure of patients’ protected health information. A forensic investigation remains ongoing, and AnMed has not confirmed whether patient data was compromised. The health system has advised patients and community members to remain cautious with electronic communications that appear to originate from AnMed during the recovery.
Sources: Healthcare Dive
AnMed Health Warns of Potential Fraud Tied to Ongoing Cyberattack
AnMed Health issued a warning about potential fraud tied to its ongoing cyberattack, advising patients to be cautious with electronic communications that appear to originate from the health system. AnMed said some patients may be receiving messages — including what appear to be MyChart appointment reminders generated by third-party systems — as the cyberattack recovery continues. AnMed said it has no evidence that patients have been targeted maliciously as a result of the incident, but encouraged the public to exercise caution. Ten AnMed facilities remained closed more than a week after the attack began July 26.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
Hackensack Meridian Health First to Earn Joint Commission’s Responsible AI Certification
Hackensack Meridian Health has become the first organization to earn the Joint Commission’s seal of approval for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The Joint Commission launched the voluntary certification in June with the goal of endorsing health organizations that can demonstrate proper governance, resources, policies and training programs for the safe and effective use of AI. The program evaluates organizations on five core domains to determine whether they are responsibly using AI. The certification comes as healthcare organizations increasingly deploy AI tools in clinical and operational settings, often without standardized governance frameworks in place.
Sources: Healthcare Dive
FDA Clears DeepHealth AI That Reads Breast Ultrasounds and Generates Radiology Reports
The FDA granted 510(k) clearance to DeepHealth for an artificial intelligence tool that detects and characterizes lesions in breast ultrasound images and generates structured radiology reports. The tool can localize suspicious soft tissue lesions and characterize details such as shape, orientation and margin before producing a report with key findings and impressions. Radiologists retain control of the final assessment. In a study submitted to the FDA, the tool improved sensitivity for breast cancer detection by 8% and reduced radiologist interpretation time by 37%. RadNet, DeepHealth’s parent company, acquired the underlying technology when it purchased AI ultrasound firm See-Mode Technologies in 2025.
Sources: Healthcare Dive
Healthcare Leaders See Physical AI as the Next Frontier in Clinical Technology
Healthcare technology leaders are examining physical AI — systems that combine artificial intelligence, robotics, sensors and computer vision to perceive surroundings, make decisions and take actions in the physical world. Leaders from Northwell Health, Nvidia and Expper Technologies told Healthcare IT News that near-term healthcare applications include medication transport, patient monitoring, rehabilitation guidance and hospital logistics coordination. Physical AI produces actions rather than text, and errors carry direct physical consequences rather than correctable outputs. Healthcare leaders envision physical AI as an extension of the care team that removes routine physical tasks, extends clinician reach and frees professionals to spend more time with patients.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
Governance and Safety Must Come First as Physical AI Moves Into Hospital Environments
Effective deployment of physical AI in healthcare requires building governance around four foundational pillars: technical infrastructure, governance frameworks, safety and lifecycle monitoring, and workforce readiness, according to Healthcare IT News. Because physical AI systems interact directly with patients and clinical staff in physical environments, governance and safety become prerequisites rather than afterthoughts. Organizations deploying intelligent machines must address accuracy, reliability, physical safety, human oversight, cybersecurity and liability. The key challenge for health system leaders, the article argues, is not selecting the right robots but building the governance and operational strategies that allow physical AI to assist clinicians and improve care at scale.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
Hospitals and Health Systems Are Appointing Chief AI Officers to Govern AI Deployment
A growing number of hospitals and health systems are creating dedicated chief AI officer roles to oversee the integration of artificial intelligence into clinical and operational workflows, according to a Becker’s Hospital Review analysis. Named appointments include Philip R.O. Payne, PhD, as inaugural chief health AI officer at WashU Medicine and BJC; Ben Shahshahani, PhD, as vice president and chief AI officer at Cleveland Clinic; and Divya Pathak as vice president and chief data and AI officer at NYC Health and Hospitals. The positions reflect industry recognition that AI deployment carries patient safety, liability and regulatory implications warranting dedicated senior-level leadership.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Becker’s Profiles the CIOs Behind U.S. News’ 2026-27 Best Hospitals
Becker’s Hospital Review profiled the chief information officers of hospitals named to U.S. News and World Report’s 2026-27 Best Hospitals rankings, released August 4. The featured executives are driving technology strategies spanning electronic health record improvements, artificial intelligence integration and cybersecurity frameworks at some of the country’s top-ranked institutions. Among those highlighted: Robert T. Adamson of RWJBarnabas Health, whose system achieved what Becker’s described as a historic Epic Gold Star Level 10 achievement immediately upon activation, and Chris Akeroyd of Lee Health. U.S. News ranked hospitals primarily on risk-adjusted outcomes, with 80% of scores based on that measure.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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