Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Medtronic breach hit 72,000 individuals in 2 states, AG filings show
Medtronic’s April cybersecurity incident exposed Social Security numbers and health records for more than 72,000 individuals across Massachusetts and Vermont, state attorney general filings show. Massachusetts recorded 63,534 affected residents in a June 29 filing; Vermont recorded 8,668 in a June 28 filing — both representing a fraction of the total. Medtronic said in a June 29 update that it has begun notifying victims and will offer 24 months of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft restoration. The company found no evidence that affected data has been posted publicly and confirmed the breach did not compromise any Medtronic device.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Health system AI leaders shrug off OpenEvidence dispute — but the underlying tension is real
A June study in Nature Medicine found general-purpose AI models from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic outperformed specialized clinical tools including OpenEvidence on medical benchmarks, triggering a retraction request from OpenEvidence. But health system AI leaders say the controversy has not changed how they evaluate clinical tools. Mass General Brigham chief health information officer Rebecca Mishuris, MD, called the public dispute “noise.” Leaders at Baptist Health South Florida and Mount Sinai describe vetting processes built on internal governance, clinical pilots, and local patient data — not published benchmarks. Mount Sinai chief AI officer Girish Nadkarni, MD, cautioned that “one confidently wrong answer can matter more than numerous right ones.”
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Anthropic enters drug discovery
Anthropic is launching an internal drug discovery program targeting neglected diseases that traditional pharmaceutical companies would not pursue commercially, the company announced at a June 30 event in San Francisco. Life sciences head Eric Kauderer-Abrams framed the effort as a way to build firsthand experience developing AI tools for biopharma clients. Alongside the announcement, Anthropic unveiled Claude Science, an AI workbench that integrates scientific databases, computing resources, and domain-specific tools for genomics, proteomics, and drug discovery; the platform is available in beta for Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise users on macOS and Linux. The company did not disclose plans for promising drug candidates identified through the program.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
40 health system leaders on the cost pressures reshaping their tech roadmaps
Health system technology priorities are being reshaped by cost pressure, with leaders across rural hospitals, community hospitals, and academic medical centers saying their tech roadmaps now require clear evidence of quality improvement, cost reduction, and return on investment, according to a Becker’s roundup of 40 health system leaders published June 30. From rural systems confronting thin margins to large academic centers managing complex portfolios, the compilation by reporter Scott King finds a common thread: technology decisions that once centered on capability are now evaluated primarily through a financial lens, with leaders demanding demonstrable operational and clinical outcomes before committing to new investments.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
The 8 most interesting things hospital CIOs told us this quarter
Health system CIOs delivered a consistent message to Becker’s this quarter: the hard part of AI is not the technology. CommonSpirit Health CIO Daniel Barchi characterized healthcare technology as “80% people, 15% process, and only about 5% technology.” At Rush University System for Health, CIO Jeff Gautney cautioned that AI agents do not fail cleanly — “they go slowly crazy” — and that agentic AI “immediately exposes all of the bad data in your organization.” Northwell Health chief digital officer Kristin Myers reported that Wave 2 of its Epic go-live brought 42,000 users across nine hospitals online.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Mayo Clinic links innovation exchange with business development division
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic has aligned its Berg Innovation Exchange with its Business Development division to create a more direct path from early-stage research to commercial ventures, according to a June 30 announcement. The Berg Innovation Exchange connects researchers and clinicians with mentorship, external expertise, and a global network of collaborators. Business Development oversees Mayo Clinic’s intellectual property, licensing agreements, venture creation, investment activities, and commercialization. The reorganization is designed to close the gap between concept-stage innovation and the practical resources required to advance new technologies and launch spinout companies, Mayo Clinic said.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Doctronic, Simple HealthKit partner to expand AI-powered at-home testing
Doctronic, an AI doctor platform, and Simple HealthKit, an at-home diagnostics company, announced a June 29 partnership allowing Doctronic patients to order home test kits for conditions including diabetes, kidney disease, and sexually transmitted infections. Positive results are routed back to Doctronic for follow-up through its AI system or licensed physician video consultations. Simple HealthKit CEO Dr. Sheena Menezes said the collaboration ensures “when a patient gets a result, they have immediate access to an AI health assistant for questions and a complete consultation with a real doctor for care.” Doctronic raised $40 million in a March Series B, bringing its total raise to $65 million.
Sources: MobiHealthNews Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
TEFCA hits 1 billion as HHS invests $1.28M in network oversight
TEFCA has surpassed 1 billion patient record exchanges, ONC announced June 26 — up from 10 million last year. HHS awarded a $1.28 million contract to Alliance Global Tech to verify Qualified Health Information Network compliance with required network policies, renewable annually through June 2031 for a potential total of $5.5 million. National Coordinator Dr. Thomas Keane said potential civil or criminal violations will be referred to OCR, HHS OIG, and the Department of Justice. Health Gorilla CEO Bob Watson, amid ongoing legal battles over alleged data misuse, called for an SEC-like federal policing function, saying TEFCA compliance costs are “insane” for small businesses.
Sources: Healthcare IT News Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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