Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Boston Scientific Cyberattack Disrupts Remote Monitoring for Newly Implanted Cardiac Devices
A cyberattack that struck Boston Scientific on Tuesday is disrupting remote monitoring for newly implanted cardiac devices in addition to halting order fulfillment. The company confirmed that insertable cardiac monitors recently deployed cannot pair to patients’ remote monitoring mobile apps, meaning episode data will not transmit automatically until the pairing is restored. Boston Scientific says cardiac events continue to be recorded by the devices and can be retrieved via in-person clinical interrogation. The company remains unable to process or ship customer orders. As of Friday, no cybercriminal group had claimed responsibility, and the investigation into the full scope of the breach is ongoing.
Sources: GovInfoSecurity
DaVita Agrees to $15 Million Settlement Over Interlock Ransomware Attack
Dialysis chain DaVita has agreed to pay $15 million to resolve claims stemming from an Interlock ransomware attack that disrupted its IT systems and compromised patient data. DaVita, which operates thousands of outpatient dialysis centers in the United States and internationally, was among several major healthcare providers struck by Interlock, a ransomware group that has targeted multiple medical organizations in recent months. The proposed settlement is one of the more significant financial resolutions linked to a ransomware breach in healthcare this year, reflecting growing legal exposure that organizations face following major cybersecurity incidents that affect patient records.
Sources: GovInfoSecurity
DireWolf Hackers Claim 253GB Theft from National Kidney Registry, Raising Donor Safety Concerns
The DireWolf extortion group claims to have stolen 253 gigabytes of sensitive data from the National Kidney Registry, a nonprofit that coordinates organ transplant donations in the United States. The stolen data allegedly includes the names, medical details, and transplant suitability records of potential organ donors, raising concerns about the safety implications of exposing such information. DireWolf said the attack involved data theft rather than operational disruption, meaning the registry’s coordination systems remained functional. As of Thursday, the National Kidney Registry was no longer listed among DireWolf’s public victims, suggesting possible negotiations between the organization and the threat actors.
Sources: GovInfoSecurity
ECRI Expands Safety Reporting Network to Capture AI-Related Clinical Errors
Global patient safety nonprofit ECRI has expanded its problem reporting network to include AI-related clinical and operational errors, calling on health systems nationwide to submit reports of suspected AI mistakes, incorrect outputs, or unsafe AI behavior. The move reflects growing concern about unvalidated AI tools in clinical settings. An ECRI survey of 124 healthcare leaders found that nearly one-third had encountered AI outputs they believed were incorrect or misleading in the past year, and 9 percent reported an AI error that reached a patient or influenced a care decision. ECRI said it cannot assess downstream AI risks without a robust dataset of real-world incident reports.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
American Nurses Enterprise Secures $5M to Train Rural Nurses on AI
The American Nurses Enterprise has received $5 million in grants from Google.org and the Johnson and Johnson Foundation to launch an AI training initiative targeting nurses in rural and underserved communities. The program, called Nurse AI Training in Rural and Underserved Communities, will deliver co-designed education on AI concepts and safe clinical implementation, with the goal of closing the technology skills gap for nurses working outside major urban centers. ANE, which encompasses the American Nurses Association, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the American Nurses Foundation, said the initiative is designed to help nurses build confidence in AI tools while keeping patient safety central.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
Datavant Launches Provider Exchange to Speed Medical Record Retrieval from Days to Hours
Datavant has launched Provider Exchange, a digital medical records retrieval platform designed to replace fax-based workflows that still dominate clinical document exchange at many health systems. Built on the company’s network of more than 80,000 provider sites, the platform gives care teams real-time visibility into record request status, digital delivery of fulfilled records, and scalable retrieval workflows. Datavant says Provider Exchange can reduce record retrieval time from days to hours, easing administrative burdens on clinical staff while improving care coordination. The company has previously acquired records-retrieval firms including Ontellus and ChartSwap to build out its interoperability infrastructure.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
AI Computer Vision Drives 15% Operating Room Capacity Gain at Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist Hospital is reporting a 15 percent increase in operating room capacity after deploying an AI computer vision system that forecasts scheduling changes and improves resource productivity across its surgical services. The technology analyzes real-time OR conditions to help staff anticipate bottlenecks and manage resources more efficiently. Operating room efficiency is a critical performance metric for health systems, as underutilized surgical capacity represents significant lost revenue and delayed patient access to care. Healthcare IT News reported the results, highlighting the deployment as a concrete example of measurable AI return on investment at a major health system.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
Bowen Center IT Overhaul Lifts Network Uptime to 99% and Restores Clinician Trust
A network infrastructure overhaul at the Bowen Center has restored clinician confidence in IT systems and lifted network uptime to 99 percent, with clinician satisfaction rising to 95 percent following the project, according to Healthcare IT News. The organization had faced persistent infrastructure reliability challenges that strained clinical staff trust in the IT department. After the new installation, clinicians provided positive feedback about improved connectivity and system performance. The case illustrates the operational importance of reliable network infrastructure in care settings, where connectivity failures can delay access to electronic health records, care coordination platforms, and clinical decision support tools.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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