Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Monday, August 31, 2026
Cyberattack on Boston Scientific Disrupts Remote Monitoring for Implanted Cardiac Devices
A cyberattack disrupting Massachusetts-based Boston Scientific’s global IT operations is now hampering remote monitoring capabilities for certain implanted cardiac devices. The company told investors this week that new insertable cardiac monitor implants cannot pair with patients’ remote monitoring mobile apps, meaning episode data will not transmit until the disruption is resolved. Cardiac episodes continue to be recorded by the devices and can be retrieved via in-person clinic visits. As of Friday, no cybercriminal group had publicly claimed credit for the attack, which also halted the company’s order processing and shipping operations globally.
Sources: GovInfoSecurity
Extortion Gang DireWolf Claims 253GB Stolen from National Kidney Registry
Extortion gang DireWolf claims to have stolen 253 gigabytes of sensitive data from the National Kidney Registry, an organization that facilitates nationwide living-donor kidney transplants. The group targeted data including potential organ donors’ names, medical information, transplant suitability assessments and other identifying details. DireWolf told breach-tracking site Databreaches.net that its attack involved data theft rather than an IT operations disruption. Security experts expressed concern that attacks on critical organ-donation infrastructure put vulnerable patients at risk, calling it a prime example of ransomware gangs targeting life-critical medical organizations without regard for patient safety.
Sources: GovInfoSecurity
DaVita Agrees to $15M Settlement Over 2025 Interlock Ransomware Attack
Kidney dialysis chain DaVita has agreed to pay $15 million to settle proposed class action litigation stemming from a 2025 ransomware attack by the Interlock gang. A Colorado federal court granted preliminary approval of the settlement, under which affected patients may claim up to $2,500 for documented out-of-pocket losses. The Interlock attack compromised a database of patient information including names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, health insurance details, and clinical information such as dialysis lab test results. The breach was reported to federal regulators as affecting nearly 2.7 million people.
Sources: GovInfoSecurity
Maryland Sues Optum Over Defective Medicaid Behavioral Health Computer System
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group’s Optum unit, alleging it defrauded the state’s Medicaid program by delivering a defective computer system for the state’s behavioral health Administrative Services Organization program. The system crashed on its first day of operation and was taken offline for eight months in 2020, jeopardizing access for approximately 1.5 million Medicaid enrollees. Maryland paid Optum $126.9 million under the contract, which ran from 2019 to 2024, and the state says the failures cost it tens of millions of dollars. Optum said it vehemently disagrees with the lawsuit’s claims.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
Pew Survey: 3 in 4 Americans Say Providers Must Disclose AI Use in Their Care
Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults say it is extremely or very important that doctors tell them when artificial intelligence is used in their care, according to a Pew Research Center survey of 5,265 adults in June 2026. Four in five respondents said patients should be notified specifically when AI analyzes medical scans, makes diagnoses, or explains laboratory results. Despite this demand, 53% of adults said they have little or no say over whether a provider uses AI in their care, and nearly half were unsure whether AI had already been used in their healthcare. The findings highlight a growing gap between AI’s rapid adoption in clinical settings and patient awareness.
Sources: Healthcare Dive
ECRI Expands Patient Safety Reporting Network to Capture AI Errors in Clinical Settings
Global patient safety nonprofit ECRI has expanded its problem reporting network to capture AI-related errors in patient care, calling on healthcare organizations nationwide to submit reports of incidents involving suspected AI errors, incorrect outputs, or unsafe AI behavior in clinical or operational settings. An ECRI survey of 124 healthcare leaders found nearly one-third had encountered an AI output they believed was incorrect or misleading in the past year, and 9% reported that an AI error reached a patient or affected care decisions. ECRI said the reporting dataset is essential to understand the downstream impact of AI tools and improve their design and integration across healthcare.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
VA Deploys Oracle Health Federal EHR at Three Indiana Medical Centers
The Department of Veterans Affairs has deployed its Oracle Health electronic health record system at three Indiana medical centers: Northern Indiana Health Care System hospitals in Fort Wayne and Marion, and the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, along with 16 associated clinics. The deployment brings the total number of VA hospitals running the Federal EHR System in 2026 to 11, reaching more than 617,000 veterans and 35,000 clinicians. VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence said 2026 deployments double the combined total of the past five years. The final 2026 rollouts are scheduled for October at facilities in Alaska and Ohio.
Sources: Healthcare Dive
Datavant Launches Provider Exchange for Digital Medical Record Retrieval
Data collaboration platform Datavant has launched Provider Exchange, a digital-first medical record retrieval platform built on its network of more than 80,000 provider sites. The platform allows healthcare organizations to securely request, track and receive medical records, with real-time visibility into retrieval workflows and digital delivery of fulfilled records. Senior Vice President of Provider Products Andrea Kowalski said Provider Exchange is designed to help providers move beyond fragmented manual record-retrieval processes, reducing delays that can stand between patients and the care they need. The platform supports continuity of care and specialty referral workflows.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
Novant Health Becomes First U.S. Health System to Deploy Real-Time Rounds Tech in Pediatric and Adult Care
Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Novant Health has become the first U.S. health system to deploy real-time rounds technology across both pediatric and adult care settings. The platform, called Q-rounds, allows family members of hospitalized patients to opt in to receive real-time updates during care rounds, join remotely, ask questions, and discuss treatment plans. The technology was first deployed in Novant’s neonatal intensive care unit before expanding to adult inpatient and intensive care patients. Nearly 350 family members had opted in since launch. Novant plans to expand Q-rounds to additional facilities over the coming months.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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