Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
ShinyHunters Claims 284 Million Records Stolen From McKesson in Cyberattack
McKesson is investigating a cybersecurity incident in which hacker group ShinyHunters claims to have exfiltrated 284 million patient records and demanded a ransom of $55,236,150. The company disclosed the potential breach in a Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, stating it discovered unauthorized access to certain third-party applications on August 25, 2026, specifically affecting its Oncology & Multispecialty and Medical-Surgical business units. In an August 29 note to customers, McKesson said it has reasonable assurance of no ongoing unauthorized activity in its systems. ShinyHunters reportedly used voice-phishing techniques to access Salesforce and Snowflake instances.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
Adventist Health Completes Systemwide Epic Go-Live After Three Years of Planning
Adventist Health completed a systemwide Epic go-live after three years of planning, marking what it described as one of the most significant technology transformations in its history. The Roseville, California-based health system, which operates 27 hospitals and more than 440 clinics in California, Oregon and Hawaii, deployed Epic on time and on budget, according to Jennifer Stemmler, senior vice president and chief digital and information officer. The implementation included the largest collection of AI-enabled tools introduced in a single go-live. Adventist Health worked with Epic, Apple and Microsoft on the initiative. Stemmler said the go-live marks the beginning of the health system’s next phase of work.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Mayo Clinic AI Chief: Maintaining AI at Scale Costs Far More Than the Industry Expected
Mayo Clinic’s chief AI implementation officer says the cost of maintaining artificial intelligence systems at scale is far higher than the industry anticipated. Micky Tripathi, PhD, told Becker’s that three emerging cost areas include computing costs to run AI models, specialized workforce to monitor and maintain them, and data infrastructure to support a growing portfolio. Mayo has 128 clinical AI solutions in practice, with nearly 500 in its pipeline. Among its deployed tools is Record Time, which automatically gathers and indexes outside medical records, saving roughly 11 minutes per patient. Tripathi said how AI-enabled care will ultimately be compensated remains an open question for health systems.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Health System CIOs Warn Governance Gaps Must Close Before AI Agents Are Widely Deployed
Health system CIOs are raising governance concerns about autonomous AI agents that can take actions such as placing orders and closing documentation gaps without human approval. Eric Neil, CIO of UW Medicine in Seattle, compared managing AI agents to managing human employees, saying organizations must monitor agents for drift and duplication. Rebecca Mishuris, MD, chief health information officer at Mass General Brigham, said her system was among the first to build agents through Epic’s Agent Factory program. Health systems are expected to gain independent access to build agents in Agent Factory in October 2026. Multiple CIOs said governance must be established before broader rollout.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Mount Sinai and Denver Health Join New Coalition Building AI Verification Standards for Healthcare
Mount Sinai Health System and Denver Health have joined PACT AI, a new coalition building independent verification standards for artificial intelligence used in healthcare. The Partnership for Assurance, Credibility and Trust on AI brings together AI deployers, technical assurance providers and civil society groups to develop shared standards for testing whether AI systems perform safely and as intended. David Reich, MD, Mount Sinai’s chief clinical officer, said the coalition will enable innovation with confidence. Founding corporate members include Target, Mount Sinai and Denver Health, alongside assurance firms Humane Intelligence, Apollo Research and UL Solutions. PACT AI will focus on federal and state policy advocacy and professionalizing the AI assurance sector.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
GE HealthCare Wins European Approval for Photonova Spectra Photon-Counting CT Scanner
GE HealthCare has received CE marking for Photonova Spectra, its photon-counting CT scanner designed to produce more detailed images than conventional CT systems. The device uses GE HealthCare’s Deep Silicon detector technology to measure individual X-ray photons and their energy, generating high-definition images and spectral data to help clinicians visualize tissues, lesions and other abnormalities. Clinical applications include neurology, oncology, musculoskeletal imaging, thoracic imaging and cardiology. Chad Rowland, executive director of global CT at GE HealthCare, said the technology enables a level of clarity aimed at improving both cutting-edge research and day-to-day care. GE HealthCare received FDA 510(k) clearance for the device in March 2026.
Sources: MobiHealthNews
41 Health Systems Warn Patients of Phishing Scam Impersonating MyChart Portal
More than 41 health systems across the United States are warning patients about a phishing scam impersonating Epic’s MyChart portal. Fraudulent emails and texts offering a free MyChart Medicare Kit or Senior Health Package are tricking recipients into clicking malicious links or handing over personal information. Systems issuing warnings include Sentara Health, Mass General Brigham, Cleveland Clinic, Northwell Health and MD Anderson Cancer Center, among others. The messages do not originate from the health systems or Epic’s platform. Trevor Berceau, director of research and development at Epic, said the surge in scam attempts is due to scammers exploiting the MyChart brand rather than any underlying security concern.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
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