Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Parkview Health Takes Network Offline After Suspicious Activity, Disrupting MyChart
Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview Health’s MyChart patient portal remains unavailable after the health system took its network offline in response to suspicious activity. In an Oct. 19 Facebook update, Parkview said it was experiencing a systemwide internet outage that had disrupted MyChart access. The outage has also prevented the health system from sending appointment reminders and contributed to high call volumes. Parkview first notified patients of the outage Oct. 18. The health system has not disclosed the nature of the suspicious activity or confirmed whether it was the result of a cyberattack. Parkview advised patients with urgent medical needs to contact their provider’s office or visit a walk-in clinic.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Boston Children’s Health Physicians and IT Vendor XTIUM Settle 2024 Breach Probe
Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its managed IT provider XTIUM agreed to settle an investigation by the New York and Connecticut attorneys general into a 2024 data breach that affected almost 890,000 people. The settlement includes a $4 million financial penalty, $2.7 million of which will be paid to the states, while $1.3 million is suspended. New York will receive $2.1 million and Connecticut $540,000. Investigators found XTIUM had not implemented all recommended security settings for a remote access tool and lacked logging and monitoring for it. Both entities must also maintain an inventory of private information, strengthen authentication and improve threat response.
Sources: HIPAA Journal
Mass General Brigham AI Trained on 40 Million Faces Predicts Cancer Survival
Mass General Brigham researchers built an AI foundation model, called FAHR-Face, trained on more than 40 million face images that estimates biological age and predicts cancer survival from a single photograph. It powers two tools, FAHR-FaceAge and FAHR-FaceSurvival, detailed in a study published Oct. 19 in The Lancet Digital Health. The gap between a patient’s FAHR-FaceAge and chronological age was independently linked to survival, and combining the two tools improved survival-model fit in an external validation cohort of cancer patients. Study corresponding author Raymond Mak, MD, said the goal is to support personalized treatment decisions “rather than replace physician judgment.”
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Epic Health Systems Can Now Link Scheduling Directly to the VA
Health systems that use Epic can now connect to the Veterans Affairs Department’s External Provider Scheduling system, known as EPS, allowing VA staff to book veterans’ specialist appointments directly. The connection lets VA staff book a veteran’s appointment with a participating community provider in one step instead of by phone and fax. When an organization joins EPS, VA staff can see that provider’s scheduling system in real time. EPS is open to provider organizations on any EHR, and Epic organizations connect through an integration with scheduling company WellHive. Evansville, Ind.-based Deaconess Health System was an early adopter of EPS.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Judy Faulkner Explains Epic’s ‘BFF’ Role: One Staffer for Each Customer
Epic pairs new customers with a dedicated staff member, called a “BFF,” who keeps working with the organization after go-live, founder and CEO Judy Faulkner said in an Oct. 19 blog post. The role started informally during implementations, when customers grew close to one member of their Epic team, but the company had no official role for the relationship. Epic decided to formalize it by identifying the staff member a customer bonded with most during the install and asking that person to stay on after go-live. Faulkner said customers have embraced the title. With few exceptions, each BFF works with only one customer, and many pairings last for years.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
XRlabs Raises $8.4 Million Seed Round for AI Surgical Platform
London-based surgical technology company XRlabs announced it raised $8.4 million in seed funding led by Playground Global, with participation from Eka Ventures. The company’s SurgicalOS combines live surgical video, navigation data and patient imaging in a single view. The software is designed to work across existing equipment, including surgical scopes and navigation systems.
Sources: MobiHealthNews
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