Morning Headlines 7/30/13

GAO: Fed IT projects need aligned management

The Government Accountability Office releases a report chiding several government agencies for their failed IT projects and project management methods, including the VA/DoD iEHR project and the FDA’s MARCS program. The report says, "the federal government has achieved little of the productivity improvements that private industry has realized from IT” despite $600 billion in federal IT spending in the past ten years.

Oregon Health & Science University notifies patients of ‘cloud’ health information storage

Oregon Health and Science University is notifying 3,000 patients of a data breach after IT staff discover that medical residents have been using Google spreadsheets to help track patient care. The spreadsheets were password protected, but because Google was not a business associate with a contractual agreement to store OHSU patient health information, patients are being notified.

In leaving, Siemens CEO seeks to take down chairman

Seimen’s CEO Peter Loescher has reportedly agreed to step down from his position four years before his contract is up, but only if board chairman Gerhard Cromme is fired with him. Loescher is being forced out because of consistent weak financial performance.

HCA’s Bracken to Retire from CEO Role, Will Remain as Board Chair

Richard Bracken, CEO of HCA, will retire from his position at the end of the year and continue on as chairman of the board. He will be replaced by current president and CFO R.Milton Johnson. Nashville-based HCA is the nation’s largest hospital chain.