Morning Headlines 4/24/18

Former VA CIO optimistic that IT initiatives will move forward

Former acting VA CIO Scott Blackburn downplays speculation that his departure, as well as that of former VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD will hinder the agency’s progress on purchasing and implementing a new Cerner EHR – a contract he expects will be signed within the next couple of months.

Hacker Group Is Targeting Healthcare For Corporate Espionage, Symantec Warns

Symantec reports that a new hacker group called Orangeworm is conducting industrial espionage through custom malware attacks on medical imaging software.

Defense Electronic Health Records Program Seeks Help Organizing Influx of Data

The Defense Health Agency looks for vendors capable of consolidating and migrating data from its enterprise storage systems as it moves to the new MHS Genesis EHR.

Feedback on New Direction Request for Information (RFI) Released, CMS Innovation Center’s Market-Driven Reforms to Focus on Patient-Centered Care

CMS looks for additional feedback on direct provider contracting, which would enable Medicare patients and providers to bypass an administrative middleman in an effort to lower costs and improve care.