In 2021, 578 healthcare organizations reported to HHS more than 41.45 million individuals being affected by data breaches.

Amazon Web Services experienced an hours-long outage Dec. 7 that has disrupted websites and services for thousands of users, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

Digital front doors are increasingly common in the healthcare industry and act as a first point of contact for patients accessing care options. Healthcare CIOs say they have potential for growth, according to a report by the Center for Connected Medicine and KLAS Research published Dec. 7. 

Healthcare organizations are struggling to keep up with the changes in care in the last several years like value-based care and virtual care. While no single solution exists to address these complexities, a holistic approach to automation and innovation can help.

At the start of the pandemic, video conferencing apps were seen as a lifeline to support remote workers. Now, CIOs are shifting investments from platforms like Zoom to technologies including artificial intelligence and automation, The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 6. 

Verily, the healthcare and life sciences sister company of Google, recently named Cozi Namer its new head of marketing for health platforms, according to a Dec. 6 LinkedIn post. 

Patient access to care can be best improved by technology in the coming year, hospital leaders said in a report by the Center for Connected Medicine and KLAS Research published Dec. 7. 

Here are seven hospitals and health systems that have announced name changes or other rebranding efforts since Nov. 11. 

Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare teamed up with Meditech to roll out the vendor's cloud-based EHR platform across three New Hampshire hospitals, Meditech said Dec. 7 in a news release. 

Amid rising cyberattacks, more companies are modernizing their IT networks. Here are four actions companies can take to strengthen their IT networks against cyberthreats, according to a Dec. 7 report from The Wall Street Journal: 

An algorithm that is fed data from wearable fitness trackers can alert people of COVID-19 infection or stress before the onset of symptoms, according to a study published Nov. 29 in Nature.

Change Healthcare will lay off 170 employees at its office in Pittsburgh, according to a notice filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

Addressing distrust in the U.S. healthcare system, eliminating structural barriers to access and informing trust through choice and community support are the three most urgent actions the country must take to address COVID-19 vaccine acceptance disparities, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

Here are eight recent health IT vendor contracts and go-lives accelerating innovation efforts at healthcare organizations. 

The use of virtual reality isn't only restricted to gamers but has healthcare applications too, CNBC reported Dec. 4. 

Verona, Wis.-based EHR company Epic and Stanford (Calif.) Medicine are growing separate artificial intelligence and data-based initiatives to improve public health research and get physicians access to patient data insights in real time, The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 3. 

Reno, Nev.-based Renown Health on Dec. 6 partnered with BioIntellisense, a remote patient- monitoring company, to improve in-hospital and at-home care through the use of the company's on-body sensor.

Innovations in artificial intelligence and sensors are helping patients detect and manage chronic health conditions, but not all physicians are fully on board with the popular technology, according to a recent Deloitte report. 

Here are five acquisitions involving  health IT companies in the past six weeks.

Amazon has new job openings related to its health business. Below are 10 positions the company recently posted: