Cybersecurity in Healthcare: Why Response and Recovery Matter

The healthcare sector is one of the industries most targeted by cybercriminals, who exploit the sensitive and valuable data of patients, providers, and payers. According to?a recent report by IBM , the average cost of a data breach in healthcare was nearly $11 million in 2023, the highest of any industry. Moreover, the digital transformation of healthcare systems has increased the complexity and exposure of their IT infrastructure.

While prevention is a crucial aspect of cybersecurity, it is not enough to protect healthcare provider organizations from cyberattacks. No matter how robust the security measures are, there is always a possibility of a breach. Therefore, healthcare organizations need to focus on response and recovery capability, which is the ability to detect, contain, analyze, and remediate a cyber incident, as well as restore normal operations and mitigate the impact.

Response and recovery capability can help healthcare organizations to:

• Reduce the downtime and disruption caused by a cyberattack, which can affect patient care, revenue, and reputation.
• Minimize the financial and legal consequences of a data breach, which can include regulatory fines, lawsuits, and loss of trust.
• Learn from the incident and improve the security posture and resilience of the organization.
• Lower the costs of cyber insurance coverage, which have increased significantly due to the rising number and severity of cyberattacks on healthcare. Insurance companies may begin to offer discounts or incentives for healthcare organizations that can demonstrate well thought out prevention and recovery strategies

Building response and recovery capability requires a proactive and far-reaching approach that involves people, processes, and technology.

>>> Read the full article and find out how to build response and recovery capability.

The Road to Consolidating Over 120 EHR and IS Applications After an Acquisition

Following an acquisition, our client sought to integrate their health systems by consolidating all Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Information System (IS) support applications. Recognizing the significance of a smooth transition, they strategically chose to partner with Divurgent, confident that together, they would achieve successful application consolidation, leading to increased revenue and reduced payment time. Every project milestone was completed on time and within budget, culminating in a flawless post go-live period without incidents.

>>> Learn More About Our Client's 110% Revenue Increase Post-Acquisition

For 11th Year, Divurgent Named One of the “Best Places to Work in Healthcare”

Divurgent, a leader in healthcare IT advisory, proudly announces its selection to Modern Healthcare’s “Best Places to Work in Healthcare” for an eleventh year. The accolade highlights Divurgent’s commitment to creating a workplace culture that fosters innovation through inclusion and collaboration.

The award program identifies and recognizes outstanding employers in the healthcare industry nationwide. Modern Healthcare partners with Workforce Research Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey.

>>> Read more about the Modern Healthcare Accolade

From Our Knowledge Center

Achieving Digital Maturity With Divurgent’s Assessment Guidance

Divurgent and its client turned a perceived “checkbox task” into a resounding achievement, setting a new standard for their digital maturity in healthcare.

>>> Read More

Empowering Women’s Health With Digital Solutions

In recent years, a trove of new digital solutions have arrived in the hands of an often overlooked and digitally forgotten patient population: women.

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The Vurge Podcast ft. Chuck Podesta

Listen now for the details on Renown Health's IT transformation with CIO Chuck Podesta and host Rebecca Woods, in the latest episode of the Vurge podcast.

Podesta is a game-changing CIO (as well as a marathoner and Western wear model) whose strategies not only reduced spending, but also enhanced operational efficiency and fostered employee engagement.?

>>> Listen to the Vurge

Be Our Guest on The Vurge Podcast

Want to join us on the air for an in-depth conversation about healthcare's biggest challenges and how innovative leaders are using tech to overcome them? Schedule a conversation with host Rebecca Woods about joining the podcast.?

>>> Schedule an Interview

The What, So What, Now What?

Rebounding Healthcare M&A Activity in 2024

The What

Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity has significantly impacted the healthcare industry in recent years. Despite a slowdown in M&A activity in 2023 (with a 7% drop in healthcare mergers compared to the first half of 2022), there’s an expectation for more healthcare mergers in 2024. Things have gotten off to strong start:?the first quarter of 2024 saw a significant rise in hospital M&A activity , with the highest number of transactions since 2020, according to RevCycleIntelligence.

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So What

This increase in M&A activity is important because it's shaping the future of healthcare delivery in a number of ways. Consolidation can lead to better-resourced healthcare systems, which could benefit patients, while acquisitions focused on technology and newer areas like telehealth could lead to efficiencies and increased accessibility. But mergers and acquisitions are complex and challenging for the firms involved. They spur important decisions on most aspects of operations, including strategy and budgeting for IT applications and services, data strategy and governance, and shifting to cloud-based services. And regulatory bodies will be watching closely for the effect on patient choice and healthcare costs.

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Now What?

So how do firms overcome these challenges and leverage the benefits of increased scale? A significant part of the answer is having a plan to manage change and the right team to implement it. M&A often leads to initiatives around organizational change management (OCM). The Divurgent team has deep experience in M&A and OCM and is positioned to help providers navigate a changed landscape. We've helped practitioners across our ever-evolving industry to manage organizational change, learn new skills, and adapt to improved workflows. Reach out for a conversation on how we can assist with your merger or acquisition plans.??

>>> Learn about Divurgent's M&A IT Services

Celebrating Pride Month

June is Pride Month, and we're joining the global celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

Looking for ideas on how to celebrate in your workplace? Visit our post in the Knowledge Center for tips on LGBTQ-owned retailers, incorporating digital pride themes, and more. ?

>>> 8 Ideas for Celebrating Pride Month in the Workplace