Tag: cybersecurity

MHA CEO Report — A Year of Progress and Purpose

Member News, MHA Rounds
MHA Rounds image of Brian Peters

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” — Margaret J. WheatleyMHA Rounds graphic of Brian Peters

With another program year behind us, the MHA Annual Meeting served as a powerful reminder of our shared mission to advance the health and well-being of Michigan’s patients and communities. Despite an evolving political landscape, we’ve made meaningful progress and are moving ahead with clear purpose.

As you can imagine, the 2024-2025 MHA program year was marked by busy periods of state legislative activity and various developments at the federal level. We can attribute a tremendous amount of our success to Dr. Julie Yaroch, president of ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital, who served as board chair. Dr. Yaroch’s leadership, clinical expertise and passion for public health had significant impact across countless areas of work.

It’ll come as no surprise that ensuring access to quality healthcare for all Michiganders continued – and continues – to be a priority. This program year, the MHA successfully prevented proposed government mandated nurse staffing ratio legislation from receiving a committee vote. Advocacy efforts also continued around 340B to maintain access to community-based care and prevent drug manufacturer overreach. This resulted in strong bipartisan support for legislation that passed the Michigan Senate and collaboration at the federal level with Senator Debbie Stabenow on the SUSTAIN 340B Act.

I’d be remiss not to mention our response to proposed federal cuts to Medicaid. The MHA, alongside urban and rural members, has prioritized congressional meetings, grassroots communications, coalition efforts and collaboration with state executive leadership to send a strong, clear message: Michigan needs Medicaid.

All that said, playing defense didn’t define our program year. In an effort to grow and develop our healthcare workforce, the MHA successfully hosted the inaugural Healthcare Careers Conversation and led changes to the Michigan Reconnect Program. This resulted in 4,300 students enrolling in short-term healthcare programs, a complement to our ongoing MI Hospital Careers campaign work. Additionally, we pursued state legislation to address provider credentialing delays, secured key amendments to the Earned Sick Time Act and had a hand in proposed changes to the state’s unemployment compensation benefits, among many other employer-related policies.

I’m also incredibly proud to share that we worked with state legislators to design, draft and introduce legislation that makes assaulting a healthcare worker a felony, while tying it to appropriate criminal justice system diversions. Our MHA Keystone Center collaborated to offer active shooter trainings and workplace violence gap analyses to our members while serving as a founding partner of Lawrence Technological University’s Healthcare Violence Reduction Center (HVAC).

We were fortunate to see several MHA priorities included within the FY 2024 state budget, notably a large sum put toward mental and behavioral health. The MHA team successfully secured $8.3 million to launch a competitive grant program for hospital-based peer recovery coach (PRC) programs while leading the charge on a series of impactful prevention and data-driven efforts. Understanding that gaps in behavioral health continue to effect urban and rural hospitals alike, these successes lay the groundwork for what’s ahead.

Emerging technologies and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) reinforced our commitment to addressing cybercrime and strengthening cybersecurity policy. With this in mind, the MHA worked directly with the Michigan Attorney General and state policy leaders to ensure hospitals are reflected as victims of cybersecurity events. Simultaneously, we engaged our MHA Service Corporation, MHA AI Task Force, CFO Council and industry experts to deploy a series of cybersecurity events and resources to members.

I’d like to applaud our teams for handling a handful of unforeseen challenges, including working over the course of many months to address critical supply chain needs following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. We also saw impressive engagement across annual member events, from our MHA Human Resources Conference and MHA Keystone Safety & Quality Symposium to the Healthcare Leadership Academy and Excellence in Governance Fellowship.

These milestones are just a glimpse into what we accomplished together this program year. I’m deeply grateful to our MHA Board of Trustees, members, sponsors, business partners and dedicated MHA staff – your unity and unwavering dedication to this work continues to have a lasting impact.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

MHA Cybersecurity Communications Toolkit Available

Member News

A new MHA-member cybersecurity communications toolkit is now available to assist hospitals and health systems in preparing for and responding to a cyber incident. The available resources are focused on providing guidance in communicating with important external stakeholders outside of a standard hospital cyber incident response plan.

The toolkit includes the following resources:

  • External Audience Contact List
  • External Talking Points
  • Internal Talking Points
  • Media Statement Template
  • Letter to Lawmakers Template
  • Letter to the Michigan Attorney General Template
  • Letter to Insurers Template

These tools are intended to serve as guide for hospitals and health systems and should be customized to best match an organization’s branding, messaging and incident response needs. They were developed based on the experiences and best practices shared through the MHA Health Information Technology Strategy Council, the MHA Cybersecurity and Cyberattack Response member forum and from other state hospital associations.

The toolkit can also be accessed through the MHA Community Site. This website is a secure, online platform that allows MHA-member hospital staff to collaborate and share information.

Members with questions about the toolkit may contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

MHA Keystone Center PSO to Host Two Safe Tables in June

Member News, Patient Safety and Quality

The MHA Keystone Center Patient Safety Organization (PSO) will host two upcoming safe table events in June focused on cybersecurity risk management and regulatory inspections. These events offer healthcare leaders an opportunity to engage in discussions to improve patient safety and reduce harm.

Adapting Clinical Risk Management for Cybersecurity Safe Table scheduled from 12:30 to 4 p.m. June 4 at the MHA Headquarters in Okemos. In partnership with MHA Endorsed Business Partner CyberForce|Q, this session will provide practical insights into building and strengthening a cybersecurity program through effective risk management and strategic planning. Attendees will explore how to identify and address cybersecurity risks, recognize gaps in current systems and incorporate cybersecurity into organizational budgets and strategic planning.

Regulatory Inspections: A Strategic Approach Virtual Safe Table scheduled 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 17 will be hosted virtually. In partnership with the Alliance for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, this session will guide participants in preparing for regulatory authority visits. Attendees will explore best practices for protecting and disclosing Patient Safety Work Product. The discussion will also focus on how participants can implement CMS Patient Safety Structural Measures and participate in PSOs using Patient Safety Act protections.

Participants will learn to recognize regulatory risks, prepare for inspections and understand the role of structural measures in patient safety improvement.

Chief quality officers, chief nursing executives, chief medical officers, chief information services officers, directors of quality improvement, patient safety and risk management are encouraged to register for both safe tables.

Nursing and risk management credits are being pursued for both events.

What is a Safe Table?

Safe tables are valuable opportunities for hospital team members to come together, share ideas with peers, engage in safety discussions and obtain advice to improve or eliminate harm. These events are unique in offering a legally protected confidential environment for discussing sensitive topics.

Members with questions may reach out to the MHA Keystone Center.

MHA Virtual Member Forum Focuses on Cyberattack Response

Member News

The MHA, in conjunction with its statewide Health Information Technology Strategy Committee, is hosting a cybersecurity and cyberattack response virtual member forum from 9:30 to 11 a.m. May 9.

This free, members-only event features six healthcare leaders who will share what they learned during their hospital’s cyberattack incident response. Speakers will discuss preparing for critical patient care needs after a cyberattack, strengthening cybersecurity resilience, prioritizing communications following a cyber breach, and training staff to efficiently respond to a cyberattack.

Chief executive officers, chief information and security officers, health information leaders, chief financial officers, chief medical and nurse officers, directors of communications, public relations and media relations, financial and data leaders are encouraged to register.

Members with questions about MHA membership or webinar registration may contact Brenda Carr at the MHA.

 

MHA Virtual Member Forum on Cybersecurity and Cyberattack Response

Member News

The MHA, in conjunction with its statewide Health Information Technology Strategy Committee, is hosting the virtual member forum Cybersecurity and Cyberattack Response from 9:30 to 11 a.m. May 9 as an ongoing effort to strengthen cybercrime and cybersecurity policy for Michigan hospitals.

This free, members-only event will feature six experts involved in their hospital’s cyberattack incident response, who will discuss detection, containment, eradication and recovery, and crisis communication.

Additionally, panelists will share how they:

  • Detected a cybersecurity incident.
  • Engaged with law enforcement and government entities.
  • Reported data breaches to regulatory bodies.
  • Partnered with vendors to recover data and restore systems.
  • Worked with payers to navigate financial losses.
  • Enabled alternate care protocols for the disabled electronic health record.
  • Communicated with internal staff, stakeholders, patients and the media.

Attendees will also hear more about collaboration with payers and other stakeholders to mitigate disruptions and ensure continuity of care.

Chief executive officers, chief information and security officers, health information leaders, chief financial officers, chief medical and nurse officers, directors of communications, public relations and media relations, and financial and data leaders are encouraged to register.

Members with questions about MHA membership or webinar registration may contact Brenda Carr at the MHA.

MHA CEO Report — Prioritizing Rural Health

MHA Rounds, Issues in Healthcare, Top Issues - Healthcare
MHA Rounds graphic of Brian Peters

“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” – Abraham Lincoln

MHA Rounds graphic of Brian PetersWhile snow continues to fall in northern Michigan, spring is officially here, and for many, that means our weekend travel plans shift from skiing and snowmobiling to camping, hiking and boating. Rural Michigan is an amazing travel destination for many, but it also is home year-round to 20% of our state’s population, and access to affordable, high-quality healthcare remains absolutely crucial. Rural hospitals are an integral part of the local fabric of their communities, treating the ill and improving the health and well-being of their residents. They work extremely hard to make sure they’re able to provide the best quality of care, while operating on a budget with slim to nonexistent margins. In a small town, there is nowhere to hide when the hospital is experiencing challenges of any kind. This is especially true when the hospital is the largest employer in the community and a vital economic engine, which is very often the case in rural Michigan.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual American Hospital Association (AHA) Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, along with a number of MHA senior staff and Michigan rural healthcare leaders, including Tina Freese Decker, CEO of Corewell Health and current chair of the AHA Board of Trustees; Julie Yaroch, DO, CEO of ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital and current chair of the MHA Board of Trustees; and JJ Hodshire, CEO of Hillsdale Hospital, current MHA Board member and host of the Rural Health Today podcast. We focused on the latest rural health challenges and innovations, as well as our shared federal advocacy priorities. Key topics included rural obstetrical care, cybersecurity, long-term care transformation and strategic partnerships.

According to the latest U.S. census and other demographic resources, rural Americans are notably older, sicker and poorer than their urban and suburban counterparts. While rural areas currently cover 97% of the nation’s land, they are home to only 19.3% of the total population. Demographers believe that we are moving toward a future state in which an even higher concentration of the population will be in non-rural settings – and that in the next five years, more than 40% of Michigan counties will have more than a quarter of their population older than 65, with nearly all of those counties being rural. As we have learned – especially during the COVID pandemic – traditional volume-based healthcare reimbursement methods do not adequately address the fixed costs inherent in healthcare delivery, a reality that is exacerbated for rural hospitals with smaller patient volumes and more constricted resources and economies of scale.

Although Medicaid expansion (a major accomplishment resulting from MHA advocacy) improved the viability of rural hospitals – a fact that is borne out when benchmarking Michigan to non-expansion states – that funding is currently in severe jeopardy given the current state of play in Washington, D.C., as discussed at length in last month’s CEO Report. In addition, the 340B program is another critically important part of the rural healthcare ecosystem, as the cost savings from the program are used by healthcare providers to offer critically important services to everyone in their respective communities, regardless of their socioeconomic status. The MHA continues to advocate at the state and federal level, in the legislative arena and in the courts, to protect and defend the 340B program.

With guidance from the MHA Council on Small or Rural Hospitals, currently chaired by Peter Marinoff, CEO of Munson Healthcare Southern Region (see Peter’s recent insights on rural healthcare), and staffed by Lauren LaPine, MHA senior director of Legislative and Public Policy, the MHA is also advocating for continuation of the rural access pool and obstetrical stabilization fund in the state budget, and promoting good public policy with respect to critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals and a host of other key issues.

Our rural healthcare leaders continue to prove they are exceptional at delivering extraordinary value, despite challenging circumstances. I know from first-hand experience that our rural hospitals provide high quality care and deserve to be fully supported. And we absolutely must support them, as the fragility of the current environment is real: there have been some 151 rural hospitals that have closed across the country since 2010 due to financial variables that make it extremely difficult to maintain hospital facilities in rural areas.

Now more than ever, we need to think about our rural hospitals, stand firm and do all we can to protect these vital institutions.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

MHA CEO Report — A Program Year in Review

Issues in Healthcare, Top Issues - Healthcare, MHA Rounds
MHA Rounds graphic of Brian Peters

“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don’t do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”  — Vince Lombardi

MHA Rounds image of Brian PetersI am pleased to share we just completed a successful MHA Annual Meeting, continuing a long-standing June tradition whereby we celebrate the conclusion of one MHA program year, and prepare for the next. Each program year is unique with the different challenges it presents. At this point five years ago, no one could have predicted how the emergence of COVID-19 would flip healthcare on its head and drastically alter the tactical objectives of our association. However, there is a constant: the MHA continues to rise to any challenge presented to us and we deliver results for our membership to improve the health and wellness of individuals and communities.

The 2023-2024 program year focused intensely on workforce, viability and behavioral health, while addressing the various “wildcard” issues that always come up. We were led with great wisdom and compassion by Shannon Striebich, president and CEO, Trinity Health Michigan, as our board chair. Due to Shannon’s commitment and leadership, the MHA accomplished numerous highly successful and impactful outcomes on behalf of our members.

One of the most significant challenges in this past year was the threat posed by government-mandated nurse staffing ratio legislation. This proposed policy had the potential to dramatically reduce access to care for individuals throughout the state. Our advocacy on the issue lasted throughout the entire year but was highlighted by an Advocacy Day we hosted in September that featured more than 150 hospital representatives, primarily consisting of nurse leaders, who came to the Capitol and conducted 118 meetings with lawmakers that day. Later in the year, the MHA successfully advocated our position at a committee hearing, where more than 60 supporters attended on very short notice to push back on false narratives and to support alternative nurse staffing solutions. As a result of our efforts, no committee votes have been scheduled, and momentum on this harmful legislation has been effectively stalled.

While we had to play defense against this harmful proposed legislation, the MHA spent the program year actively engaged in workforce development and efforts to grow the healthcare talent pipeline. The MHA worked with stakeholders to implement new funding designed to expand access to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees through partnerships between community colleges and four-year universities, while also engaged in partnerships with other organizations to promote healthcare careers, increase clinical faculty and nurse preceptors, address high turnover rates in rural areas and promote healthcare career options. We continued our award-winning healthcare career marketing campaign designed to attract future workers and also redeployed our annual hospital workforce survey that shows the efforts of Michigan hospitals to recruit, retain and train healthcare workers is making a real difference. Finally, we hired our first-ever chief nursing officer at the MHA, which is already strengthening our ties to the nursing community throughout the state.

The viability of hospitals was another key focus and was largely supported through our legislative advocacy work. MHA funding priorities continued to be protected in the state budget, which includes $163 million for graduate medical education, $45 million for traditional disproportionate share hospitals, $15 million through the rural access pool and an additional $8 million for the obstetrical stabilization fund. The fiscal year 2024 budget also included $60 million annually to support hospitals with Level I and II trauma centers and $34 million annually to support hospitals that provide inpatient psychiatric care. Besides state funding, the MHA protected Medicaid funding, medical liability, the 340B drug pricing program and certificate of need.

The MHA is also intricately involved in in addressing the behavioral health crisis plaguing our state and country. Expanding access to care is a key focus, which included the MHA administrating a $50 million grant program to expand access to pediatric inpatient behavioral health services. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is a close partner in this work and the MHA participated in the MDHHS Advisory Committee on the creation of a psychiatric bed registry. The MHA launched a new member ED boarding survey to quantify the number of patients struggling with behavioral health access in the emergency department and the MHA is using this data when engaging with lawmakers, stakeholders and the public to explain the scope of the program. These learnings informed the creation of a four-bill package of legislation to address board-identified issues in the behavioral and mental health system, such as coverage parity and community mental health shortcomings.

Much of the work in the past year has focused on maternal and infant health and improving maternal health and birth outcomes. And I am pleased to share that our MHA Board of Trustees just approved the full slate of recommendations emanating from the MHA Community Access to Health Task Force, giving us the support to continue this important journey together.

And as usual, we effectively dealt with a long list of “wildcard” issues that emerged during the program year, including drug shortages, guardianship, infection control, patient transport, population growth and safety and quality. We also continued to strengthen our efforts related to the growing cybersecurity threat. Indeed, the Change Healthcare cyberattack was one of the largest and most impactful attacks ever seen and served as a clear reminder of the importance of our work in this space.

At our Annual Meeting, I spoke to our attendees about “the power of zero.” In the 2023-2024 program year, the following were true:

  • The number of Michigan acute care community hospitals and health systems that are not members of our association is zero. We have everyone at the table, which allows us to speak with one powerful, united voice.
  • We passed 39 MHA-supported bills through the state legislature that were enacted into law, with five more on their way to the governor for her signature. The number of MHA-opposed bills that made their way to the finish line was zero.
  • The MHA now has a full-time chief medical officer and a full-time chief nursing officer (as noted above). How many other state hospital associations can say this? Zero.
  • And most importantly, how many other associations – in any sector – are as relevant, as impactful, as mission-driven and successful as the MHA? I believe that number is zero.

I would like to recognize and thank our outstanding MHA Board of Trustees, our members, sponsors and business partners, but most of all, our incredible MHA staff for coming together to achieve such tremendous results for the patients and communities we collectively serve. I hope you will take the opportunity to celebrate these results with us.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

Update: Rural Cybersecurity Program

Issues in Healthcare

The White House held a briefing on June 14 with representatives from Google and Microsoft to elaborate on the cybersecurity program being offered to rural communities. These initiatives are designed to improve cybersecurity measures for rural hospitals across the United States.

Microsoft is extending its nonprofit program to provide rural hospitals with up to a 75% discount on productivity and security solutions, including Microsoft Office 365. Larger hospitals already using Microsoft Office 365 will receive a year of advanced security solutions at no extra cost. Additionally, Microsoft is offering free security assessments for rural hospitals to identify vulnerabilities and strategic guidance for addressing them. They are also providing training and skill-building opportunities for IT and compliance employees. Microsoft is committed to collaborating closely with rural hospitals and has initiated an innovation lab to explore technology solutions for streamlining processes like revenue recapture. Hospitals interested in participating can register through the Microsoft Cybersecurity Program for Rural Hospitals intake form, which is available online.

Google is launching several initiatives to enhance cybersecurity for rural hospitals. They will provide endpoint security advice free of charge and offer funding to support software migration. Google will initiate a pilot program with rural hospitals to develop customized security capabilities tailored to their unique needs. Furthermore, Google is investing in cybersecurity clinics, educational institutions to assist small and underserved rural health systems. These clinics will educate students and provide direct support to rural hospitals. They will offer Chrome Enterprise Premium and Chrome OS Flex to rural health systems in the United States, as well as consulting services and financial assistance. Google Workspace, their collaboration and productivity suite, will be provided to rural health systems with AI security add-ons, facilitating zero trust implementation and ensuring all threats coming through email are detonated in the cloud. Additionally, Google is partnering with Mandiant to offer on-demand training courses and mentorship programs through the health ISAC to enhance threat intelligence skills and information sharing within the healthcare sector. Finally, Google plans to pilot a consulting program for five rural health systems, focusing on developing refined security technologies and services tailored to their needs. Interested parties can contact rural-health@google.com for more information or to participate in these programs.

The federal government is taking action to support healthcare cybersecurity through initiatives like the Department of Health and Human Services’ cybersecurity gateway website, which offers guidance and best practices. Additionally, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health is investing over $50 million to develop tools for patching software vulnerabilities in healthcare systems.

Members with questions may contact Lauren LaPine at the MHA.

Cybersecurity Resources Available to Assist Rural Hospitals

Member News

The White House announced collaborative efforts June 10 aimed at strengthening cybersecurity for rural hospitals across the United States. Through this collaboration, Microsoft and Google announced a series of initiatives to provide free or discounted cybersecurity services.

Microsoft is extending its nonprofit program to offer grants and up to a 75% discount on security products tailored for smaller organizations, such as independent Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Emergency Hospitals. Larger rural hospitals already using eligible Microsoft solutions will receive the most advanced security suite at no additional cost for one year. Additionally, Microsoft will provide free cybersecurity assessments and training to frontline and IT staff in eligible rural hospitals. Microsoft will also extend security updates for Windows 10 to participating hospitals for one year at no cost.

Google will provide rural hospitals and non-profit organizations with endpoint security advice at no cost, along with funding to support software migration. Furthermore, Google will launch a pilot program with rural hospitals to develop customized security capabilities tailored to their unique needs. More information on these programs is forthcoming.

The American Hospital Association released a special bulletin June 10 summarizing these efforts.

Members with questions may contact Lauren LaPine at the MHA.

MHA Hosts Successful Cybersecurity Tabletop

Member News
MHA Events
Attendees and presenters during the Tabletop Training and Incident Response Workshop at the MHA Headquarters.

The MHA hosted the Enhancing Your Cybersecurity: Tabletop Training and Incident Response Workshop May 22 with MHA Endorsed Business Partner (EBP) CyberForce|Q. CyberForce|Q representatives Alex Sabin, technical success leader, and Terrance McCoy, participant success engineer, guided participants through three critical phases of a simulated cyber-attack:

  1. Intricacies of social engineering aimed at the IT Help Desk.
  2. Complexities of living-off-the-land attacks.
  3. Challenges of detecting and preventing data exfiltration techniques.

Workshop attendees experienced a sense of challenge during tabletop exercises, identifying potential unnoticed gaps in an Incident Response Plan. They engaged in hands-on group activities, providing a tangible understanding of potential cyber-attacks and enabling collaborative discussions within teams to refine decision-making processes and procedures. Additionally, they gained a profound understanding of the critical significance of roles, responsibilities and communication protocols in effective incident response.

With over 25 years of experience in providing cybersecurity services, CyberForce|Q has developed and implemented quantifiable programs that assess and execute safety measures for organizations of all sizes, with proven results. Learn more about the MHA’s partnership with CyberForce|Q from John Kelley, regional sales director – Midwest.

Members with questions should contact Rob Wood at the MHA.