Becker's Hospital Review

42 CIO / HEALTH IT HHS mulls changes to HIPAA By Julie Spitzer H HS is considering changes to the way substance abuse and mental health information is protected under HIPAA, GovIn- foSecurity reported. HHS Secretary Alex Azar, during a July 26 speech to the conserva- tive think tank Heritage Foundation, said the agency is looking to reform the healthcare system and is reviewing "regulations that im- pede the ability of doctors, hospitals and payers to coordinate in delivering better care at a lower cost," according to the publication. HHS will soon begin seeking comment on potential changes to HI- PAA and 42 CFR Part 2, the federal privacy law that protects the pri- vacy of substance abuse disorder patients who seek treatment at federally assisted programs. "Following those requests for information, we will be taking regula- tory action to reform these rules," Mr. Azar said. The two privacy laws "are not just impeding value-based arrangements in healthcare. They can also get in the way of communities and families working together to combat our country's crisis of opioid addiction, another top priority for President Trump." Any changes to HIPAA or 43 CFR Part 2 would require HHS to go through a lengthy rulemaking process. n Athenahealth posts $323.3M in Q2 revenue: 4 things to know By Julie Spitzer W atertown, Mass.-based athenahealth saw an eventful sec- ond quarter, including the departure of its co-founder and CEO Jonathan Bush and a takeover bid by activist investor Elliott Management, but the the drama didn't shake up the health IT vendor's earnings results. Here are four highlights from athenahealth's second quarter earn- ings results: 1. The company posted $323.3 million in revenue for the three months ended June 30, up 10 percent from the same period last year. 2. The company's net income was $44.6 million, a significant in- crease from $20.5 million in net income reported during the second quarter of 2017. 3. Athenahealth spent $128.2 million on operating expenses, down from $145.1 million during the same period one year prior. 4. The company's diluted earnings per share for the second quarter was $1.09, compared to $0.51 during the same period last year. The athenahealth board of directors is still deciding whether to sell, merge or continue as an independent company, Jeff Immelt, former GE CEO who now serves as athenahealth's executive chairman, said during the company's second quarter earnings call, according to the Politico Morning eHealth newsletter. n Women in cybersecurity earn 8% less than men By Julie Spitzer T he gender pay gap is prevalent throughout the tech- nology industry, and the cybersecurity sector is no ex- ception, according to a report from Infosec Institute. e IT security training and resources company reviewed several reports on U.S. labor statistics to compile its report titled "Women in Cybersecurity: More Credentials, Less Pay & Even Fewer Opportunities." Infosec used payscale.com to review data from 15 IT and security entry- to senior-level positions at various employ- ers. It found, on average, women earn $103,052 while men earn $111,183 — a difference of 8 percent. Moreover, women comprise just 11 percent of the cyberse- curity workforce, according to a 2017 study cited by the firm. Another study revealed men are nine times more likely to be promoted into a managerial position, and four times more likely to become executives, according to the Infosec report. Part of why women are being le out of the cybersecurity workforce is a lack of interest — 78 percent of young women have never considered a career in the sector, according to a different study cited by Infosec. However, the skills shortage is only deepening, and companies or other leaders should start to seek out women for their cybersecurity team. "While the gender discrimination issues in cybersecurity remain widespread, the industry still holds significant po- tential for women candidates," the report reads. "Women in cybersecurity have the potential to earn far higher salaries than in other roles — doubling, or sometimes tripling the national average for women in other industries. And with 300,000+ open cybersecurity positions today and another 2 million projected openings by 2019, the industry shouldn't just consider more female candidates — it needs them. Desperately." n "While the gender discrimination issues in cybersecurity remain widespread, the industry still holds significant potential for women candidates." — Infosec Institute

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