Becker's ASC Review

June Issue of Becker's ASC Review

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8 ASC MANAGEMENT Ransomware attack affects 13,000+ patients' info at Alaska surgical practice By Laura Dyrda P almer, Alaska-based Mat-Su Surgical As- sociates reported a ransomware attack that affected thousands of patients' information. Four things to know: 1. e practice discovered March 16 that some of its files were encrypted and it was unable to access its network system. MSA worked with a forensic investigation team to determine that an unauthor- ized individual may have gained access to files stored on the system, which included protected health information of current and former patients at MSA and Valley Surgical Associates. 2. e investigators could not identify all files that may have been viewed during the security incident. 3. MSA reported to HHS that 13,146 individuals were affected by the ransomware attack, which may have exposed patient names, addresses, Social Security numbers, diagnosis and treatment information. e breached system also included patients' health insurance information, test results and other information related to patient care. 4. MSA specializes in general surgery, endos- copy, advanced laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery. n 90% of surgical volume lost to COVID-19, other challenges remain, Texas orthopedic practice says By Eric Oliver S an Antonio-based TSAOG Orthopaedics lost 90 percent of its surgical volume and half its office visits from mid-March through April, the San Antonio Business Journal reports. The practice attributed the losses to COVID-19 and said that even though elective procedures have resumed in Texas and at the prac- tice, its caseload is just over 50 percent of where it was before the pandemic. The practice said a pair of expansions in the city, including a three-sto- ry ambulatory surgery campus, will continue, but the pace of expan- sion will be affected. The expansion will include a biologics center and research institute for orthopedics. Practice managing partner Sergio Viroslav, MD, told the Business Jour- nal: "If we continue with a gradual ramp-up, I think we are going to be OK. We are still going to proceed, albeit probably on a slower path." n Physician-owned hospital forgives $2.1M in patient medical debt — 4 things to know By Angie Stweart Tulsa (Okla.) ER & Hospital is forgiving $2.1 million of outstanding patient medical debt, according to local ABC affiliate KTUL. Four things to know: 1. Patients don't need to apply for debt relief; they will automatically quali- fy if they received care at the hospital from December through April 1. 2. Tulsa ER & Hospital's debt-forgiveness program will also waive costs for patients whose insurers won't cover out-of-pocket expenses for COVID-19-related treatment. 3. The debt-forgiveness program was established to keep patients from delaying emergency treatment for financial reasons. 4. For emergencies unrelated to COVID-19, the physician-owned hos- pital offers flexible financing options. n

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