Shows
The 229 PodcastWelcome Lori Boisjoli, 229Project's Newest PrincipalOctober 22, 2026: Lori Boisjoli has sat at 229 tables as a CIO. Now she is joining 229Project as a Principal, and this conversation with Bill Russell is her welcome to the community. She learned BASIC in high school, took a coding job at IDX in Burlington, Vermont, and soon decided she could not just sit in a cube. She later became CIO of the six-hospital University of Vermont Health system, which went through a cyber attack nearly five years ago. Other CIOs still ask her to share that experience with their executives, sometimes to "scare the hell out of our C-suite."
2026-10-2221 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordThe Ransomware Rescuer Who Paid the Hackers | 2 Minute Drill with Drex DeFordA Florida ransomware "recovery" company promised victims they'd never have to pay the hackers. Prosecutors say it was quietly paying them all along, then billing clients two times or more the actual ransom: more than $19 million billed to hundreds of companies from 2018 to 2023, with more than $8 million paid to cybercriminals. Drex walks through the MonsterCloud story, from a 2016 researcher sting to an October 7 not-guilty plea in federal court in Brooklyn, and why it matters for healthcare. Who's your incident response firm, is it on retainer and coordinated with your cyber insurer, and does your contract say in writing that...
2026-10-2104 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordWho Gave the Bot Your Password | Newsday with 229ProjectOctober 19, 2026: Bill Russell and Drex DeFord. Sarah Richardson was flying to Tampa.
Over the weekend, an agent logged into Delta as Bill Russell and moved him to seat 10F. He checked the browser and the IP address. Neither one showed a bot.
He can give the bot its own login and its own permissions. He cannot tell whether someone skipped that and handed over the password they already use. Drex DeFord named the job that has not been created yet: a vice president for non-human resources. Onboard the bot, train it, give it an identity...
2026-10-1934 minThe 229 PodcastLast 3 Years Outgrew the Previous 20 | Executive Interview with Jim JacobsOctober 14, 2026: Jim Jacobs, President and CEO at MediQuant, sits with Bill Russell. Cold storage looks cheap until a team has to open the file. The last 3 years of MediQuant's own archive are greater than the previous 20-odd years, back to 1999. Bill asks what it costs a health system to leave an old system running.
Jim has seen the monthly bill go up after too much data moved to the cheap tier. The use case has to be planned before the data moves. Older revenue-cycle data can sit for retention. Imaging, DICOM, and sleep studies are a different...
2026-10-1419 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordI Don't Always Patch. When I Do, It's in Production. | Newsday with 229ProjectOctober 12, 2026: Bill Russell and Drex DeFord. Sarah Richardson is in the air for Philadelphia. The week is one argument: the attack got cheap, and the controls around the tool did not keep up.
The number is $700. Drex described a dark-web package that weaponizes a fresh patch for a buyer who does not understand it. At the regional staff roundtables, the matching line was a meme they were no longer joking about. They patch in production, with a plan to roll back, because the test window is gone.
Citrix had shipped another emergency NetScaler build that...
2026-10-1235 minThe 229 PodcastThe Clerical Work Should Leave the Visit | The 229 Podcast with Michal NedoszytkoOctober 8, 2026: Michal Nedoszytko, Member of Clinical Staff at Abridge, sits down with Bill Russell. He is a cardiologist. He practiced in Belgium and Poland for 17 years. As an intern he was making 50 lab sheets a day. He says a PDF generator took that from 25 minutes to about 2 minutes, and the cardiology department started using it. In 2013 the Ministry of Health in Poland required reimbursement amounts on paper prescriptions, from a spreadsheet of about 15,000 medications. He built a site for that. He says about 100,000 doctors a month still use it, almost 15 years later. He says 13,000 people applied to an Anthropic...
2026-10-0840 minThe 229 Podcast7,500+ Experts. One Version of Clinical Truth | Executive Interview with Yaw FellinOctober 7, 2026: Yaw Fellin, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Clinical Decision Support and Provider Solutions at Wolters Kluwer Health, sits with Bill Russell. Clinicians used to come to UpToDate for an answer. He is building that evidence into the workflow, including Epic's Art, with 7,500-plus expert contributors behind it. Bill asks what a CIO puts in place so every agent lands on one version of clinical truth.
At Becker's, a clinician using one of the large AI suites thought she knew every medication that patient was on. The system found one in the chart that was not...
2026-10-0725 minUnHack with Drex DeFord10-15% of the Beds Cannot Be Scheduled. | Newsday with Venkat Kavarthapu and 229ProjectOctober 5, 2026: Venkat Kavarthapu, CEO of Symplr, joins Bill Russell and Drex DeFord. The argument is about where AI time goes. Bill cites a study that put individual productivity up about 20 percent, and asks whether a faster IT administrator sees another patient. Drex's sticking point is the missing link to the CFO: less spend, or more revenue.
Venkat's picture comes from a CFO at a large system. Ten to 15 percent of the beds sit unused, on lock, unable to be scheduled. He puts the cause upstream. Credentialing a physician takes 120 to 180 days. Shrink that, and the capacity can...
2026-10-0528 minThe 229 PodcastThe First Acute System on Epic Orchard | The 229 Podcast with John McDanielOctober 1, 2026: John McDaniel, CIO at Trinity Health in Minot, North Dakota, sits down with Sarah Richardson. Trinity is the first acute system on Epic Orchard. The region is rural, about a 120-mile radius, and recruiting and educating an implementation team was the hard part. Epic handles the third-party contracts and the upgrades. Discovery replaced an RFP. More than 300 people, about 10 percent of the organization, took part. John says 97.9 percent chose Epic. He also says undercoded care was about $36 million a year. He chairs the AI council and can say no.
Key Points:
0:00 The first acute...
2026-10-0121 minUnHack with Drex DeFordA Finance Analyst's Agent, That No One Owns | Newsday with Elbridge Locklear and 229ProjectSeptember 28, 2026: Sarah Richardson with Elbridge Locklear, former CIO and now in the 229 Legacy Program. A finance analyst, knowledgeable in finance, goes out and creates an agent. Elbridge has no knowledge of it. The agent can call other skills, including a way around security restrictions. 86% of leaders say they can govern agents. His question is how, if there is no inventory.Key Points:0:00 86% Confident. No Inventory.0:30 San Diego: Who Owns the AI?4:15 Cloudticity6:24 Ping Identity7:29 Centralization Is Not Standardization13:34 72% Deployed Without IT Approval
2026-09-2822 min
The 229 PodcastWe Got Over 600 Ideas in a Week | The 229 Podcast with Derek De YoungSeptember 24, 2026: Bill Russell sits down with Derek De Young of Epic, the research and development lead Judy named as owner of Agent Factory at UGM. What CIOs keep calling a low-code builder is still a development preview. Epic staff are building alongside the sites. Early adopter is a checklist at the end of October. GA is a Q1/Q2 goal. One webinar produced over 600 ideas in a week. Inova ran measles chart reviews 15 times faster and asked to share the agent. Two teams at the first build-a-thon built the same job: $1.10 a run vs 10 cents.
Key Points:
2026-09-2454 minUnHack with Drex DeFordMy EHR Numbers Went Up 9,000% | Newsday with 229ProjectSeptember 21, 2026: Bill Russell and Sarah Richardson. Dario Amodei wants labs to pace the frontier. The operator version: the more AI you put on an EHR you cannot see, the more it can feel like a denial of service. CIOs at the front of ambient are seeing request volume up 9,000%, because the tool that used to write a note is now pulling the longitudinal record and hitting RevCycle. Sarah's question from New Orleans: how do you even tabletop an agent swarm.
Key Points:
0:00 AI without a view can DOS your EHR
0:21 Newsday open
2026-09-2128 min
The 229 Podcast56% Fewer IV Harm Events. 2,000 Hours Back to the Bedside | The 229 Podcast with Jennifer Jones, Kay Burke, and Rachael HillSeptember 17, 2026: Jennifer Jones (former system CNIO and VP, Integris Health), Kay Burke (VP and CNIO, UCSF Health), and Rachael Hill (CNIO and Director of Clinical Systems, North Mississippi Health Services) sit down with Sarah Richardson. What changes when clinical informatics helps shape enterprise strategy from the beginning, not after the technology is already chosen. Jennifer's IV pump work cut adverse infusion events 56%, returned 2,000 nursing hours, and avoided about $500,000 in harm cost.
Key Points:
0:00 Why the CNIO belongs at the strategy table
4:20 Harmony HIT
4:50 Informatics in from the start
8:12 Don't...
2026-09-1742 minThe 229 Podcast22 Agents in 12 Months | Solution Showcase with UTMBSeptember 16, 2026: Nish Khandwala, Co-Founder and CEO of Bunkerhill Health, and Dr. Peter McCaffrey, Chief Digital and AI Officer at UTMB Health, join Bill Russell. UTMB started with an FDA-cleared incidental coronary artery calcium algorithm. The next question was the workflow: who sees the flag, who acts, do you hire a navigator. Agents now pull the image, the chart context, and the downstream tasks. In 12 months UTMB went from one live agent to 22 on a single instance: missed patients, prior auth, care pathways, referral access.Key Points:0:00 Open0:06 Solution Showcase0:39 What Bunkerhill...
2026-09-1623 minUnHack with Drex DeFordPatient Portals Are Wiped Out in 3 Years | Newsday with 229ProjectSeptember 14, 2026: Bill Russell and Sarah Richardson. The fight is the intelligence layer on top of the EHR. Epic put Art, Emmy, and Penny on the table. ChatGPT already pulled USCDI over FHIR at UCSF. Bill's read: CIOs did not open those APIs. 21st Century Cures did. The loser is the patient portal. He gives it 3 years. Appointments go through the AI. NCH, tiny, is already running a ChatGPT-like persona with nurse triage.Key Points:0:00 Patient portals, wiped out in 3 years0:24 Newsday open1:48 Who owns the intelligence layer4:44 Cloudticity
2026-09-1430 minThe 229 PodcastIf You've Seen One Discharge, You've Seen One Discharge | The 229 Podcast with Sherri HessSeptember 10, 2026: Sherri Hess (former VP and Chief Nursing Informatics Officer, HCA Healthcare) sits down with Sarah Richardson. Not enough nurses on the acute-care floor. Too much admission and discharge work sitting on the people who were already there. Virtual nursing left the first unit in 3 to 4 months. The hard part was adding FTEs, not buying the cart. If you have seen one discharge, you have seen one discharge.
Key Points:
0:00 One operational problem
2:22 Tegria
3:05 If you've seen one discharge
6:23 Start on one unit
8:14 Night nurses wanted 24 hours
2026-09-1018 minUnHack with Drex DeFordChatGPT Did Not Come Through Epic's Front Door | Newsday with 229ProjectSeptember 7, 2026: Bill Russell and Sarah Richardson take the ChatGPT-UCSF headline apart. Silicon Valley called it game over. Bill's read: they did not come through Epic's front door. Read-only USCDI over FHIR. No write-back. No warranty. A badly built agent can fire 75 API calls into production Epic and slow the EHR. Doctors want a predictable system.Key Points:0:00 Does it really change everything?0:16 Newsday open2:48 Tegria3:17 ChatGPT at UCSF6:51 75 calls into production Epic12:54 UGM in CIO quotes20:28 340,000 applicants and Rangers31:23 An 8% margin...
2026-09-0735 minThe 229 PodcastIf I Took It Out Today, Would an Outcome Change? | The 229 Podcast with Diane Constantine, Cathy Patterson, and Vicki SergentSeptember 3, 2026: Diane Constantine (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia), Cathy Patterson (Banner Health), and Vicki Sergent (Froedtert ThedaCare Health) sit down with Sarah Richardson. If an innovation saves clinician time, prevents harm, and improves the patient experience, but cannot produce a clean 12-month ROI, does it deserve to scale? Cathy's test: if she took it out today, would an outcome change. Vicki's MyChart Bedside was supposed to take a year of phased rollouts. Innovation-unit nurses adopted it hard enough that the system was up in three months. Diane will not manufacture a dollar value for rare pediatric harm. She will measure...
2026-09-0333 minUnHack with Drex DeFord43% Will Let an AI Give Patients Medical Advice | Newsday with 229ProjectAugust 31, 2026: Bill Russell, Sarah Richardson, and Drex DeFord come off a pulse survey of 246 health system leaders. Where the AI cannon points next: patient access and revenue cycle, 86 votes each. Bill's read: you have to win on the financial side before you get licensed to do anything else. Then 43% said AI assistants will be available to most of their patients. 4% said they will not. A clinician CIO at the forum had just flagged a MyChart golf answer as medical advice.Key Points:03:32 Pulse survey04:39 Where the money is going06:45 Governance vs...
2026-08-3137 minThe 229 PodcastEpic's Pace Is Blistering: Can You Absorb the Roadmap? | Newsday with 229ProjectAugust 24, 2026: Bill Russell, Sarah Richardson, and Drex DeFord debrief Epic UGM from the week they were in the room. Last year was aspirational. This year has a roadmap, and the pace is blistering enough to consume an entire IT shop. Drex's read: a lot of CIOs have already conceded technical innovation to Epic. What is left is implementation, scale, and governance. Sarah's test: distinguish integration from dependency. The constraint is not whether Epic can ship. It is how much you can absorb, what it costs, and whether operations will own the work.Key Points:00:00 Epic...
2026-08-2432 minThe 229 Podcast50 Agents on Paper. An Audit Finds 76. | Newsday with 229ProjectAugust 17, 2026: Bill Russell, Drex DeFord, and Sarah Richardson come off a road week and into Epic UGM. Ask a shop how many agents they have deployed. They might say 50. An audit turns up 76. Every frontier lab just said their model got out of the sandbox, and health systems are about to invite the same class of software inside the four walls. Pete Marks at Wake Med cut 20 applications, then the inventory went up. Bill's test is older than AI: an electrician wanted a 300-amp service because of square footage. Square footage uses zero amps. A CIO needs enough knowledge...
2026-08-1725 minThe 229 PodcastHealthcare Doesn't Move in Seconds | Newsday with 229ProjectAugust 10, 2026: Bill Russell and Drex DeFord preview Epic UGM (Sarah is on a plane to Charlottesville). Bill opens with the reframe that sets the lens for the whole episode: don't mistake a single big announcement for the real pace of change — healthcare moves in months and years, not seconds. Then the preview itself: AI and Agent Factory framed around clinician experience, ambient documentation a year after the freeze, the Bridge/Epic interoperability standoff and the 3-year hedge, the entire state of Washington on Epic, pharmacy as Epic's next growth line, and the leadership exodus — including Bill's real odds on Judy...
2026-08-1428 min
The 229 PodcastFrom Potholes to Piglets, 30 Years of Health IT Lessons| The 229 Podcast with CT Lin, MDAugust 13, 2026: CT Lin, MD, spent 30 years at UC Health, the last stretch as Chief Medical Information Officer, before stepping into his next chapter as Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado and first-time author. His new book, “It’s Not About the Tech: From Potholes to Piglets, Real-Life Lessons in Health IT,” argues that health IT success is 80 percent people and 20 percent technology, a lesson he learned by failing loudly and often. Lin tells Sarah Richardson about the radiology order set that accidentally triggered a hospital-wide outbreak of "acromegaly," the identity crisis of losing a CMIO title after three...
2026-08-1324 minThe 229 PodcastTurning Staffing Into an Advantage | Solution Showcase with Allison Morin and Marguerite CunninghamAugust 12, 2026: Marguerite Cunningham, VP/CNIO & VP Nursing at Inova Health, and Allison Morin, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer at Symplr, join Sarah Richardson to unpack how workforce management stopped being a scheduling problem and became an executive one. Maggie shares how Inova's Smart Square rollout, born out of pandemic urgency, forced the system to build real governance around staffing instead of just automating a spreadsheet. Allison brings the national view: predictive accuracy up to 97.5 percent, contingency spend cut nearly in half, and a shift from descriptive to prescriptive workforce management. Key Points:01:22 Roles and Why It M...
2026-08-1222 minThe 229 PodcastI Gave You Dollars. You Gave Me Capacity. | Newsday with The 229ProjectAugust 7, 2026: Bill Russell sits down with Eric Utzinger (Revuud) while Sarah and Drex are out. The H1 2026 Signal Index put competing priorities and not enough capacity at the top of the list for 54% of leaders — and 43% said budgets are flat or declining. On this Newsday they dig into why AI ROI still feels muddy: tools return hours, not line-item dollars, and the CFO still needs the exchange rate. Along the way: operational transformation with real proof points, growth without growing, and a hard look at who actually belongs at the strategic table — including Bill on why an outside-only CIO hire...
2026-08-1026 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordThe Teen Behind Scattered Spider - and How Windows Caught Him | 2 Minute Drill with Drex DeFordA teenager who flaunted stacks of cash and a diamond "Hack the planet" necklace online turned out to be one of the most damaging cybercriminals on the planet. Peter Stokes, known as Bouquet, was part of Scattered Spider — the crew behind breaches at MGM Resorts, Visa, Twilio, Dior, and Louis Vuitton. He mastered every trick for staying anonymous, but a hidden Windows fingerprint called the Global Device Identifier helped investigators tie his aliases to his real identity across every platform he touched. Stokes was arrested this spring at a Finland airport and extradited to the US. Drex breaks down ho...
2026-08-0604 min
The 229 PodcastPreparing for the 900 million dollar squeeze hitting healthcare IT | Newsday on This Week HealthAugust 3, 2026: Bill Russell, Drex DeFord, and Sarah Richardson are fresh off a run of academic medical center events in Chicago, and the number that kept coming up in every room was staggering: $900 million in projected revenue coming out of the healthcare system over the next three years. On this episode of Newsday, the trio unpacks what that pressure is doing to CIOs, CMIOs, and revenue cycle leaders alike, from Epic anxiety and AI idea overload to the physician who quietly found her health system hundreds of millions of dollars. It's a rare, unfiltered look inside three rooms most executives...
2026-08-0324 min
The 229 PodcastIs 2026 the Year Patients Finally Own Their Data? | The 229 Podcast with John HelveyJune 30, 2026: John Helvey, CEO of SacValley MedShare, has spent five-plus years building one of California's leading regional health information exchanges. He sits down with Sarah Richardson to unpack why national data networks still fall short: patient-matching gaps, geofencing blind spots, and the 60 to 90 seconds patients and providers spend waiting for data that should already be there. John explains how his team is turning raw interoperable data into something clinicians can actually use, why health systems need better incentives to share, and what it will take to build a true patient-centered data home.Key Points:01:44 Why...
2026-07-3025 min
The 229 PodcastWho Really Owns Healthcare's AI Future? | Newsday with This Week HealthJuly 27, 2026: Bill Russell, Drex DeFord, and Sarah Richardson break down a week's worth of headlines, starting with Bill’s AI musings on the future "workhorse" models built for speed over depth. The conversation turns serious fast: healthcare doesn't own its AI platforms; it rents them, and that dependency carries real resilience risk. They dig into who's actually accountable when AI gets a clinical decision wrong, unpack the first fully autonomous ransomware attack, and revisit why CIOs keep reacting to agendas instead of setting them.Key Points:05:16 Platform First and Shadow AI13:13 Owning the Ha...
2026-07-2732 min
The 229 PodcastHow Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Built a Movement | The 229 Podcast with Liz ScottJuly 23, 2026: Liz Scott is the co-executive director of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, founded by her daughter, Alex, a four-year-old cancer patient who promised to raise money for kids "like her." What started as a single lemonade stand has grown into a movement with over 15,700 community fundraisers and hundreds of research grants funded every year. Bill Russell and Sarah Richardson sit down with Liz to explore how a pure, tragic story became a national movement, what a $100 donation actually funds a decade later, and why she still hasn't burned out after 20 years of building something bigger than grief....
2026-07-2329 min
The 229 PodcastBrowser-First Security Rethink Health System CISOs Need | Google Friday with Bill ReidJuly 10, 2026: Bill Reid, Healthcare and Life Sciences Lead in the Office of the CISO at Google, has spent his career working with health system security leaders, and he keeps running into the same blind spot: healthcare is underestimating the browser as an attack surface. Drex DeFord sits down with Bill to explore why the shift from thick client infrastructure to a secure, browser-first endpoint model is no longer theoretical. It is what resilient health systems are building. From managing transient clinical staff to simplifying a fractured endpoint environment, Bill makes the case for why the browser is the future...
2026-07-1009 min
The 229 PodcastThe Directionless AI Phenomenon and the Technology IT Can’t Say No to | NewsdayJuly 6, 2026: Bill Russell, Drex DeFord, and Sarah Richardson are back from four executive summits in Napa, covering CIOs, Chief Application Officers, Chief Analytics Officers, and CNIOs. The through-line across every room? AI pressure is intense, budget cuts are real, and a clear leadership vision is nearly impossible to find. From nurses being left out of decisions they should be driving, to analytics leaders managing a shadow IT explosion, to health systems already quietly building agents for referrals and claims, this is an unfiltered read on where health IT actually stands right now.Key Points:
2026-07-0622 min
The 229 PodcastWhy the Browser Is Your Health System's Biggest Security Gap | Google Fridays with Andrew RolloWhy the Browser Is Your Health System's Biggest Security Gap | Google Fridays with Andrew RolloJuly 3, 2026: Andrew Rollo, Sales Engineer at Google, has led browser deployments for organizations with 10,000-plus endpoints, with a dedicated focus on healthcare. Drex DeFord sits down with Andrew to unpack why the browser has become the most vulnerable and most overlooked tool in a health system's security stack. They cover how identity, update cadence, and extension governance define whether a deployment succeeds or fails, what a seamless day-one rollout looks like for clinical staff, and why blocking AI tools entirely is a...
2026-07-0311 min
The 229 PodcastThree CIOs, one MIT AI course - Governance, ROI, and the Right Use Case| The 229 Podcast with Lisa Johnson & Tamara Havenhill-JacobsJul 2, 2026:Sarah Richardson, Lisa Johnson, and Tamara Havenhill-Jacobs spent thirteen weeks completing an MIT AI strategy course on planes, evenings, and what Tamarah calls her "AI Sundays." What they brought back wasn't hype. It was clear. In this conversation with Sarah Richardson, recorded live from a 229 CIO Summit in Napa, the two leaders get honest about what actually changed: how one built the confidence to defend AI's role to her board through a theological lens, why "can AI fix that" is the wrong first question, and the real difficulty of proving ROI on work that doesn't show...
2026-07-0225 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Remote Patient Monitoring and Staffing Solutions with Margaret PtacekAugust 25, 2025: Margaret Ptacek, Vice President of Client Solutions from Experis Health, tackles three critical shifts happening in healthcare today. The conversation explores Hackensack Meridian's statewide hospital-at-home expansion and examines how healthcare systems can deliver acute-level care in patients' homes without compromising safety or quality. When staffing shortages threaten a new hospital's ability to provide basic services, the discussion turns to virtual solutions and workforce resilience strategies. Can technology and strategic partnerships solve healthcare's most pressing operational challenges while maintaining financial sustainability? Margaret shares insights from real-world implementations that are reshaping how care is delivered beyond traditional hospital walls.
Key Points:
01:38...
2025-08-2522 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Salesforce Breach, CEO Deepfakes, and Otter AI Lawsuit with Drex DeFordThis week's cybersecurity updates cover three critical stories: Workday discloses a data breach connected to ongoing Salesforce compromises by the Shiny Hunters group, CEO impersonation scams using deepfake technology surge past $200 million in Q1 losses, and transcription service Otter AI faces a class action lawsuit over alleged mishandling of sensitive meeting data. Drex emphasizes the importance of security awareness training, multi-factor authentication, and establishing "trust but verify" cultures that protect employees who take extra verification steps.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lem...
2025-08-2204 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordUnHack (the News): Cybersecurity Leadership and Rural Hospitals Under Attack with George PappasAugust 18, 2025: George Pappas, CEO of Intraprise Health, by Health Catalyst, joins Drex for the news. They tackle the pressing question of how CISOs can evolve from security scorekeepers into business transformation leaders who drive real organizational impact. As the hosts examine a recent White House initiative promising patient-centric healthcare, they question whether lofty proclamations can overcome the business interests maintaining today's fragmented systems. Can artificial intelligence finally deliver true healthcare interoperability, or will technical complexities and competitive pressures derail another promising solution? With $4 trillion at stake in the current healthcare ecosystem, they explore whether the industry has the willpower to...
2025-08-1828 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Cyber Subscriptions vs. Staff and CRM Systems Targeted with Drex DeFordDrex covers three critical cybersecurity trends: companies swapping full-time security staff for platform subscriptions (requiring premium salaries for contract managers), the rise of AI agents in both cyber defense and attacks, and voice phishing campaigns targeting CRM systems like Salesforce that have compromised major brands including Adidas and Victoria's Secret. Healthcare organizations face unique risks from PHI exposure and must balance automation with human oversight while training staff on voice-based social engineering attacks.
2025-08-1305 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordUnHack (the News): Summer Breach’s Surge and Hidden Security Lessons with Josh HowellAugust 11, 2025: Josh Howell, Healthcare CTO from Rubrik, joins Drex for the news. They examine the spike of healthcare organization breaches in summer 2025, with threat actors now moving from breach to data exfiltration in minutes rather than weeks. Josh reveals research showing ransomware attacks trigger a 20-40% decline in patient volumes within the first week, but what happens when notification costs exceed settlement amounts? They challenge conventional disaster recovery thinking, questioning whether traditional DR measures address the real problem of rebuilding trust through isolated recovery environments. The discussion also tackles a critical industry issue—how can healthcare organizations break through legal ba...
2025-08-1123 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Hacker Infiltration, Corporate Leaks, and North Korean Updates with Drex DeFordThis episode covers three critical cybersecurity developments affecting healthcare organizations. First, FBI warnings about Scattered Spider ransomware group targeting employees through Slack and Microsoft Teams, including their alarming tactic of creating fake identities to join incident response calls and monitor remediation efforts. Second, leaked chat logs from the Conti ransomware group reveal these criminal organizations operate like structured tech startups with HR policies, management layers, and performance reviews - highlighting the sophisticated nature of modern cyber threats. Finally, CrowdStrike intelligence reveals over 900 North Korean operatives have quietly embedded themselves in US companies using deepfakes and fake identities, wiring paychecks...
2025-08-0604 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Prior Auth AI and Breaking Down Geographic Barriers with Colin BanasAugust 4, 2025: Colin Banas, MD, CMO of DrFirst, joins Bill for the news. With recent legislation expanding telehealth coverage before deductibles are applied, they examine how healthcare delivery boundaries are dissolving and what this means for the future of patient care. Drawing on fresh insights from the AMDIS conference, the conversation shifts to AI implementation done right, examining Ochsner Health's physician-led approach that delivers measurable results while other systems struggle with governance.
Key Points:
03:39 Major US Health Insurers' New Pledge
08:59 Telehealth Coverage Expansion
14:05 AI in Healthcare: Ochsner Health's Approach
17:38 The Future of AI and Healthcare
News Articles:
Ochsner Health provides th...
2025-08-0423 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: North Korean Cyber Infiltration & Dating Site Leaks With Drex DeFordDrex covers three critical cybersecurity threats impacting healthcare and beyond: North Korean operatives using deepfakes and stolen identities to infiltrate US companies as remote workers, the Allianz life insurance breach affecting 1.4 million customers through social engineering attacks, and the TTEA dating app's massive data exposure that compromised women's safety information. Essential insights on vetting remote employees, defending against social engineering, and app security risks.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-07-3004 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Breaking Down Silos and Exploring Agentic AI With Jacob HansenJuly 28, 2025: Jacob Hansen, Chief Product and Technology Officer at AvaSure, examines how healthcare is shifting from siloed departments to cross-functional journey teams. How are these collaborative approaches finally breaking through traditional barriers that have slowed healthcare innovation? The conversation explores the emerging world of agentic AI while grappling with where automation enhances care versus where the human touch remains irreplaceable. As ambient clinical documentation technology gains traction and physician acceptance, Jacob shares insights from AvaSure's virtual care maturity model and reflects on what patients actually want from healthcare technology. Can incremental implementation build the trust needed for widespread adoption, and...
2025-07-2825 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: SharePoint Attacks and Why Cybersecurity Training Isn't Working with Drex DeFordThis week's cybersecurity roundup covers three critical healthcare security developments. Microsoft patched an actively exploited SharePoint zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2024-38023) that allows attackers with basic permissions to execute remote code and pivot through networks. Two major dermatology practice breaches - Mount Laurel Dermatology and Anne Arundel Dermatology - exposed over 1.9 million patient records through third-party vendor compromises, highlighting the risks of business associate agreements. Plus, cybersecurity expert Paul Conley challenges the healthcare industry's reliance on annual training and phishing simulations, advocating for personalized, continuous human risk management approaches that build actual cyber culture rather than just checking compliance boxes.
2025-07-2404 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordUnFake: The Velvet Sundown AI Band and YouTube's New Authenticity PoliciesThis episode explores AI-generated music and cybersecurity through the story of The Velvet Sundown, a completely synthetic band that fooled millions on Spotify. Drex examines how AI-generated music, voices, and images can deceive audiences, YouTube's new monetization policies for AI content, and the growing challenge of distinguishing authentic from synthetic media. Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-07-2209 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Digging Deep Into HIPAA Updates and Expectations with Josh TaceyJuly 21, 2025: Josh Tacey, Enterprise Architect at Omnissa, joins Bill for the news. They discuss all things HIPAA security-related as the refinement process continues to advance. The conversation centers on the controversial 72-hour business continuity requirement—can health systems really restore operations within three days when current ransomware recoveries take weeks? Josh explores whether mandated network segmentation actually helps attackers by providing a standard blueprint, and why Active Directory remains every hacker's primary target.
Key Points:
01:46 HIPAA Security Rule Issues
07:52 Challenges in Network Segmentation
10:58 Access Control and Vulnerability Patching
18:20 Architectural Practices in Healthcare
News Articles:
HIPAA Security Rule
X: This...
2025-07-2124 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Small Clinics Under Attack and AI Governance Risks with Drex DeFordIn this episode, Drex covers three critical healthcare cybersecurity developments. Cyber attackers are shifting focus from hospitals to smaller physician practices and specialty groups that lack robust defenses, with attacks now directly targeting EHRs and patient portals at the point of care. The May 2025 breach report shows 45 healthcare providers reported breaches in a single month, primarily through network server attacks and unauthorized email access. Finally, healthcare organizations are rushing into AI implementation without proper data governance, creating amplified risks when pulling in massive datasets without understanding ownership and consent structures.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X...
2025-07-1604 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordUnHack (the News): The Duplicate Dilemma and Merger Instability with Kevin DayJuly 14, 2025: Kevin Day, CTO at Rhapsody, joins Drex for the news. While 96% of healthcare executives say they're ready for digital health solutions, two-thirds still battle interoperability challenges that create real patient care problems. Kevin and Drex bring up an alarming trend: 28 healthcare breaches affecting over 5 million people in June 2025, with attack vectors evolving from phishing emails to unpatched third-party software. Kevin discusses how AI might solve duplicate patient record problems while revealing why the soft underbelly of healthcare cybersecurity may not be where most organizations think it is.
Key Points:
03:59 The Impact of Duplicate Records
06:00 AI and Data Management Solutions
08:14...
2025-07-1417 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: North Korean Infiltration and Ransomware Gang Shutdowns with Drex DeFordDrex covers three major cybersecurity developments impacting healthcare: the expanding North Korean remote worker infiltration scheme targeting US companies with stolen identities and deepfakes, a cyberattack on medical device manufacturer Monic that disrupted critical supply chains, and the suspicious shutdown of Hunter's International ransomware group offering free decryption tools. Essential insights for healthcare organizations on hiring security, supply chain vulnerabilities, and evolving ransomware tactics. Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-07-1005 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordUnHack (the News): Reported Cyber Breach Death and the Interconnected World with Mick CoadyJuly 7, 2025: Mick Coady, CTO at Armis, joins Drex for the news. This episode examines a sobering milestone: the first confirmed patient death directly attributed to a ransomware attack on London's blood distribution system. The conversation explores how a single cyber incident creates cascading effects across entire healthcare networks, flooding neighboring hospitals with redirected patients and overwhelming emergency departments. With 28 healthcare security incidents reported in June alone—many involving third-party vendors—the discussion questions whether the industry fully understands how interconnected systems create compounding vulnerabilities. From agricultural equipment with satellite connectivity to medical devices running outdated firmware, every connected endpoint represents a po...
2025-07-0715 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: AI Takes the Lead and Scattered Spider's Airline Attack with Drex DeFordDrex covers three critical cybersecurity developments: Expo's groundbreaking AI-powered penetration testing system dominates HackerOne with over 1,000 vulnerabilities found, Microsoft redesigns the iconic Blue Screen of Death after 40 years, and the Scattered Spider ransomware group pivots from insurance to airline industry attacks using advanced social engineering and deepfakes.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-07-0305 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordUnHack (the News): The Digital Identity and Tool Overload Crisis with George PappasJune 30, 2025: George Pappas, CEO of Intraprise Health by Health Catalyst, joins Drex for the news. They discuss a new H-ISAC white paper and the North Korean catfish issues, speculating on how you can verify identity in a world of AI. Can AI solve the very problems it creates? The most revealing discussion centers on a startling industry survey: nearly half of security leaders now spend more time babysitting their tools than actually defending their organizations. Join the discussion around whether our approach to cybersecurity has become counterproductive.
Key Points:
01:29 AI and Digital Identity in Cybersecurity
10:56 Nationwide Recovery Services Breach
17:36 Survey...
2025-06-3023 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Scattered Spider Targets Insurance and Iran Cyber Threats Escalate With Drex DeFordDrex covers three critical cybersecurity developments: Scattered Spider's shift to targeting insurance companies including Erie Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, and Aflac using advanced social engineering tactics; escalating Iran-related cyber threats to US critical infrastructure amid Middle East tensions; and a massive dark web leak exposing 1.6 billion login credentials. Don't miss these actionable security recommendations including reviewing password reset processes, implementing strong authentication measures, and preparing for potential nation-state attacks on healthcare infrastructure.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Child...
2025-06-2604 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Mistaking Ambition for Readiness and Cultivating Talent with Samme DiazJune 23, 2025: Samme Diaz, Vice President of Advisory Services at Healthlink Advisors, joins Sarah for the news. How can healthcare organizations address the persistent challenge of EHR-driven nurse burnout when clunky interfaces and poor workflow integration continue to hinder their progress? And as Emory Healthcare pioneers the nation's first Apple-powered hospital environment, what possibilities emerge when consumer technology meets clinical care? Beyond the technology itself, Sarah and Samme draw from their CIO experience to examine the often-overlooked human elements of digital transformation.
Key Points:
01:43 Nurses and EHR Burnout
06:52 Emory’s Apple-Powered Hospital
14:34 Challenges and Opportunities
News Articles:
Nurses Continue to Nam...
2025-06-2320 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordUnFake: Synthetic Faces, Real Crimes - The 5 Million Dollar Deepfake Scam with Drex DeFordJune 20, 2025: Drex dives deep into a chilling case study of AI-powered financial fraud. Learn how cybercriminals used deepfake technology to steal $5 million through a fake CEO video call, and discover why 90% of internet content could be AI-generated by 2026. Learn what to look for and where the threats are evolving in this episode of UnFake.NotebookLM podcast sourced from Eric O’Neill | Speaker, Cybersecurity Expert, Legendary Spy HunterRemember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-06-2016 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Iran Cyber Threats, Microsoft Scams, and the 1300% Deepfake Surge with Drex DeFordDrex breaks down three critical cybersecurity developments healthcare organizations need to monitor. First, escalating geopolitical tensions suggest increased cyber attacks from Iran and allied nations targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, including healthcare systems. Second, Vanderbilt University Medical Center reports sophisticated Microsoft Teams impersonation attacks where scammers pose as supervisors to request urgent actions like software installation or payments. Finally, deepfake fraud attempts skyrocketed 1300% in 2024, with new "spoofing as a service" platforms making AI-powered voice and video scams more accessible to cybercriminals. Healthcare IT leaders should prepare defenses against these evolving threats and educate staff on verification protocols for suspicious...
2025-06-1903 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordUnFake Trailer: A Journey Down the Digital Deception Rabbit Hole with Drex DeFordAfter a HIMSS conference presentation on North Korean hackers posing as remote employees led him down an unexpected rabbit hole, Drex unveils his new intermittent series "UnFake". Dive into a world of digital deception and synthetic media, as Drex sets out to help you the listener stay protected and discern fact from fiction in the increasingly complicated field of cybersecurity.You've Been Catfished: The New Remote-Work Employee You Just Hired Is Actually A North Korean HackerRemember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Ale...
2025-06-1702 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: The Looming Hospital Capacity Crisis and Nurse Violence with Philipp von GilsaJune 16, 2025: Philipp von Gilsa, CEO of Kontakt.io, joins Bill Russell for the news. What happens when America's hospitals reach dangerous occupancy thresholds that could make them unable to function properly? And as workplace violence against healthcare workers spikes, what combination of technology and process can effectively protect staff? The conversation delves into the tension between technology capabilities and practical healthcare applications, questioning whether approaches to new innovations like AI are simply recycling the same discussions we've had about cloud and IoT in previous years. As healthcare leaders face these converging challenges, how can they remain focused on core priorities?
...
2025-06-1631 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Maine Attacks, AT&T Breach, and Login.gov Vulnerabilities with Drex DeFordDrex covers three critical cybersecurity incidents: dual cyber attacks affecting healthcare systems in Lewiston, Maine; an AT&T database breach exposing 86 million records with decrypted sensitive data; and concerning backup management issues at login.gov that could impact government service access. The episode concludes with a practical reminder to test backup systems regularly.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-06-1203 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Zombie Apps and the $65 Million IT Wake-Up Call with Jason RoseJune 9, 2025: Healthcare organizations face an unprecedented challenge as potential Medicaid cuts threaten heavy IT staff reductions, but what if the real solution lies hidden in plain sight within their own systems? Jason Rose, CEO of Clearsense, discusses how "zombie applications" - applications that are neither fully alive nor completely dead - are silently draining millions from healthcare budgets. The conversation delves into the harsh realities of crisis governance models, the hidden costs of transition service agreements, and whether healthcare leaders are prepared to make the difficult operational decisions required in the days ahead.
Enjoyed the Discussion? Dive Deeper with “How Ap...
2025-06-0923 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Kettering's Epic Recovery and Fred Hutch $52M Settlement with Drex DeFordDrex covers four major healthcare cybersecurity developments: Kettering Health's Epic systems recovery following their May 20th cyber attack, with core components now operational while inbound calling systems remain down. Covenant Health faces a new cybersecurity incident affecting three hospitals in Maine and New Hampshire. Seattle's Fred Hutch Cancer Center agreed to a $52 million class action settlement after criminals from their 2023 breach directly threatened patients with data exposure. Plus, a mysterious whistleblower called "Gang Exposed" has leaked thousands of chat logs and documents exposing key figures in the Conti and TrickBot ransomware operations, potentially providing crucial evidence against Russian cybercriminals.
2025-06-0402 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Kettering Health Cyber Recovery and CISA Leadership Exodus with Drex DeFordDrex covers Kettering Health's week-long cyber attack recovery with radiation oncology back online, the mass exodus of CISA leadership amid federal downsizing, and the growing frustration over lack of comprehensive federal cybersecurity strategy for healthcare. Discussion includes regional coordination during cyber incidents and the reality that hospitals are fighting nation-state actors without adequate government support.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-06-0205 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Imaging AI Expansion and Apple-Only Hospitals with Chris JenkinsJune 2, 2025: Chris Jenkins, EVP of Digital Strategy and Enterprise Imaging for Healthlink Advisors, joins Bill for the news. As the industry appears to shift focus from cybersecurity to AI adoption, they explore whether this transition is happening too quickly. Then, what does it mean when four major health systems make strategic investments in companies like Rad AI? The conversation also covers Emory Healthcare's decision to deploy the first fully Apple-powered hospital, raising questions about whether this represents a meaningful shift away from traditional Microsoft-dominated environments or simply an expensive experiment.
Key Points:
05:00 AI Imaging Expansion
09:05 Google I/O and Use Ca...
2025-06-0222 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Vibe Coding Risks and AI Deepfake Threats With Drex DeFordDrex explores two critical cybersecurity threats facing healthcare: the rise of "vibe coding" where non-programmers use AI like Anthropic's Claude to create functional code, creating potential operational risks from undocumented projects, and increasingly sophisticated AI deepfakes from tools like Google's VO3 that cybercriminals are weaponizing for phishing attacks. He emphasizes the need for healthcare leaders to inventory AI coding projects and prepare defenses against deepfake-based social engineering, while previewing his upcoming discussion on North Korean cyber operations targeting Western companies.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health
2025-05-2804 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Navigating a Sea of Tech Vendors and the AI Essentials with Ryan PfefferMay 26, 2025: Ryan Pfeffer, Head of Engineering at Notable, joins Sarah for the news. How are healthcare CIOs navigating the overwhelming influx of AI vendors in a market projected to exceed $500 billion by 2032? The conversation explores the practical challenges of integration, testing processes, and the importance of transparent, explainable features. How is natural language processing transforming healthcare communication and documentation? Ryan shares compelling success stories of staff freed from mundane administrative tasks, from managing faxes to streamlining prior authorizations. As AI literacy becomes what Shopify's CEO called "essential for workforce survival," what is the right balance between automation and human...
2025-05-2625 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Kettering Health Ransomware, Scattered Spider's Campaign, and Facebook's Breach Drex DeFordDrex covers in-depth look at the ongoing ransomware attack on Kettering Health, attributed to the Interlock gang known for double extortion tactics - stealing data before encrypting systems. The health system demonstrates exemplary crisis communication while maintaining operations and warning patients about related scams. Next, the Scattered Spider cybercriminal group shifts focus to European retail, using social engineering tactics and freelancer networks to target help desks and employees for credential theft. Finally, a massive data scraping incident exposes 1.2 billion Facebook records on dark web marketplaces, including names, emails, birthdays, and phone numbers. Essential updates for healthcare security professionals navigating today's...
2025-05-2305 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Kettering Ransomware, Breach $700K Penalty, and HIBP Database 2.0 with Drex DeFordDrex covers three critical cybersecurity stories in healthcare: Kettering Health Network's ransomware crisis affecting 14 hospitals with patient data at risk, a landmark $700,000 civil penalty against Breach Forums founder Connor Fitzpatrick, and the release of Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) 2.0 with enhanced breach monitoring capabilities. Stay informed on the latest healthcare security threats and solutions.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-05-2104 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: World Health Day 2025 and USA’s Shocking Maternal Statistics with Amy OliverMay 26, 2025: Amy Oliver, VP of Marketing at Panda Health, joins Sarah for the news. What does World Health Day 2025's focus on maternal health reveal about global disparities, and how can digital solutions bridge these gaps? The conversation delves into alarming statistics showing the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations, with 80% of these deaths being preventable. How are states addressing social determinants of health for pregnant Medicaid beneficiaries, and what role does technology play in connecting clinical care with social services? Sarah and Amy examine the Commonwealth Fund's 2024 State Scorecard, highlighting dramatic geographic disparities in...
2025-05-1919 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: VMware Vulnerabilities & Patch Tuesday Roundup With Drex DeFordLearn about a new VMware Tools vulnerability allowing privilege escalation, Microsoft's Patch Tuesday releasing fixes for 70 vulnerabilities including 5 actively exploited zero-days, and Apple's comprehensive OS updates. The episode highlights the importance of patching industrial control systems from Siemens, Schneider Electric, and Phoenix Contact that may be present in healthcare facility automation, EV charging, and data center power systems.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-05-1603 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Rural Health Vulnerabilities and LockBit Ransomware Gang Hacked with Drex DeFordIn this episode, Drex covers three key security stories: the HSCC's "On the Edge" report on rural healthcare cybersecurity vulnerabilities, Mossimo's security breach affecting their manufacturing operations, and the hacking of LockBit ransomware gang which exposed Bitcoin wallets and negotiation messages. Drex also mentions his panel at HIMSS Southern California on healthcare cybersecurity.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-05-1304 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Increasing Expectations and Mass CIO Job Shifts with This Week HealthMay 12, 2025: Drex DeFord and Sarah Richardson join Bill for the news. How do you prioritize when everything seems urgent? The group shares stories of impossible expectations and political realities while debating the true cost of innovation in healthcare. Bill, Drex, and Sarah discuss the rising number of CXOs who are shifting to new jobs throughout the industry. With insider insights, this discussion pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to lead technology in an industry where lives, not just dollars, hang in the balance.
Key Points:
02:57 Governance Expectations Rising
15:55 Mass CIO Job Shifts
17:59 The Importance of Networking and...
2025-05-1230 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: AI Agent, Shadow AI Risks, and Expert Cyber Insurance Tips with Drex DeFordIn this episode, Drex highlights former HCA CSO Paul Connolly's practical cyber insurance guidance, introduces OpenAI's new "Operator" AI agent that can independently perform web tasks, and examines the emerging organizational risks of "shadow AI" as employees implement unauthorized AI solutions in their workflows without proper oversight.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-05-0904 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Ascension Breaches, Microsoft's Passwordless Future, and More with Drex DeFordDrex DeFord covers critical security updates affecting healthcare organizations. Ascension Health is notifying hundreds of thousands of patients about security incidents involving third-party partners. UnitedHealth Group has deployed thousands of AI applications across their operations. A new study reveals alarming password practices, with 8-character passwords and common words still widely used. Microsoft is making all new accounts passwordless by default to combat these vulnerabilities. Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-05-0704 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordUnHack (the News): VMware Price Shock and Training in Adaptability with Christian BoucherMay 5, 2025: Christian Boucher, Head of Healthcare Strategy and Solutions at Island, joins Drex for the news. They discuss the recent VMware price shock situation, diving into a deeper industry-wide issue: what happens when healthcare becomes overly dependent on specific technology pillars? Are health systems flexible enough to pivot when market forces dramatically shift the technology landscape? Throughout their discussion, Christian emphasizes the value of community collaboration in solving these complex problems, suggesting the future lies in healthcare organizations working together to test emerging technologies rather than each institution going it alone.
Key Points:
06:41 A Vital Community
07:47 VMware and Price Shock
11:05 A...
2025-05-0521 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Yale New Haven and Blue Shield of California Data Exposures with Drex DeFordDrex covers essential cybersecurity reports including the HIMSS Survey, Cincinnati's Healthcare Cybersecurity Benchmarking Study, CrowdStrike's 2025 Global Threat Report, and Verizon's DBIR. Also highlighted: an Oracle engineering error affecting 45 hospitals' EHRs, Yale New Haven's breach impacting 5.5 million patients, and Blue Shield of California's Google Analytics configuration mistake exposing 4.7 million patients' data.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-05-0303 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Ransomware Surge, JP Morgan's Warning, and Screenshot Breach with Drex DeFordDrex covers three critical cybersecurity stories: The FBI's annual Internet Crime Complaints Center report revealing a 9% increase in ransomware attacks and 67 new ransomware variants; JP Morgan Chase's CISO's open letter on third-party supply chain vulnerabilities; and a major data breach at Work Composer exposing 21 million employee screenshots stored in an unsecured Amazon S3 bucket. Key lesson: properly secure your cloud storage configurations.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-3003 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: The Thin Line of Love and Fear for Automation with Laura O’TooleApril 28, 2025: Laura O'Toole, CEO of SureTest, joins Sarah for the news. What strategies can healthcare leaders implement to demonstrate measurable ROI while addressing staff burnout and retention issues? The conversation delves into the delicate balance between innovation and change management, revealing how automation can empower healthcare professionals to focus on true, meaningful work. Laura shares valuable insights on building trust during digital transformation, emphasizing that leadership and connection remain at the heart of successful implementation strategies that create sustainable efficiency gains.
Key Points:
02:08 A New Perspective on Chasing ROI
07:26 Case Studies and Real-World Examples
11:23 Cybersecurity and Virtual Healthcare
18:54 Navigating Workforce...
2025-04-2835 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: CEO Installs Malware, Texas Cyber Attack, and WebEx Vulnerabilitys with Drex DeFordDrex covers three urgent cybersecurity threats: a cybersecurity CEO caught installing malware on hospital computers in Oklahoma, government systems shutdown in Abilene following a cyber attack, and a dangerous malware campaign targeting Cisco WebEx users. Learn how employee vigilance stopped the hospital breach, how Texas is responding to reduced federal cybersecurity support, and critical steps to protect your organization from the WebEx vulnerability.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-2503 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Signal Gate Returns, Oracle Breach Updates, and Crosswalk Hacks with Drex DeFordDrex covers three key security stories: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's alleged sharing of classified information via Signal, resulting in a 13% increase in Signal usage; CISA recommendations following two Oracle breaches affecting healthcare customers and Cloud login data; and crosswalk buttons being hacked to play AI-spoofed voices of tech executives due to unchanged default passwords.X: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-2304 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: From EHR Burden to AI Assistant Freedom with Nikhil BudumaApril 21, 2025: Nikhil Buduma, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of Ambience Healthcare, discusses healthcare's past and how AI is shifting its future. As Nikhil reflects on 25 years of hospital operations evolution they contemplate whether the administrative burden placed on clinicians was an unintended consequence of digitization. What could healthcare look like in the next decade if AI becomes the steward of continuous patient care, allowing physicians to practice at the top of their license while focusing on meaningful human connection?
Key Points:
03:02 Reducing Clinician Burden with AI
08:39 Evolution of Hospital Operations
14:35 Future of Healthcare: 2030 and Beyond
19:20 Cloud Computing in Healthcare
News Art...
2025-04-2131 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: DaVita Hit by Ransomware and Chris Krebs Resignation Update with Drex DeFordDrex covers three critical security stories: the government's reversal of its decision to defund Mitre's Common Vulnerability and Exposure (CVE) program, a ransomware attack on DaVita's 3,100+ dialysis facilities across 14 countries, and former CISA Assistant Director Chris Krebs' resignation from Sentinel One following an executive order targeting him.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-1803 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Federal Cybersecurity and Personnel Updates with Drex DeFordDrex discusses significant disruptions in federal cybersecurity leadership, including the investigation of former CISA Director Chris Krebs, government officials withdrawing from the RSA Security Conference, and potential 40% personnel cuts at CISA. Drex emphasizes that healthcare organizations should not expect federal cybersecurity assistance and must instead build their own community of security partners and resources.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-1704 min2025-04-1402 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordUnHack (the News): Rural Hospital Security and the HIPAA Audit Mirage with George PappasApril 14, 2025: George Pappas, CEO of Intraprise Health, joins Drex DeFord for the news. The conversation explores Chris Hughes' insights on how machine-readable security controls and dynamic monitoring could revolutionize cybersecurity frameworks. How are rural hospitals surviving in a landscape where financial constraints clash with escalating security demands? The discussion takes a critical look at the regulatory environment, where HIPAA audits have been sparse since 2017 despite record-breaking breaches. George illuminates the complex intersection of healthcare economics, regulatory oversight, and cybersecurity imperatives that organizations must navigate.
Key Points:
02:09 Discussion on GRC and Cybersecurity
08:14 Microsoft's Rural Hospital Program
13:37 Upcoming HIPAA Audits and Challenges
2025-04-1418 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: The Growing Threat of Deepfakes: Legislation Gaps and AI Security With Drex DeFordDrex examines The alarming rise of intimate deepfakes targeting primarily women and children, with 18 states currently offering no legal protection against these digital sex crimes. Various state legislative efforts including Montana's focus on combating political deepfakes, particularly within 60 days of elections; and OpenAI's first investment in cybersecurity through a $43 million funding round for Adaptive Security, a company specializing in training organizations to recognize deepfake attacks and phishing threats.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand...
2025-04-1103 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordToday: Apple's AI Health Coach Could Reshape Digital CareKate Gamble and Sarah Richardson explore Apple's reported development of an AI-powered health coach, potentially branded as "Quartz." They discuss how this technology would leverage Apple Watch and iPhone data to provide personalized health advice on sleep, activity, stress, and mental wellbeing. The hosts examine the implications for healthcare IT leaders, including privacy considerations with on-device AI processing, integration challenges with clinical workflows, and changing patient expectations. X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-1109 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordToday: AHRQ Merger Concerns Around Patient SafetyApril 10, 2025: Sarah Richardson and Kate Gamble examine the proposed merger of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) with the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation to create the new Office of Strategy. They explore expert concerns about potential reductions in safety research and disruptions to quality initiatives, including AHRQ's goal to reduce patient and workforce harm by 50% by 2026. X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-1005 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Oracle's Data Breach Downplay and Ukraine's Malware Tactics with Drex DeFordDrex covers three critical cybersecurity stories: Oracle's evolving response to two separate breaches affecting healthcare customers, with the company gradually changing its stance from denial to downplaying the significance of compromised data. Next Arizona-based Simon Med imaging practice facing multiple federal class action lawsuits after the Medusa cyber gang stole sensitive information from over 132,000 patients across seven states. Ukraine's innovative cyber warfare tactic of planting malware on drones that are captured by Russian forces, creating a cybersecurity trap when Russians attempt to study or reprogram the devices.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid
2025-04-0904 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordToday: Penn Medicine's Antitrust LawsuitApril 9, 2025: Kate Gamble and Sarah Richardson discuss a class action lawsuit filed against Penn Medicine regarding its exclusive contract with Independence Blue Cross. The hosts explore how this exclusivity affects patient choice, healthcare access, and market competition in the Philadelphia region. The conversation highlights the growing national scrutiny of healthcare consolidation and encourages IT leaders to evaluate whether their partnerships and systems enhance or restrict patient choice.X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-0907 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordToday: Tackling the ED Boarding CrisisApril 8. 2025: Sarah Richardson and Kate Gamble discuss critical strategies to address emergency department boarding, a significant patient safety concern. They explore key recommendations from the AHRQ summit, including public reporting standards, real-time regional bed tracking systems, payment incentives, and alternatives for psychiatric patients. X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-0806 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Oracle Questions, VMware Contracts, and Mass CIO Shifts with Drex DeFordApril 7, 2025: Drex DeFord joins Bill Russell for the news. As Oracle faces scrutiny over a potential security breach affecting their cloud infrastructure, how should healthcare organizations respond when transparency is lacking from major vendors? The conversation then tackles the VMware price shock that's disrupting IT budgets across healthcare, prompting leaders to consider: when is the right time to escape vendor lock-in, and what hidden costs lurk behind seemingly simple transitions? Throughout the episode, Bill and Drex share candid insights on CIO career dynamics, challenging listeners to reflect on what truly defines success in healthcare IT leadership beyond mere longevity.
2025-04-0725 minUnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: Oracle Questions, VMware Contracts, and Mass CIO Shifts with Drex DeFordApril 7, 2025: Drex DeFord joins Bill Russell for the news. As Oracle faces scrutiny over a potential security breach affecting their cloud infrastructure, how should healthcare organizations respond when transparency is lacking from major vendors? The conversation then tackles the VMware price shock that's disrupting IT budgets across healthcare, prompting leaders to consider: when is the right time to escape vendor lock-in, and what hidden costs lurk behind seemingly simple transitions? Throughout the episode, Bill and Drex share candid insights on CIO career dynamics, challenging listeners to reflect on what truly defines success in healthcare IT leadership beyond mere longevity.
2025-04-0725 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Oracle Lawsuits Begin, HIPAA Rule Challenges, and Apple Vulnerabilities with Drex DeFordClass action lawsuits have been filed against Oracle in Texas following recent cyber incidents, with lawyers alleging poor security framework, inadequate staff training, and failure to implement preventative software. The Health Sector Coordinating Council's cybersecurity working group testified to Congress about medical device security and the suspended HIPAA security rule update, citing unrealistic cost estimates and implementation challenges. Additionally, critical zero-day vulnerabilities in Apple devices require immediate updates, plus a warning about a GPS app with 320,000 downloads that could allow stalkers to steal location data in real time.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid
2025-04-0403 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordToday: Google Health Six Key InnovationsApril 3, 2024: Kate and Sarah break down Google Health's six groundbreaking AI initiatives. They explore how these innovations—from enhanced health information in search results to medical records APIs and AI-powered disease detection—are reshaping healthcare delivery worldwide. The hosts discuss practical implementation considerations for healthcare IT leaders, including interoperability challenges, data security requirements, ethical AI governance, and strategies for effective pilot programs.X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-0410 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordToday: Sanford Health's AI Investment Pays OffApril 3, 2024: Sarah and Kate examine Sanford Health's successful implementation of ambient AI documentation tools. After an initial pilot with 100 clinicians, the South Dakota-based health system is now expanding to an additional 200 clinicians—with 100% of pilot participants reporting they would be "extremely disappointed" if the tool was taken away. Learn how this AI implementation is addressing physician burnout, streamlining documentation processes, and creating a model for successful clinical technology adoption that other health systems can follow.X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childh...
2025-04-0307 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordToday: Breaking Transportation Barriers with Uber PartnershipApril 2, 2025: Kate and Sarah discuss RWJ Barnabas Health's innovative partnership with Uber Health to provide free transportation for underserved patients. They explore how this initiative significantly reduces no-show rates, improves care continuity, and addresses critical social determinants of health. X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-0206 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Oracle's Double Breach TroubleDrex covers two separate Oracle security incidents affecting healthcare organizations. The Rose87168 hacking group claims to have stolen 6 million user records from Oracle Cloud, now for sale on the dark web. Oracle denies the breach, but independent researchers confirm data authenticity. A second breach on older Cerner servers (not yet migrated to Oracle Cloud) exposed patient medical information, with hackers attempting to extort several US healthcare organizations. The full scope of affected organizations and patients remains unknown but healthcare customers report dissatisfaction with Oracle's lack of transparency and response to these incidents.Remember, Stay...
2025-04-0103 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordToday: The Speed of Trust, How Healthcare Change Lives or Dies on TrustApril 1, 2025: Sarah and Kate explore the critical role trust plays in healthcare IT transformation. They discuss how trust accelerates adoption of new technologies, why leadership consistency builds credibility, and practical ways to measure trust within your organization. Learn why even the best digital initiatives can stall without proper stakeholder trust and how cybersecurity efforts depend on being seen as trusted protectors rather than just enforcers.X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer
2025-04-0107 min
UnHack with Drex DeFord2 Minute Drill: Classified Military Communications & Healthcare Restructuring With Drex DeFordDrex covers a major security breach where Trump administration officials shared classified military operation details via Signal chat with an unauthorized reporter, Broadcom's release of critical security updates for VMware tools addressing high-severity vulnerabilities, and a dramatic HHS restructuring that eliminates 10,000 positions, reduces divisions from 28 to 15, and transfers key healthcare security offices including ASPR to CDC and realigns the Office of Civil Rights overseeing HIPAA compliance.Remember, Stay a Little Paranoid X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for C...
2025-03-3105 min
UnHack with Drex DeFordNewsday: The Healthcare Resource Dilemma with Drex DeFord and Sarah RichardsonMarch 31, 2025: Sarah Richardson and Drex DeFord of This Week Health explore the most impactful events in healthcare today. As cybersecurity regulations continue to advance, how do struggling systems keep up? They discuss the recent Johnson & Johnson investment of $55 billion in healthcare and what the current financial landscape means for innovation. Lastly, governance continues to be a complex issue for system leaders, but the solution could be as simple as saying “no”.Key Points:02:56 Regulatory Security Challenges 07:03 J&J $55 Billion Investment13:07 AI and Health Tech Investments16:40 Learn to Say NoNew...
2025-03-3124 min