HAP Blog

There are so many articles predicting extreme weather to impact us years down the road, but if you ask me we are seeing those extremes today.

Citing the rise in cyberattacks against hospitals and other public health organizations, the federal government last month launched free training for health care workers, as well as a new analysis of the hospital cybersecurity landscape.

Recently, a Massachusetts hospital south of Boston was fully evacuated after a fire broke out in a basement transformer room. Due to safety concerns, power to the entire facility was discontinued.

It’s easy to look at the possibilities for AI and extrapolate what it will mean for health care. Some scenarios are more fanatical—or perhaps Orwellian—than others, but there is limitless potential.

As emergency managers, we are prepared and ready to go where disaster strikes. If we were driving an ambulance, the last few years have felt like constant lights and sirens, but even ambulances idle down when they’ve reached their destination.

The cyber stakes for health care can be a little startling when you think about the big picture. Every day, we better understand the threats our hospitals and other public health organizations face as we transition to a more digitally focused health care system.