Evan Sweeney reports:
The Department of Health and Human Services is exploring potential changes to the agency’s “wall of shame,” a legislatively mandated website that tracks healthcare data breaches dating back to 2009.
During a hearing addressing cybersecurity concerns in healthcare last week, Leo Scanlon, deputy chief information security officer at HHS, told Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) that Secretary Tom Price is reassessing the website overseen by the Office for Civil Rights. Burgess criticized the portal—commonly known as the “wall of shame”—during an April subcommittee, arguing the website was unnecessarily punitive.
“We heard you loud and clear at that hearing and we took that matter back to the Secretary,” Scanlon said, noting that any modifications could be addressed within the agency. “He has taken it very seriously and is working on an effort to address the concerns you raised.”
Read more on Fierce Healthcare.
The “wall of shame” definitely needs changes, as I’ve been saying for years – but not in the direction these folks are looking.
I’d be happy to sit down with HHS and outline some proposals for making the breach tool more usable and helpful.