Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

Executive Editor, HealthcareInfoSecurity, ISMG

McGee is executive editor of Information Security Media Group's HealthcareInfoSecurity.com media site. She has about 30 years of IT journalism experience, with a focus on healthcare information technology issues for more than 15 years. Before joining ISMG in 2012, she was a reporter at InformationWeek magazine and news site and played a lead role in the launch of InformationWeek's healthcare IT media site.

Health Breaches: 20.8 Million Affected

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 25, 2012

A total of 464 major U.S. health information breaches have affected 20.8 million individuals since September 2009. Find out all the latest details about major additions to the breach list.

Laptop Theft Spurs Encryption Ramp Up

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 24, 2012

Following the recent theft of a physician's unencrypted personal laptop, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is stepping up efforts to make sure that its encryption mandate is actually followed.

Direct Project Guidance Issued

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 23, 2012

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has issued new guidance to health information exchanges and others for how to implement Direct Project secure messaging in a standard way.

Massachusetts HIE's Security Strategy

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 23, 2012

The New England Healthcare Exchange Network, one of the nation's oldest health information exchanges, is continuing to use a federated data architecture model to help protect patient data as it broadens the transactions it accommodates, says Sira Cormier, program director.

Will Healthcare Reform Kill Robin Hood?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 19, 2012

Medical identification theft is on the rise. Will healthcare reform, as recently affirmed by the Supreme Court, help reverse that trend? Here's why it's difficult to predict the impact of reform.

Mobile App Helps Breach Assessments

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 19, 2012

A new application for Apple mobile devices is designed to help healthcare organizations assess whether an incident is a breach that must be reported to federal authorities. Find out how it works.

Medical Device Security Info Lacking

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 19, 2012

The Food and Drug Administration needs to do a better job of collecting information on privacy and security issues related to medical devices to catch problems before they rapidly spread, a new report concludes.

HHS Fellowship Deadline Is July 20

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 17, 2012

The Department of Health and Human Services is offering one-year fellowships to infuse new ideas into several key health technology projects. Find out the details about these opportunities.

Stage 2 Meaningful Use Rule Progresses

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 17, 2012

One of the final rules for Stage 2 of the HITECH Act electronic health record incentive program has moved a step closer to publication. The Office of Management and Budget is now reviewing the meaningful use rule.

Statewide HIEs Face Challenges

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 16, 2012

Now that Tennessee is pulling the plug on its statewide health information exchange, it's a good time to reassess the many challenges that HIEs face - including the need to ensure patients that their information will be protected.

Direct Lab Transaction Guide Offered

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 16, 2012

New federal guidance on how to exchange lab test results using the Direct Project protocol requires that senders must get notification that delivery succeeded or failed.

Halamka Reveals Compliance Priorities

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 13, 2012

John Halamka, M.D., one of the nation's leading healthcare CIOs, says a top compliance project for this summer is improving mobile device security at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

HITRUST Tackles Data De-Identification

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 12, 2012

The Health Information Trust Alliance plans to make detailed recommendations for de-identifying patient information and using it for research. A new working group will issue guidance in phases.

Sorting Out NwHIN Comments

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 10, 2012

Federal regulators have received a wide array of comments on preliminary plans for federal guidelines for health information exchange, with some advocating mandatory, rather than voluntary, standards.

TRICARE Breach Lawsuits Consolidated

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • July 10, 2012

Eight class action lawsuits filed in the wake of a 2011 data breach involving TRICARE, the military health program, and affecting nearly 5 million individuals have been consolidated into one case that will be handled by the U.S District Court in Washington, D.C.