When people think about hospital safety, they usually picture careful medication checks, clean rooms and well-trained staff. Behind the scenes, the security of patient records and hospital computer systems matters just as much, because a cyberattack can disrupt far more than a computer screen. That was the focus when University Medical Center of El Paso (UMC) recently hosted a cybersecurity and risk workshop presented by the American Hospital Association (AHA).
Leaders From Two States, One Shared Concern
More than 85 healthcare professionals from Texas and New Mexico registered for the workshop, which brought hospital and health system leaders together to talk about how organizations can prepare for cyber threats. Speakers included Jacob Cintrón, President & CEO of the El Paso County Hospital District; Maria Zampini, CEO of UMC; and Donald Berger, administrative director of Safety Operations at UMC. Their remarks focused on keeping patient data secure and ensuring healthcare organizations are ready to respond as cyber threats evolve.
Why Cybersecurity Belongs in the Patient Safety Conversation
The AHA partners with state hospital associations to host these interactive workshops, and it describes cyberattacks as a real risk to hospitals that can affect both operations and patient care. For that reason, the AHA’s cybersecurity advisor has encouraged hospital leaders to treat cybersecurity as a patient safety priority rather than a purely technical issue. Hosting the workshop in El Paso gave healthcare teams from across the region a chance to learn from the same experts and from one another.
Small Steps Patients Can Take
While hospitals carry the main responsibility for protecting their systems, patients can also help keep their own health information safe. It will be helpful to be cautious with unexpected calls, texts or emails asking for personal or insurance details, and to use a strong, unique password for any patient portal. If a message claiming to be from your provider seems unusual, contact the office directly using a phone number you already know.
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