Health and Human Services

Technology like mobile apps and data visualization dashboards is helping the state serve more of its residents — often without them having to leave their homes.

Moved by research into the mental-health effects of cellphone addiction in young people, administrators at Wilton School District in Connecticut will form a committee to discuss the idea of restricting phones in schools.

A new bill signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gives K-12 school districts until 2025 to craft new policies limiting the use of personal devices, and related distractions, in the classroom.

The software will integrate with existing case management systems and help identify defendants with mental illness or intellectual disabilities. It will ensure the county meets state law mandating such defendants be identified early.

The Cuyahoga County Overdose Prevention App is designed to keep drug users safe by connecting them to someone who can stay in contact until they’re out of danger of overdosing. It was developed through a state opioid response grant.

A new claims portal is in place and call center upgrades are ongoing as state officials make large-scale changes to the technology behind Employment Development Department services. Next up: an RFP to replace the mainframe.

The ransomware attack May 8 on Ascension, one of the largest health systems in the country, has impacted its medical facilities nationwide. The company’s Michigan entity announced the service disruption to its pharmacies Wednesday.

The Biden administration plans to require hospitals to meet minimum cybersecurity standards, and will provide free training to small, rural hospitals. The moves follow the February Change Healthcare hack that may impact 1 in 3 Americans.

There are more than enough studies showing the harmful effects of phone addiction on developing minds to justify imposing limits on using cellphones in school. Those who have done so are reporting all positive outcomes.

A cyber attack has impacted most of the health-care provider’s 139 hospitals nationwide. In Wichita, Kan., hospitals were still diverting emergency patients Thursday morning. The company has hired a third-party expert to help investigate.

California launched two apps at the start of the year offering free behavioral health services to youths to help them cope with everything from living with anxiety to body acceptance.

A health-care company in Palm Beach works with doctors and other companies to use patient medical records to foresee possible health outcomes before they can escalate. Its technology is now used in 450 dialysis centers nationwide.

New "patients" made of plastic, metal and microchips are designed to sense their environment and simulate human patient experiences for students in the University of Oklahoma's College of Nursing.

At a congressional hearing, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said the cyber theft includes personally identifiable information on “maybe a third” of all Americans.

The state is recommending a $1.4 million contract for more efficient incident management, including automated reports, be approved. Doing so should speed up response time on children, youth and family cases.

A Montgomery County commission approved spending more than $328,000 through March 2025 on the first two phases of work for the new safety net portal. The goal is to better connect providers across the community.

Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare’s Project Filter applauds the use of technology for intervention measures, but implores school leaders to provide alternatives to suspension and address teen nicotine addiction.

Nearly 2,800 patients at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester may have had files with personal and health information exposed, in what the hospital called a third-party “data security incident.” Those potentially affected will be notified by mail.