Federal Update: Rural Health, Cybersecurity & the Digital Health Ecosystem with Mari Savickis
On this episode of Health Stealth Radio, host Frank Cutitta sits down with Mari Savickis, Vice President of Public Policy at CHIME, to unpack the hottest issues coming out of Washington, D.C.—and what they mean for hospitals, patients, and the digital health landscape.
Mari brings her trademark candor and humor to a fast-moving conversation covering:
- Rural health on the frontlines. From the Senate HELP hearing to the new $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund, discover how policymakers are grappling with cybersecurity gaps and connectivity deserts that threaten small providers.
- The White House’s digital ecosystem pledge. What happens when the President, CMS, and HHS rally the industry to break down silos and speed up interoperability? Mari explains why CIOs and vendors can’t afford to ignore this push.
- Telehealth and hospital-at-home extensions. Pandemic-era flexibilities are on the chopping block—hear what’s at stake if Congress fails to act, and how bipartisan bills could secure five more years of innovation.
- Cybersecurity reauthorization countdown. With the clock ticking on a 2015 law, Mari reveals what’s at risk if safe spaces for threat-sharing vanish.
Listen now to hear how rural funding, digital identity, hospital-at-home, and cybersecurity collide in ways that will shape the future of healthcare.
Listen to the Conversation
About the Show
Insights from the Shadows of Enterprise and Patient Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity and Privacy have become increasingly complicated not only from a technology perspective but also regarding the purely human responses needed to data breaches. Most healthcare systems don’t care to share insights on how their cybersecurity systems were cracked, and even fewer wish to share how they got their data back whether through sleuth technology or by direct financial negotiations using cryptocurrencies. Join host Frank Cutitta on Health Stealth Radio and his guests as they discuss the more covert and edgy aspects of healthcare security that can’t always be found in vendor sales brochures or the enterprise breach response playbooks of CISOs.
About the Host
Frank Cutitta
Frank has over 40 years of experience in the media, information technology, and healthcare industries. Over the years he launched some of the most iconic IT media brands in 90 countries including Computerworld, PC World, Network World, and CIO. His international career then led him to work in the intelligence sector during his time in the former USSR and Cuba. In addition to being a graduate professor of healthcare informatics and communications, he serves on the board of JBJS, the world’s leading orthopedic journal, and as Co-Chair of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network’s Patient Family Advisory Council. He previously served on the Global Board for HIMSS for 6 years. Connect with Frank on LinkedIn Frank Cutitta.
