Randy Weisheit is one of Stony Hill Management's (HCAR publisher) more experienced associates, with nearly 30 years of technology-related experience and a penchant for being ultra cautious when it comes to computer security. Protection tools on his office PC include Norton's complete security suite along with numerous applications to identify and remove all sorts of spyware and malware, including rootkits and trojans. Yet this week, Randy found himself another unsuspecting victim of one of the more insidious email-delivered trojans we have encountered.

USAToday reported on the Coreflood Gang, a group of cyber-criminals from southern Russia that has perfected a way to get inside organization networks to gather information through malware, giving them access to user bank accounts. According to Secure Works researcher Joe Stewart, over the past 16 months the gang has managed to infect computers in thousands of networks. Among their preferred targets, corporate, hospital, university and government agency networks.

With more 'yes' votes than the original bill had gotten, the Senate overrode a Presidential veto this week, canceling proposed Medicaid rate cuts for physicians by shifting funds away from Medicare Advantage. Nearly overlooked by the national press, the same bill gave a big boost to telemedicine.

Paving the way for considerations of similar telehealth bills for home care, possibly as soon as next year, the bill opened skilled nursing facilities, in-hospital dialysis centers and community mental health centers as originating sites for Medicare reimbursement.

The industry has been wondering aloud what Intel has been up to ever since it quietly negotiated purchase of home telehealth software code from the defunct WebVMC last year. Now we know. It is joining multinational conglomerates such as Philips, Panasonic, Bayer and Honeywell in the relatively tiny home telehealth market. A home monitor, delivering patient vital signs to remote caregivers through an Internet portal, is being tested now and is set for commercial release late this year or in early 2009.

CAHSAH has named Strategic Healthcare Programs as its preferred vendor for business intelligence services. SHP, based in Santa Barbara, provides technology supporting real-time access to clinical outcomes, resource utilization, clinician performance, patient satisfaction and other data points for home care and hospice managers seeking to benchmark against emerging trends.

William J. Simione, Jr. has revealed early that the announcement anticipated to be be made at the NAHC Financial Managers meeting in Las Vegas, July 16-18 has to do with forming a new corporate division of Simione Consultants, Inc.

Through the acquisition of Home Care and Hospice Solutions and Polly Rehnwall, Inc., the Connecticut consulting organization will create a Marketing, Sales and Customer Service Consulting Division. The two firms were owned and created respectively by well-known marketing and customer service consultants Michael Ferris and Polly Rehnwall.

No sooner did Florida Governor Charlie Crist sign the state's Home Health Care Anti-Fraud bill into law on June 30 than it was contested by a legitimate software and services company that may be forced to change its business practices. All interested parties are anxiously awaiting a ruling from the attorney who advises the state's Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), the entity charged with enforcing the new law. Will it be amicable arbitration? Or will it end up as ECIN vs. HCAF?