The American Hospital Association (AHA) and Joint Commission have announced the launch of the Cyber Resilience Readiness (CRR) program, an initiative designed to help hospitals and health systems assess and strengthen their ability to sustain “clinical continuity,” or safe clinical operations, during cyber-related technology outages. The first-of-its-kind program was developed in partnership with several healthcare organizations and informed by lessons from actual ransomware and cyber events that have affected hospitals nationwide, to emphasize real-world operational readiness and patient safety impacts, rather than IT recovery alone. The voluntary program evaluates an organization’s ability to maintain safe patient care during cyber disruptions; coordinate clinical, operational, and leadership response during downtime; prepare staff to function effectively during a significant cyber incident; and identify and mitigate risks that pose a threat to clinical continuity. More information is available here.