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25 million medical records stolen. From one vendor.
Think about that for a second.
Conduent, a company most patients have never heard of, just became the second-largest healthcare breach in US history. The SafePay ransomware gang lived in their systems for 3 months, October through January, stealing 8TB of data before anyone noticed.
Texas: 15.5 million affected
Oregon: 10.5 million affected
Plus Wisconsin, Montana, New Mexico, Illinois
💡 Here’s what makes this terrifying:
They weren’t even a hospital. Conduent handles back-office operations: printing, payment processing, Medicaid benefits. One vendor supporting Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, Humana, Premera, and government programs across 30 states.
The stolen data? Everything:
• Social Security numbers
• Medical diagnoses and treatment codes
• Insurance details
• Provider names and claim amounts
• Full addresses and dates of birth
This isn’t just about cybersecurity budgets anymore.
When we outsource critical functions to save costs, we’re creating single points of catastrophic failure. One vendor breach shouldn’t compromise 7.5% of Americans’ medical records.
The healthcare supply chain is our Achilles’ heel. We audit our clinical systems religiously, but how many health systems truly understand the security posture of their print vendor? Their claims processor? Their mailroom operator?
🔍 Three uncomfortable questions for healthcare leaders:
1. How many third-party vendors touch your patient data?
2. When did you last audit their security controls?
3. Could you survive if your biggest vendor got hit tomorrow?
The Conduent breach proves we’re fighting yesterday’s war. While we fortify hospitals against direct attacks, criminals are targeting the soft underbelly: the ecosystem of vendors we depend on but barely monitor.
Maybe it’s time to rethink how we structure healthcare operations. Because right now, we’re one vendor breach away from the next 25 million records.
♻️ Repost if healthcare needs radical supply chain security reform
👉 Follow me, Jonathan Govette, for daily, real-time updates on healthcare technology and business news. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathangovette/
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Author:
Jonathan Govette is a seasoned healthcare and technology executive with more than two decades of experience building, scaling, and advising digital health companies. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Oatmeal Health, an AI-driven Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnostics company focused on expanding access to early detection for underrepresented populations, particularly patients served by Federally Qualified Health Centers and value-based health plans.
With a background in engineering, product development, and strategic partnerships, Jonathan has founded and led multiple health technology ventures across clinical care delivery, regulated medical software, and AI-enabled diagnostics. His work sits at the intersection of medicine, technology, and health equity, with a consistent focus on translating complex clinical problems into scalable, real-world solutions.
Jonathan has spent much of his professional life dedicated to improving outcomes for marginalized and underserved communities. He has designed and implemented frameworks that align clinical quality, reimbursement, and technology to sustainably advance health equity at scale. This mission is deeply personal and informs his leadership philosophy and long-term vision for healthcare transformation.
In addition to his operating experience, Jonathan is an author and long-time writer in the healthcare domain, with over 20 years of published work covering digital health, medical innovation, and healthcare systems. He is a frequent mentor to early-stage founders and regularly advises startups on product strategy, partnerships, and go-to-market execution in regulated healthcare environments.
Before entering industry full-time, Jonathan nearly pursued a career in medicine with an early path toward cardiothoracic surgery, an experience that continues to shape his clinical perspective and respect for frontline care delivery.
CEO | Oatmeal Health | AI Lung Cancer Startup | Engineer | Writer | Almost Became a Doctor (Cardiac Thoracic Surgeon) | 3x Health Tech Founder | Startup Mentor | Follow to share what I’ve learned along the way.
