COVID-19 challenged health authorities to interpret rapidly changing data, monitor ongoing research developments, and communicate critical information to the public across regions with a wide variety of demographic audiences. Thus, the risks involved in healthcare communications significantly intensified. We focus on (1) challenges involved in healthcare communication; (2) communications approach across the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) and the U.S.; and (3) risks involved in communicating information derived from big healthcare data to understand possible implications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews with practitioners involved in healthcare communications, we explore the communicators' experiences with public health-related big data from the United States vs. Nordic countries. Results indicate three core elements unique to communication in the healthcare industry: (1) big data, (2) the business context and operating environment, and (3) the healthcare communication development process itself. Findings indicate that there are similarities between the U.S. and the Nordics across all three areas. However, the differences are particularly pronounced in the business operating environment. Conclusions offer improvement in healthcare communications by reducing current exposure to risks in disseminating misinformation and addressing future challenges in responding to future global health crises.