Website Privacy Policies and HIPAA’s Notice of Privacy Practices
If you have spent any time on the Internet, you have been asked what you would like a website to do with its cookies. A cookie is information saved by your web browser. Cookies are like flags that allow a website to recognize and remember your device if you return to that site in the […]
OCR Right Of Access Enforcements – A Message to Dental Practices
The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently settled three more investigations in the Right of Access Initiative it started in 2019. All three of the new enforcements involved dental practices, bringing the total number of access initiative enforcements to 41. The enforcements also come with a message directly to all dental practices from the […]
It’s Your Call – October 2022
OSHA: Does OSHA require our office to have written policies and protocols about workplace violence? OSHA has no specific standard for workplace violence. However, they could cite a facility under the General Duty Clause which requires employers to provide their employees with a place of employment that is “free from recognized hazards that are causing […]
It’s Your Call – September 2022
OSHA: If we have an employee less than a year, are we obligated to keep their medical records? No, the medical record can be given to the worker upon termination if they were employed less than a year. Medical records would include medical and employment questionnaires, laboratory tests, pre-employment exams, first aid records, treatment descriptions […]
It’s Your Call August 2022
OSHA: How should our office prepare for persons who have been exposed to monkeypox? First and foremost, train your employees. They should be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of monkeypox. Wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent potential exposures and know how to treat. Symptoms are typically flu-like with a rash […]
TMC Security Scout on Phishing
Of all the known cyberattacks that cause a data breach, phishing is the most expensive to remedy. A successful phishing attack most commonly reveals usernames and passwords, which paves the way to the data breach resulting in an average cost of $4.9m for victim organizations worldwide. The costs remain the highest in the healthcare industry […]
ALERT – Phishing Campaign
These phishing emails are targeting healthcare providers. The email has a subject of “(Victim Organization) (Date) Business Review” and utilizes a Secure Message theme. Inside of the email is a malicious link that takes the recipient to an Evernote site that looks like it belongs to the Victim Organization. On that site is an HTML […]
OCR’s COVID-19 Enforcement Discretions
Throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency that began in January of 2020, the Office for Civil Rights has issued several notifications of enforcement discretion for certain aspects of the HIPAA rules. This means that, for the topics covered, the OCR will not impose penalties for noncompliance with the HIPAA rules as long as the covered […]
It’s Your Call July 2022
OSHA: Our office provides laser treatment. What OSHA specific regulation(s) address laser plume (smoke)? Currently, OSHA has no specific standards for laser/electrosurgery plume hazards but note that smoke byproduct could produce upper respiratory irritation, cause potential in-vitro mutagenesis, and generate infectious viral fragments. Thus, OSHA could cite under these two regulations: 134(a)(1)-Inadequate Personal Protective Equipment […]
Navigating Social Media, Online Reviews, & HIPAA
No one likes a bad review. It is much more common for an unsatisfied customer to post a negative review than it is for a happy customer to post a positive review. Most business advice sites recommend responding to both good and bad reviews because it helps resolve issues and actually wins back customers. However, […]