The Role of Every Staff Member in Maintaining HIPAA Compliance
HIPAA is a cornerstone of patient privacy in healthcare, but ensuring compliance is not just the responsibility of IT or the compliance team. Every staff member, from receptionists to clinicians to administrative personnel, plays a vital part in safeguarding Protected Health Information (PHI). Here’s an overview of the responsibilities different roles have in maintaining HIPAA […]
It’s Your Call – February 2025
OSHA: Why is OSHA Ending The COVID-19 Healthcare Rulemaking? A: OSHA has decided to focus on creating a broader Infectious Disease Standard instead of a COVID-19-specific rule for healthcare workers. This approach was always intended to replace the temporary COVID-19 rule and allows OSHA to protect workers from a wide range of infectious diseases, not […]
The Right of Access Initiative
The Right of Access Initiative under HIPAA represents a crucial step toward empowering individuals with control over their health information. Launched in 2019 by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), this initiative aims to ensure that covered entities, including healthcare providers and health plans, comply with […]
It’s Your Call – January 2025
OSHA/Infection Control: What are the three ways to sterilize instruments used on patients? Sterilization of instruments achieves destruction of all forms of microbial life either by physical or chemical methods. There are different ways available to sterilize critical and semi-critical instruments/items utilizing either high or low temperature methods. Most instruments are heat stable and therefore […]
It’s Your Call – December 2024
HIPAA: Does the new reproductive health care ruling require a change to the Notice of Privacy Practices? A: Yes, the new ruling does require changes to the Notice of Privacy Practices. However, due to the second ruling concerning Substance Use Disorder Treatment records, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has extended the compliance […]
Compliance with HIPAA’s Final Privacy Rule for Reproductive Health Care, Deadline Approaching: December 23, 2024
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued the Final Privacy Rule to support reproductive health care and the protection of related health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This amendment was designed to strengthen privacy and security for individuals seeking reproductive health care. Other than Notice of […]
Clean Hands, Healthy Holidays: Protect Loved Ones from Illness with Effective Hand Hygiene
With the upcoming holidays and many family gatherings, one of the most important ways to protect yourself and loved ones is performing frequent hand hygiene. Good hand hygiene protects against sickness and disease such as the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19, and other respiratory illnesses. Hand hygiene has been known to be the single […]
Empowering Your Workplace: New Courses for Safety, Compliance, and Cybersecurity
In today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape, staying informed and prepared is more crucial than ever. To meet the diverse needs of organizations and their staff, we are excited to introduce a selection of new courses designed to enhance safety, compliance, and overall workplace effectiveness. From cybersecurity awareness to infection control in dental settings, these courses […]
It’s Your Call – November 2024
HIPAA: How does ransomware spread? Ransomware commonly spreads through phishing emails, malicious attachments, or compromised websites. Once a user clicks on a link or downloads infected content, the ransomware installs itself on the device, often spreading across the network to other systems. OSHA: What should an employer do immediately after an employee reports a needlestick […]
OCR’s Expectations for Preventing Ransomware in Healthcare
Key Lessons from the Cascade Eye and Skin Centers Settlement The recent settlement between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and Cascade Eye and Skin Centers underscores OCR’s expectations for healthcare providers regarding cybersecurity under the HIPAA Security Rule. Following a ransomware attack that compromised nearly 291,000 […]