January | 2015 | Touchstone Compliance

Best Popcorn for Watching a Short HIPAA Video about Security of EHR

This short blog is going to point you in the direction of a good HHS video about the security of EHR and a good popcorn to go with it. I’ve always loved popcorn. Who doesn’t? I remember my mom sprinkling the kernels into the hot oil in a heavy-duty kettle on our kitchen stove, slapping on the kettle’s cover, sliding the whole thing back and forth over a red-hot burner. And me and my sisters waiting for the “pop-pop-pop” that told us our favorite snack would soon be ready for Saturday Night at the Movies on the couch in the […]

A Practice’s Privacy Officer and Security Officer: The Batman & Robin of HIPAA Compliance

As part of HIPAA compliance, every healthcare office must have a Privacy Officer and a Security Officer. This article describes the responsibilities of each.

Why Serious HIPAA Enforcement Is Inevitable

To borrow a phrase from Stephen Colbert, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) — the department in charge of HIPAA enforcement — got a “wag of the finger” a while back from the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. And that’s bound to have an impact on healthcare offices everywhere. A November 2013 report from that office pointed out serious weaknesses that need to be addressed in OCR’s enforcement of HIPAA compliance. Titled — in all caps, no less — THE OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS DID NOT MEET ALL FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS IN ITS OVERSIGHT AND ENFORCEMENT OF […]

The Role of a Practice’s HIPAA Privacy Officer

Exactly when an HHS auditor will visit your office is anybody’s guess. But I do know the first words an auditor is likely to say when he/she arrives to assess how the practice is doing with HIPAA compliance: “I’m from Health and Human Services and I’d like to speak with your Privacy Officer.”Roblox Robux Hack 2017 HIPAA says that every practice or healthcare organization must designate a privacy officer. No office—no matter its size—is exempt from this HIPAA requirement. In larger healthcare organizations, it’s not uncommon for the role of HIPAA Privacy Officer to be someone’s entire job. That […]

8 Common HIPAA Compliance Cop-Outs

Let’s be honest. To many healthcare providers, HIPAA is four-letter word. And the phrase “HIPAA compliance” — around since 1996 — has become a kind of irritating background noise they’ve gotten used to, but still wish would go away. Here in 2015 HIPAA compliance can no longer be ignored. Advances in technology and consumer awareness, along with recent changes in the law, stiffer enforcement, and larger penalties have made the old excuses for not dealing with HIPAA compliance unworkable and untrue. Let’s look at 8 of them. “HIPAA compliance isn’t part of the Hippocratic oath and the real work of […]

How Data Backup Can Save a Healthcare Practice in a Disaster

In the event of a disaster, here’s what every healthcare provider needs to know about data backup of Personal Health Information (PHI and ePHI).

Most HIPAA Checklists Are a Waste of Time. Here’s Why.

Just now, out of curiosity, I Googled the words “HIPAA compliance checklist.” Within .20 seconds I got 2,470,000 results. Page after Google page of businesses, legal firms, healthcare organizations, and government agencies offering everything from “Ten-Point HIPAA Checklists” to “$89 Compliance Checklists.” The appeal of such lists is undeniable. Knowing what I know about HIPAA and its complexity, I can easily understand how a simple checklist might be viewed as a possible compliance solution. Putting “X’s” in little boxes next to questions on a checklist downloaded from an official-looking website sure beats reading the 500+ pages of the Omnibus Rule. […]

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Monthly Archive for: "January, 2015"

Best Popcorn for Watching a Short HIPAA Video about Security of EHR

A Practice’s Privacy Officer and Security Officer: The Batman & Robin of HIPAA Compliance

Why Serious HIPAA Enforcement Is Inevitable

The Role of a Practice’s HIPAA Privacy Officer

8 Common HIPAA Compliance Cop-Outs

How Data Backup Can Save a Healthcare Practice in a Disaster

Most HIPAA Checklists Are a Waste of Time. Here’s Why.