Compliance Requirements and Security
The TECHNOLOGY e-NEWSLETTER is published monthly in support of the healthcare industry’s efforts to work together towards compliance in security and privacy. Subscribers total over 3,000.
In this issue:
1. Monthly HIPAA Compliance Tip: Compliance Requirements and Security
2. Visit AHA Solutions at HIMSS, Orlando; 2/24-2/28, 2008 3. Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) 12th Annual Compliance Institute April 13-16, 2008; New Orleans
4. TANDBERG Case Study: Critical shortage of Qualified Nursing Staff
5. Take the 2008 Most Wired Survey!
6. Register Now for HCCA’s Audit & Compliance Committee Conference
7. White House Budget Proposes Deep Medicare and Medicaid Reductions
8. DHS Updates National Response Plan
1. Monthly HIPAA Compliance Tip: Compliance Requirements and Security
Brought to you by: Ali Pabrai, CISSP, CSCS, HIPAA Academy
Organizations today are challenged with compliance requirements with legislations, both state and federal, as well as governance standards and international frameworks. Failure to comply with established requirements only increases the risk for the business as regulatory requirements are increasingly tied into best practices for securing the business information infrastructure.
The regulatory compliance requirements and associated frameworks provide a unique opportunity for organizations to align their technology initiatives with legislative requirements to meet business objectives.
The regulations that healthcare organizations are increasingly reviewing closely for compliance in the area of information security include:
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Section 404
- Payment Card Industry’s (PCI’s) Data Security Standard (DSS)
- Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) (this impacts U.S. government agencies, but is an exceptional reference for other organizations as well)
The COBIT framework, NIST resources such as its Special Publications as well as the ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 (17799:2005) Standards are terrific references for compliance and security professionals in healthcare organizations to use as we look to establish robust, roving and resilient capabilities for the critical digital infrastructure.
You may visit the industry most complete compliance portal at www.ecfirst.com for access to all major information security regulations. For a free 2-day Certified Security Compliance Specialist (CSCS) class delivered at your site, please visit www.ecfirst.com .
About HIPAA Academy: AHA Solutions, Inc., the endorsement facility of the American Hospital Association (AHA) awarded the AHA endorsement to ecfirst.com, Inc.’s (ecfirst) HIPAA Academy as a resource for training to help hospitals comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) security regulations.
2. Visit AHA Solutions at HIMSS, 2008, ORLANDO
The countdown to HIMSS has begun. Picture it now…walking the trade show floor, being barraged from all directions with marketing messages, sales pitches and product proposals. The challenge in this sensory overload is to be able to make sense of it all, so you can bring relevant information back to your hospital.
The AHA is your resource, and we can help.
Like last year, we’ll be exhibiting at HIMSS and we’d love to see you again! Stop by the AHA booth (#871) where we will be distributing valuable AHA resources, including the 2008 AHA Environmental Assessment, the 2008 AHA Advocacy Agenda, information on upcoming educational events, and free subscriptions to popular AHA trade publications like Most Wired and H&HN.
If you are attending HIMSS and would like to receive some practical, timely resources for FREE, please email technologysolutions@aha.org
3. Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) 12th Annual Compliance Institute April 13-16, 2008 in New Orleans
Join your colleagues in New Orleans for HCCA’s 12th Annual Compliance Institute—the single most comprehensive compliance conference designed specifically to meet the needs of today’s health care compliance professional. The 2008 Institute will be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel, New Orleans, LA
To register or for the most updated information, visit www.compliance-institute.org
4. TANDBERG Case Study: Critical shortage of Qualified Nursing Staff
Western Oklahoma State College (WOSC) addresses the critical shortage of qualified nursing staff by partnering with local hospitals to provide a distance training program for nursing students using TANDBERG visual communications, making training more accessible to local nursing candidates.
To receive a free copy of the case study, email technologysolutions@aha.org
5. Take the 2008 Most Wired Survey!
Now in its 10th year, AHA’s H&HN’s Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study has come to be regarded as a credible benchmarking tool for measuring information technology effectiveness.
Winners gain national exposure in trade and consumer publications, visibility at national trade shows and recognition in their local markets. The survey is open January 15 - March 15, 2008.
To find more information and to take the survey, visit: http://www.hhnmostwiredsurvey.com/ .
6. Register Now for HCCA’s Audit & Compliance Committee Conference
Date and Location: February 11-13, 2008, Scottsdale, AZ , Hotel Valley Ho
This conference is designed for board members and audit & compliance committee members. Compliance officers may attend with their board member.
Register now! Space is limited to 70 attendees!
Download the brochure and register via fax (PDF)
7. White House Budget Proposes Deep Medicare and Medicaid Reductions
“For safety net hospitals like Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, MO, where most patients are Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, budget cuts on the order of what President Bush is expected to propose today would curtail vital services.”
“There is no room to wiggle with these draconian attacks on hospitals,” said John Bluford, the medical center’s president and CEO and an AHA Board member. “We couldn’t just nip around the edges of our budget, we’d have to drastically scale back things like trauma services. Our ability to meet crises, both man-made and natural, would be jeopardized as a result, but we’d have no choice.”
To read the full article, click here.
8. DHS Updates National Response Plan
“The Department of Homeland Security yesterday released a National Response Framework, which replaces the National Response Plan as a guide to government and private sector roles, responsibilities and relationships in emergency planning, preparedness and response. DHS said the framework responds to repeated requests for a more streamlined, user-friendly document. In addition to the base document, it includes numerous annexes dealing with issues ranging from public health and medical services to private sector coordination and communications.”
Click here to view the National Response Framework
