Health IT Security and Compliance

Exceptions to a HIPAA Breach

By Art Gross – In 2007 the Guide to Medical Privacy Law was published. It indicated that on multiple occasions hospitals, EMT services, schools, and other public agencies were incorrectly withholding news out of a fear of violating HIPAA policy. Often, there isn’t a clear understanding as to what constitutes exceptions to HIPAA and who can say what.


Encouraging Regulatory Compliance

By Matt Fisher – Concerns about the scope of compliance with a growing host of regulations in healthcare are mounting. It is fully acknowledged that healthcare is subject to a myriad of regulations that often create confusing, if not contradictory requirements for organizations.


What’s the HIPAA Omnibus Rule?

By Art Gross – The HIPAA Omnibus Rule was established to identify and further outline accountability within the entities of healthcare regarding patient data. To understand the HIPAA Omnibus Rule and how it affects these entities, we need to understand who and what are the “moving parts” that make up the operation.


What is Privacy?

By Matt Fisher – Privacy is an important topic of discussion, consideration, deliberation, or any other word that can be used to say it is front and center. The focus on privacy has been growing as technology expands and creates more data. Privacy is so important though because there needs to be an understanding of what should happen with data.


The 18 PHI (Protected Health Information) Identifiers

By Art Gross – HIPAA regulations are in place to ensure that you protect and secure the patient data that as a healthcare business, you have access to and collect. The Department of Health and Human Services has identified 18 patient identifier categories as it pertains to their guidance on satisfying the safe harbor method for de-identification per §164.514(b):



HIPAA Compliance Audit: What to Expect

By Art Gross – “We’re being audited!” Those words strike fear and uncertainty in most of us – especially if you are in healthcare. But what actually happens in a HIPAA audit? Will a government official show up unannounced with a briefcase and ask for you to produce every bit of your business’s HIPAA documentation while sequestering your team in a conference room? Not quite.