This post, 3 things you need to do after receiving an OSHA citation, first appeared on https://www.bizjournals.com/. Dec 4, 2017, 3:15am EST If your company has been inspected and violations have been noted, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has six months to send a list of citations. If your company receives a citation, it will include a list of all violations, proposed penalties for each of those violations, and a timeframe by which […]
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This post, Updates and Tips for Pharmaceutical Waste Management (Don’t Waste Time!), first appeared on http://www.pharmacypracticenews.com/. Despina Kotis, PharmD, FASHP Director of Pharmacy Northwestern Medicine Chicago, Illinois Katie Gauen, PharmD Medication Safety and Compliance Pharmacist Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago, Illinois Institutions across the country are faced with 2 key challenges related to pharmaceutical waste management: 1) the proper disposal of drugs, particularly if they are deemed hazardous, and 2) the safe and secure disposal of unused […]
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This post, HHS releases limited HIPAA waiver during Hurricane Harvey: 5 things to know, first appeared on http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/. Written by Jessica Kim Cohen | August 30, 2017 HHS issued a limited waiver of HIPAA sanctions and penalties during Hurricane Harvey, which HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD, declared a public health emergency in Texas Aug. 26 and Louisiana Aug. 28. The HIPAA Privacy Rule cannot be suspended during emergencies. However, the HHS secretary may waive certain provisions […]
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This post, Where is your PHI Data Traveling Today?, first appeared on https://www.lexology.com/. Dickinson Wright | August 23, 2017 With most vendors offering and pushing cloud computing solutions and offsite data backup, or guaranteeing offsite backup of data they process for you, many HIPAA covered entities and business associates are questioning whether and how they can take advantage of cloud computing while complying with regulations protecting the privacy and security of electronic protected health information. At […]
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This post, Recent Events Increase the Importance of HIPAA Risk Analyses and HIPAA Policies, first appeared on http://www.jdsupra.com/. August 23, 2017 Recent events highlight the fact that threats to customer and patient data continue to increase. In recent months, government agencies, news outlets, and others have spent considerable time investigating and reporting on major worldwide ransomware attacks, including the “Petya” and “WannaCry” events. Moreover, numerous companies have reported significant malware or security breach events, including InterContinental Hotels […]
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This post, Palmetto Health fined for mishandling hazardous waste, first appeared on http://www.thestate.com/. By Jeff Wilkinson [email protected] August 15, 2017 1:32 PM The Palmetto Health Richland has been fined $28,000 by DHEC for mishandling hazardous materials. Among the violations were that hospital staff failed to keep containers holding hazardous waste closed during storage; failed to mark containers of hazardous waste; failed to maintain aisle space to allow the unobstructed movement of personnel and emergency equipment; and […]
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This post, What is the HIPAA Complaint Process?, first appeared on http://www.jdsupra.com/. August 9, 2017 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcing the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. Any person who believes that a covered entity or business associate is not complying with HIPAA may file a complaint with OCR (complaints may also be submitted directly to a covered entity). Here is a high-level overview of […]
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This post, Three Essential Best Practices for HIPAA Compliance, first appeared on http://www.healthstream.com/. August 14, 2017 This blog post is taken from a recent Webinar featuring Marti Arvin, Vice President of Audit Strategy at CynergisTek. There have been 17 HIPAA enforcement actions since the beginning of 2016, over a period of 15 months. Most of these were the result of self-disclosure where the organization was required to contact the Office for Civil Rights (OCR about a […]
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This post, Sharps Injuries – Providers face new reporting requirements, first appeared on http://www.repertoiremag.com/. New reporting requirements from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration may make it easier to ascertain just how many sharps injuries and/or needlesticks are incurred every year by healthcare workers. The agency is betting that the requirements will “nudge” providers to take extra steps to safeguard their employees. Under the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers must provide their workers with […]
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This post, How to make sure your dental practice is EPA compliant, first appeared on http://www.dentistryiq.com/. July 24, 2017 By Samantha Sharon Every day, your dental practice handles infectious, hazardous, and pharmaceutical waste materials. That’s why dental practices are subject to strict federal (EPA), state, and local regulations to ensure the proper handling and disposal of all bio-hazardous materials. From a regulatory standpoint, most dental offices meet the EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements […]
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