Amid a rise in healthcare worker injuries and illnesses, the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is urging facilities and providers in the industry to employ effective safety and health programs. OSHA made the plea in a news release Feb. 8, about a week ahead of National Caregivers Day on Feb. 18. U.S. healthcare workers saw a 249 percent increase in injury and illness rates in 2020 compared to the year before, and workers in the […]
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Amid the pandemic, U.S. healthcare workers experienced a 249% increase in injury and illness rates in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, workers in the healthcare and social assistance industries combined suffered more injuries and illnesses than workers in any industry in the nation. Risk management in healthcare facilities As National Caregivers Day falls on February 18, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) calls on healthcare […]
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The first two parts of this series on HIPAA in 2022 examined regulatory updates related to interoperability and OpenNote, and privacy, patient rights and security. That’s a lot to get your arms around during these challenging times. You may feel overwhelmed and ask yourself how to keep up-to-date on all of this year’s changes, and how to start to ensure that my practice is in full HIPAA compliance? This is perfectly understandable! Here are five […]
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Every healthcare organization knows about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). It’s part of daily life for those working in a healthcare setting, and it can be — from a cybersecurity perspective — a difficult set of regulations to navigate. HIPAA violations can result in a minimum fine of $50,000, not to mention the reputation cost as well as time and money spent if that HIPAA violation results in a data breach. With […]
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What is HIPAA? HIPAA is an acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Among other measures, the Act led to the establishment of federal standards for safeguarding patients´ “Protected Health Information” (PHI) and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of PHI created, maintained, processed, transmitted, or received electronically (ePHI). When the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was passed by Congress in 1996, the establishment of federal standards for safeguarding PHI was not […]
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Can you throw your at-home, rapid COVID-19 test in the trash, or is it considered hazardous biological waste? Unlike at hospitals, at-home tests can be thrown in the normal trash, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the Miami Herald in January. However, some states have taken different stances. In Delaware, schools should treat the kits as infectious waste, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Schools have been directed […]
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