The Waste Medic team was excited and thankful to finally be back on the road and in person for the 2022 MHCA (Mississippi Health Care Association) annual conference at the beautiful Beau Rivage resort in Biloxi, Mississippi. MHCA was packed with nearly 100 vendors and…
Sierra Samuels was let go Sept. 15 for HIPAA violations, hospital says A nurse in Miami was fired last month after she posted pictures of a baby with a birth defect on social media. Sierra Samuels was relieved of her duties on Sept. 15 at…
2020 has been a busy year with HHS’ Office for Civil Rights, from Premera Blue Cross’ $6.85 million settlement, the second largest in OCR history, to numerous right of access case resolutions. Here are 17 hospitals, health systems and health plans that have agreed to…
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has awarded approximately $11.2 million in Susan Harwood federal safety and health training grants to 90 nonprofit organizations nationwide. The grants will provide education and training programs to help workers and employers recognize serious…
With employers planning for employees to return to work following COVID-19–related closures, there are sure to be questions about sharing employee medical information as it relates to COVID-19 (symptoms, test results, status) within the workplace and with public authorities. Now may be a good time…
Dr. Ratul Chatterjee, an independent primary care physician in Huntington Beach, California, would like to banish HIPAA in its current form although he readily admits that his is a radical, politically incorrect, position. He charges that health IT companies, lawyers and lobbyists have made millions…
Workplace safety inspectors are conducting nearly 200 coronavirus-related investigations to determine whether employers failed to adequately protect their workers, according to data from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Half involve employee deaths or hospitalizations. The inspections target nearly 50 hospitals and two dozen nursing homes, including…
A handful of states are reopening for business following coronavirus-triggered lockdowns, raising two compelling questions: Must employers ensure the workplace is safe? And will they be held liable if employees contract the virus? The short answer is that while health care providers must follow federal…
To update clinicians on the various terminology used by the FDA on treatments related to COVID-19 we have developed this reference guide. Classification of Intended Use and Definitions The classification of your intended use dictates which products can be used and what regulatory framework needs…
The privacy watchdog won’t impose penalties on providers who use non-HIPAA-compliant remote communications technology during the public health emergency. The HHS Office for Civil Rights announced on Tuesday that during the coronavirus pandemic it will use discretion when enforcing HIPAA-compliance for telehealth communications tools. Why…