Improper Disposal of Hard Drives Lead to HIPAA Violations
If you are a health care-related business or work with health care related records and information, how careful are you at following HIPAA regulations? Are you making any mistakes, even if those mistakes are inadvertent? A health care data breach that took place last year in Maine serves as an important reminder about the importance of choosing the right methods and ITAD providers for data destruction, proper disposal of hard drives and e-recycling. The HIPAA
Q&A | Let’s Discuss a HIPAA Violation in the Workplace
If you’ve been to any type of health care provider for a check-up since 1996, you will likely recall signing a document that either denies access or gives certain people (e.g., a family member or friend) permission to accept phone calls or receive other medical information about you. That’s a HIPAA release form. Here, we’ll explain what HIPAA is, how it applies to non-medical businesses, and how your company can avoid a HIPAA violation. What
Education is Needed to Ensure Medical Waste is Managed Well
The pandemic has created capacity issues in hospitals, pushing more care into the home. Some of those people are cared for by professionals in the industry, and more people have taken on the role of at-home caregiver for their loved ones. But what about those who live alone and are left to care for themselves? Or those patients who live in under served communities and have limited access to health care resources? Health inequities have
The Basics of Color-Coding Your Medical Waste Disposal
One of the most critical aspects of healthcare is the management of the waste generated at the facilities. A variety of businesses generate medical waste including hospitals and veterinary clinics, assisted living facilities and nursing homes, tattoo and body piercing parlors. No matter what type of business you are in, understanding how to properly dispose of medical waste will not only help you keep your employees and the public safe, but it will also keep
Your Responsibilities Under the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule
After experiencing a PHI breach, HIPAA-covered entities and business associates must comply with reporting requirements under the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule. The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule requires HIPAA-covered entities and business associates to follow specific reporting requirements following the discovery of a protected health information (PHI) breach. If organizations fail to comply with HIPAA’s standards, they run the risk of endangering patient privacy, paying hefty noncompliance fees, and suffering reputational harm and lawsuits. Healthcare organizations
Your Practice May Have Experienced a HIPAA Breach – Now What?
Whether you have recently experienced a breach or are just preparing for the worst, it’s important to know what you need to assess in the event that your practice is faced with a HIPAA incident. Any time your Protected Health Information (PHI) is exposed, whether maliciously or accidentally, your practice may be facing serious fines for a HIPAA violation. The first step is knowing what exactly is considered a breach of PHI. As defined by
COVID-19 Drives New Safety Programs, But Staff, Infection Problems Remain
After two years of dealing with COVID-19, hospitals and health care systems are creating new programs to improve safety for patients, staff and visitors. But staff burnout, staff shortages and rates of infection remain problems and 33% of hospital and health care leaders say not enough is being done, according to a new survey. The findings were part of “A New Era for Hospital Safety: What We’ve Learned from the Pandemic and What Still Needs
TN Together: National Take Back Day is April 30th, 2022
The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Department of Health, and TN Together are teaming up to encourage participation in the upcoming National Drug Take-Back Day on April 30th, 2022. Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. That’s dangerous and often tragic. That’s why it was great to see thousands of folks from across the country clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in – safely and
OSHA pleads with healthcare employers to help reduce worker injuries, illnesses
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
