Protect your patients' data and your reputation.

Information technology is a critical component of your business operations. A breach of security could cause significant damage to your organization and your customers and patients.

Furthermore, both the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economical and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act require health care organizations to comply with federal standards when handling and transmitting patient data.

An effective information security program depends on both technology and operational practices. Technologies such as servers, networking components and applications require secure implementation to reduce vulnerabilities and protect sensitive information, as well as meet HIPAA and HITECH mandates for security.

Who Needs It

There are two primary components of HIPAA to understand in regard to your information security obligations. These components are commonly referred to as the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule.

These rules apply to "covered entities" (as defined by 45 C.F.R. § 160.103), which include:

Health plans (e.g., health insurance companies, HMOs, employer health plans, government programs)
Health care clearinghouses (i.e., those organizations that process health information they receive from another organization)
Health care providers who transmit any health information in electronic form in connection with certain financial and administrative transactions, such as electronic billing and fund transfers (e.g., doctors, clinics, psychologists, dentists, chiropractors, nursing homes, pharmacies)

These rules also extend to independent contractors, known as "business associates," who have access to individually identifiable health information or perform certain functions and activities.

The Privacy Rule

The Privacy Rule regulates the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI) in both paper and electronic formats. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) states that the Privacy Rule requires:

Notifying patients about their privacy rights and how their information can be used.
Adopting and implementing privacy procedures for its practice, hospital, or plan.
Training employees so that they understand the privacy procedures.
Designating an individual to be responsible for seeing that the privacy procedures are adopted and followed.
Securing patient records containing individually identifiable health information so that they are not readily available to those who do not need them.

The Security Rule

The Security Rule specifies what administrative, physical and technical safeguards must be in place to assure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Electronic Protected Health Information (EPHI or e-PHI).

Specifically, covered entities must (as defined in 45 C.F.R. § 164.306(a)):

Ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all e-PHI they create, receive, maintain or transmit;
Identify and protect against reasonably anticipated threats to the security or integrity of the information;
Protect against reasonably anticipated, impermissible uses or disclosures; and
Ensure compliance by their workforce.

HITECH

The HITECH Act extends HIPAA's privacy and security requirements to business associates and augments notification requirements when PHI is breached or disclosed.

For breaches that affect 500 or more individuals, organizations must notify affected individuals, the HHS and the media.
For breaches that affect less than 500 individuals, organizations must notify the HHS annually.

What We Do

To demonstrate compliance with HIPAA and HITECH, Sikich works with your team to:

Facilitate a risk assessment identifying the impact of potential risks and implemented countermeasures,
Perform a specialized IT audit that benchmarks your organization against the HIPAA/HITECH requirements to identify any gaps with your current compliance,
Provide remediation guidance to help you meet your privacy and security obligations, and
Create a breach notification plan to establish proper procedures and reporting requirements in the event of a data breach.

Our assessment covers the following areas:

Administrative Safeguards

Security Management Process
Assigned Security Responsibility
Workforce Security
Information Access Management
Security Awareness and Training
Security Incident Procedures
Contingency Plan
Evaluation of Requirements
Business Associate Contracts and Other Arrangements

Physical Safeguards

Facility Access Controls
Workstation Use
Workstation Security
Device and Media Controls

Technical Safeguards

Access Controls
Audit Controls
Integrity Controls
Person or Entity Authentication
Transmission Security

Policies, Procedures and Documentation Requirements

Written Security Policies and Procedures
Written Records of Required Actions, Activities or Assessments
Review and Updates

At the conclusion of the assessment, we will provide a final report that outlines the HIPAA/HITECH requirements and your compliance with the specific requirements applicable to your organization.