Two cases of exposing patient personal information occurred in New Jersey but serve as warnings to all healthcare providers. The state's Division of Consumer Affairs has reached a settlement with three New Jersey-based providers of cancer care that the State alleges failed to adequately safeguard patient data, exposing the personal and protected health information of 105,200 … [Read more...] about New safeguards and fines follow data breach investigations in New Jersey
Compliance
EEOC updates guidance related to COVID-19 and ADA
By Mike O'Brien The EEOC recently released updated guidance on the intersection between COVID-19 and major federal employment laws. In particular, the agency explained that COVID-19 may be considered an ADA-protected disability in certain cases. While mild or asymptomatic cases of the illness do not constitute an ADA-protected disability, other more severe cases, including … [Read more...] about EEOC updates guidance related to COVID-19 and ADA
6 things to do when remote workers want to move to another state
By Mike O’Brien Is it a problem for a medical office suddenly to have an unplanned, unexpected, and perhaps undesired branch office when an employee moves to another state? Yes! The United States has a national government, state governments, and local governments. They each have powers over employers and make laws that typically apply to and protect people subject to the … [Read more...] about 6 things to do when remote workers want to move to another state
5 more HIPAA patient rights violations: strategies for avoiding fines
By Danika Brinda In September of 2019, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Health and Human Services settled the first HIPAA Fine and Corrective Action Plan for $85,000. Fast forward a little over 2 years to late last year the OCR assigned five more fines and corrective actions plans for non-compliance with Patient Access, now totaling 25 covered … [Read more...] about 5 more HIPAA patient rights violations: strategies for avoiding fines
How pre-hire social media searches save employers
By Lynne Curry You thought the applicant knocked it out of the park with his resume and answers to your interview questions. Do you make the offer? Not so fast. Have you fully checked out the real person behind the resume and interview answers? In addition to reference checks, ninety percent of employers now use social media to evaluate job candidates.1 According to Harvard … [Read more...] about How pre-hire social media searches save employers
A staffer hands you a two-week notice: What’s next?
By Paul Edwards It’s 4:30 on a Friday afternoon, and one of your employees knocks on your door asking to come in. They’re avoiding eye contact, they’re fidgety, nervous… This can’t be good news. You imagine accidentally shredded payroll reports, stolen laptops full of patient information, or something equally catastrophic. But when the employee tells you what’s going on, it’s … [Read more...] about A staffer hands you a two-week notice: What’s next?
Did your employees move out of state during the pandemic?
By Mike O'Brien Here’s a growing concern for employers over the last couple of years: discovering that an employee has moved from one state to another while working remotely during the pandemic. This situation presents a number of problems and challenges for employers. Imagine the situation where you are a state-based company and hire someone who lives in the state. Unless … [Read more...] about Did your employees move out of state during the pandemic?
5 things to do before a HIPPA audit happens to your medical office
By Jordan MacAvoy The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was introduced to safeguard sensitive patient data. As expected, a good number of covered entities and business associates are yet to implement the safeguards fully. Most of these healthcare providers, business associates, and organizations that are struggling to implement the compliance … [Read more...] about 5 things to do before a HIPPA audit happens to your medical office
Failure to prevent ransomware attacks exposes healthcare providers to costly negligence lawsuits
Custodians of personal health information have become a prime target for ransomware attacks. In addition to fines for HIPAA violations, failure to safeguard patient medical information against these threats can lead to liability under state negligence and gross negligence laws, including within the framework of potentially disastrous class action lawsuits. The recent case … [Read more...] about Failure to prevent ransomware attacks exposes healthcare providers to costly negligence lawsuits
What to do if an employee defies your mandatory vaccination policy
Mandatory vaccination policies have become a touchstone issue for employers in just about every industry. And all of this begs a question of crucial importance: What should you do when employees defy your medical office’s mandatory vaccination policy? Your choices: Terminate them immediately Accommodate them immediately None of the above The answer is C, none of the … [Read more...] about What to do if an employee defies your mandatory vaccination policy