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A message from HIPAA project manager
Shari Bedar
 n
April 14, the privacy regulations of the nation’s Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
will become effective. This law establishes regulations that set
privacy, security and electronic transactions requirements for the
use of patient health care information. One of the most important
regulations governs patients’ privacy and the confidentiality
of their “protected health information.”
Children’s has always been committed to protecting patients’
privacy and the confidentiality of their health information, and
HIPAA reinforces these values and builds on protections we already
have in place. Under the new standards, Children’s will further
improve its practices. The regulations give patients additional
rights to control their health information, establishes limits on
how providers can use and release patients’ health information,
and calls for physical, administrative, and computer-based safeguards
to protect that information.
Protecting privacy and confidentiality is the responsibility of
every member of the Children’s community. Employees may only
use patient information on a “need to know” basis—even
information as basic as names and phone numbers. Employees should
not discuss information about patients unless it is administratively
or clinically necessary.
As the April 14 deadline approaches, you will be learning more
about HIPAA, how you can improve the protection of patient information
and how the HIPAA Privacy standards will affect you and your work.
It is very important that we all understand our responsibilities.
Because these requirements are mandated by federal law, both the
hospital and individual employees are legally responsible to ensure
our practices are compliant.
Contact me in the HIPAA Program Office at ext. 5-2798 for more
information or with any questions.—SB
Related links:
HIPAA
Department of Health and Human Services
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