HIPAA, the “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996,” provides federal protection of patient health information. You will be receiving weekly messages to help you understand the topic and how it impacts your job. Today, you’ll learn who to contact on campus to better understand HIPAA.
Questions:
1. Who are the Privacy and Information Security Officers for NHS, University Medical Associates (UMA) and UNMC?
2. Who is responsible for maintaining a secure environment and patient privacy?
Answers:
1. A campus approach to HIPAA compliance has been adopted with integrated committees working together representing all entities. Sheila Wrobel has been appointed the Privacy Officer and Sharon Welna has been appointed Information Security Officer for all stated entities. They are responsible for working with the committees to develop and implement policies and procedures to safeguard our patients’ information.
2. Everyone! We all play a role…what is YOURS?
If you’re a manager, please ensure all of your employees are informed of the contents of these messages and how it applies to your work area. Some ways of sharing the information include discussions during staff meetings, printing and posting this message or asking your employees if they have any further questions.