The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) impacts all UNMC employees. This federal mandate must be implemented by April 14.
As a result, employees are urged to begin their training on the HIPAA key principles. In addition to training, the campus is required to have on record a confidentiality statement that employees have signed (electronically/manually) indicating their agreement to abide by the confidentiality and privacy policies and procedures of UNMC. The Medical Center also has initiated a training program to achieve federal compliance for bloodborne pathogens.
Training requirements online
Employees may do their training by logging on to the Employee Self Service (ESS) Web site at ess.unmc.edu. In the left column there is a selection titled “Training and Certification” (employees should select “My Requirements”). The screen that appears will list the employee’s training requirements.
After you select HIPAA (if you have not already completed your HIPAA training), you will be prompted to log on to BlackBoard using the same ID and password you used for ESS. Within the HIPAA course employees must complete one of three options: 1) view an 11-minute video; 2) take a self-test; or 3) view a Powerpoint presentation with lecture notes. (Note: Be sure to answer the question after viewing the video or lecture as this will indicate “completion” of the training requirement).
UNMC has provided employees with the ability to electronically sign the confidentiality agreement. To do so, select the “Privacy, Confidentiality and Information Security UNMC Policy 6045” (found on the “My Requirements” screen). This selection will open an Adobe Acrobat session with a form to complete.
Bloodborne pathogen requirement
If you have a bloodborne pathogen (BBP) requirement (not designated as exempt), you will be taken to BlackBoard when you select the BBP designation. The certification consists of appropriate course material followed by a multiple-choice exam.
Questions
If you have any questions, call the ITS HelpDesk at 559-7700. Employees who are unable to complete the training or signing of the confidentiality statement electronically should contact their supervisor or department training coordinator for “paper” versions of the material.
Deadlines
The HIPAA training and signing of the confidentiality form must be completed by March 17. The blood borne pathogen training must be completed by June 1.