Merry Christmas!  Here is a holiday poem featuring HIPAA that I recently ran across and wanted to share.  It was originally posted here.

HIPAA Christmas poem – Santa in the ER:

A Visit to the ER from St. Nick

Twas the night before surgery, and all ‘cross the floor

The patients were buzzing ’bout the guy in Room Four.

His chart was hung on his door with great care

To make sure his name was not shown anywhere.

The patients were nestled all snug in their beds

While telemetry monitors beeped overhead.

And I in my gown, with its crack in the back,

Had just settled down for my clear liquid snack.

When down the hall there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

I pulled off my leads and flew out the door,

With my IV pole dragging behind on the floor.

Away to Room Four I hurriedly dashed

Unaware of my gown and the nurses I flashed.

As I slid to a halt and leaned to peek in

I heard the nurse say, “Sir, you mustn’t go in!”

And what did I see when I looked in Bed A

But ole Mr. Claus; on his belly he lay.

Covered in gauze and stuck high in the air

Oh what a sight, ’twas St. Nick’s derriere!

He was yelling at Doris, the nurse at his side

To be tied to this bed, he just could not abide.

He moaned and he bellowed about his ill luck

But there was just nothing for it; the old man was stuck.

“What happened to Santa?” to Doris I said,

“Why’s he on his belly in this hospital bed?”

With a grin she whispered, “He did something stupid.

He injured his butt when he backed into Cupid.”

But the old man’s ears were sharp as tack.

He heard what she said there behind his back.

“You had no right to speak, and that is a fact!

Don’t you know about HIPAA, the privacy act?”

“You’re out of compliance, Doris, my dear.

You had no right to tell him ’bout my injured rear!

I’ll sue you for breach, and this hospital, too!

You won’t have a job when I’m through with you!”

“When I check my list and then check it twice,

You’ll be in the column labeled ‘Not Nice.’

The HIPAA patrol will likewise drop by

To find out why you, Doris, did not comply!”

“They’ll want to know why you opened your yap,

A big, hefty fine on your butt they will slap.

And from me every Christmas you will now see

Nothing but switches and coal ‘neath your tree.”

Merry Christmas and HIPAA New Year!

Once again we’ve brought you the best of the best.  From Monster.com, SimplyHired.com, MedicalWorkers.com and Dice.com, here are the top 10 HIPAA jobs as of October 29, 2009 nationwide.

1. Chief Privacy Administrator

2. HIPAA Specialist

3. HIPAA Business Analyst

4. Corporate HIPAA Compliance Manager

5. EDI Lead Developer

6. HIPAA Privacy Manager

7. Manager, Patient Relations

8. Lead Correspondence Clerk

9. HIPAA Auditor

10. Privacy Specialist

Here are the brief summaries and details of the jobs we’ve found for you:

Job Title: Chief Privacy Administrator

Company: Catholic Healthcare West (CHW)

Location: San Francisco, CA

Job description: The Chief Privacy Administrator is appointed by the CHW Board to direct the organization’s activities related to development, implementation, maintenance of, and adherence to policies and procedures covering the privacy of, access to, and protection of patient, provider, employee, and business information in compliance with CHW policies and procedures, and as required by the HIPAA privacy rule, the FTC Red Flag Rule, and other applicable regulations and laws.

The Chief Privacy Administrator collaborates with CHW legal counsel to monitor or interpret the requirements of HIPAA and other applicable federal and state privacy laws and regulations. The Chief Privacy Administrator receives complaints and requests for further information regarding CHW privacy policies and notices; in collaboration with CHW legal counsel, oversees investigations and required state and federal reporting and notification involving breaches of confidentiality; coordinates all activities with privacy implications; and monitors systems and services to assure meaningful privacy practices. The Chief Privacy Administrator also monitors and coordinates all requests for information from federal and state regulators investigating privacy.

Click  here to read more about this position.

Job Title: HIPAA Specialist

Company: AETEA Information Technology

Location: Olympia, WA

Job description: Our Olympia, WA customer needs a Consultant with strong HIPAA experience and knowledge to help with getting through HIPAA/EDI testing. We are looking for someone who knows the Federal HIPAA transaction implementation guides well and can understand the companion guide and help providers troubleshoot why their files are failing.

Click  here to read more about this position.

Job Title: HIPAA Business Analyst

Company: CATS

Location: Washington, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Job description: This initiative requires the resource to evaluate the existing District agencies requiring HIPAA Security measures and to offer a comprehensive and logical approach in providing HIPAA Security for those agencies.

Meets with customer and reads designs and uses software tools to gather requirements, analyze needs, identify risks, propose designs, wrote documentation, remediate and carry out analysis. This initiative requires the resource to evaluate the existing District agencies requiring HIPAA Security measures and to offer a comprehensive and logical approach in providing HIPAA Security for those agencies. Any HIPAA IT security assessment experience is a plus. Conduct risk analysis of various agencies here after referred to as a covered entity, to identifying deficiencies in standards, to resolving problems where applicable, to develop and amend HIPAA associated Policies, Plans, and Procedures. Implement preventive compliance measures as it relates to Part 164 of the HIPAA Security Rule described in the Work Plan.

Click  here to read more about this position.

Job Title: Corporate HIPAA Compliance Manager

Company: HMA – Corporate (Health Management Associates)

Location: Naples, FL

Job description: Assists with all ongoing activities related to the development, implementation, training, maintenance of, and adherence to the organization’s policies and procedures covering the privacy of, and access to, patient health information in compliance with federal and state laws and the healthcare organization’s information privacy and security practices…

Click  here to read more about this position.

Job Title: EDI Lead Developer

Company: CATS 

Location: San Francisco, CA

Job description: The tech lead for the EDI Program is responsible for building and implementing the technology solutions which are part of EDI Roadmap. Responsibilities include analyzing the requirements, detailed system design, development, testing and support of technical solutions…. The candidate should experience in architecting and implementing EDI in healthcare industry with knowledge of HIPAA standards…

Click  here to read more about this position.

Job Title: HIPAA Privacy Manager

Company: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Job description: Works with the CCO/Privacy Officer in implementing and administering federal and state regulatory requirements on patient privacy and the confidentiality of patient information. Primary customers include physicians and CSHS employees…

Click  here to read more about this position.

Job Title: Manager, Patient Relations

Company: MetroWest Medical Center

Location: Framingham, MA

Job description: Under the general supervision of the Director of Quality and Patient Safety, is responsible for managing patient relations and complaint activity. Serves as liaison between the patients, their families, and the organization’s departments, administration, and physicians for thorough and timely resolution of issues, concerns, and complaints. Acts as the organization’s HIPAA / Privacy Officer assuring adherence to all HIPAA and privacy of information regulations and standards.

Click  here to read more about this position.

Job Title: Lead Correspondence Clerk

Company: UCSF Medical Center

Location: San Francisco, CA

Job description: The Lead Correspondence Clerk is responsible for processing requests for medical records. This individual must have general overall knowledge of The HIPAA Privacy Rule (Federal Registry, Title I, Health Care Access) along with laws governing State and Local Release of Information and Patient Access…

Click  here to read more about this position.

Job Title: HIPAA Auditor

Company: COMSYS

Location: Boise, ID

Job description: The Internal Auditor for Information Security is responsible for the auditing and testing of IT controls for HIPAA, PCI, and other regulatory based auditing and testing. This person will audit routine information systems and the most complex of new and existing systems to ensure that appropriate controls exist, and that system procedures are in compliance standards. Provides timely periodic reports on findings and identifies controls needing improvement.

Click  here to read more about this position.

Job Title: Privacy Specialist

Company: St. Luke’s Hospital

Location: Houston, TX

Job description: Provide input on the development, implementation, and on-going review of privacy policies and procedures.  Provide information about matters covered by the System’s Notice of Privacy Practices, Receive, respond to, and document privacy complaints from patients, employees, business associates, and others. Coordinate correction, mitigation, and disciplinary action as requested.  Prepare, as directed, periodic privacy reports to the Governing Board and management regarding the status of implementing and maintaining the privacy program.  Oversee, direct, deliver or ensure delivery of initial HIPAA/privacy training on applicable policies to all employees, volunteers, medical and professional staff.  Initiate, facilitate, and promote activities to foster HIPAA/privacy awareness.  Work with the Privacy Officer to establish a process for receiving, documenting, tracking, investigating, and taking corrective action on all complaints concerning the organization’s HIPAA/privacy matters. Implement corrective action to mitigate effects of inappropriate use or disclosure of PHI and document such actions.  In collaboration with legal counsel, identify business associates that receive PHI and review existing contracts with these entities for compliance with HIPAA. Assist regulatory bodies and organization officers in compliance reviews or investigations.  Work in conjunction with the Privacy Officer to address such reviews or investigations.  Set and track potential HIPAA/privacy compliance performance measures, which may include: Breach of confidentiality/privacy related complaints; Determine number of internal incidents involving violations of privacy policies;Determine and improve compliance with HIPAA training;Act as a liaison to St. Luke’s IM Department to review all system-related information security plans to ensure compliance;Respond to other compliance matters as appropriate or as assigned by the Compliance Officer.

Click  here to read more about this position.

There’s a new solution on the market to make HIPAA and HITECH compliance faster and easier, and the real draw is that it makes it easier for physicians to qualify for the stimulus incentives and bonuses from the ARRA, PQRI and E-Prescribing initiatives.  In a business wire issued on October 22^nd Reuters highlights the new “Surveillance Program” offered by Doctations.

The Surveillance Program allows physicians to meet requirements for the E-prescribing initiative for a 2% bonus, the Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) for a 2% bonus as well as to qualify for up to $44,000 in incentives from the ARRA via the High-Tech bonus. Doctations’ COO Jerry Kolosky highlights the benefits: “By implementing the Surveillance functionality, we are providing online tools that make it simple for doctors to meet new government requirements, help ensure positive patient outcomes and receive the associated financial benefits.”

Reuters states that “By implementing the medical practice management and digital documentation solutions as web-native tools, Doctations provides doctors and patients with advanced, secure, HIPAA compliant, comprehensive solutions that are substantially less expensive than any other options currently available.”

And yes, the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) has certified this application.  Doctations has committed to updating this program for immediate compliance with HIPAA and HITECH rules as well as other regulations.

Once again we are in the midst of hurricane season.  I thought this would be a good time to review a few points about HIPAA and natural disasters – always helpful reminders, since “the big one” could be here soon (earthquake, tornado or hurricane…you just never know).

When hurricane Katrina struck the US, time was of the essence in providing care to those injured.  The Department of Health and Human Services issued a bulletin titled Hurricane Katrina Bulletin: HIPAA Privacy and Disclosures in Emergency Situations to succinctly address the issue of patient information while responding to an emergency.  It covers treatment, notification, imminent danger and facility directories.

In short, “the HIPAA Privacy Rule allows patient information to be shared to assist in disaster relief efforts, and to assist patients in receiving the care they need.”  The Red Cross is also mentioned specifically: “Of course, the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not apply to disclosures if they are not made by entities covered by the Privacy Rule.  Thus, for instance, the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not restrict the American Red Cross from sharing patient information.”

For a more in-depth analysis of hurricane Katrina and HIPAA Privacy, you can access the CRS Report for Congress on Hurricane Katrina: HIPAA Privacy and Electronic Health Records of Evacuees.

For hurricane updates from the National Weather Service, click here.

On the lighter side, here are a few puns and jokes about HIPAA.  Since laughter is the best medicine, you may as well smile as you read through these.

What do you call a provider if he/she is found to have violated patient confidentiality?

HIPAAcrit

What do you call a theory for HIPAA success?

HIPAAthesis

What does one experience once they’ve grown cold to HIPAA compliance threats?

HIPAAthermia

What do you call someone who complains incessantly about HIPAA?

HIPAAchondriac

What do you call urgent HIPAA issues?

HIPAAcritical

What do you call the uphill slope toward HIPAA compliance?

HIPAAtenuse

What do you call someone who thinks HIPAA is sweet?

HIPAAglycemic

What is the disease you get from too much HIPAA?

HIPAAtitis

What do you call someone who is delighted with HIPAA?

HIPAA-go-lucky

These were originally posted here by D. Hager, Paramedic.

Get your HITECH and HIPAA ducks in a row.

The World Health Care Congress Leadership Summit on HITECH and HIPAA Compliance Management is designed to provide solutions for exposing risks and maintaining compliance with new HIT requirements from the ARRA, HIPAA and health reform. The summit will be held on November 9 – 10 in Arlington, VA. Read on for 10 compelling reasons to attend along with interesting facts about the upcoming conference.

10.  Resources and Checklists are included so you can reduce exposure and risk.  Make HIPAA and HITECH work for you, not against you.

9.  Network in the Exhibit lounge with other executives and HIPAA know-it-alls.

8.  Torpedo Factory Art Center is not part of the conference, but it is one of the free things to do before or after the conference.  Click here for a list of more free things to do in Alexandria.

7. Meet 17 speakers and learn from their experiences.  They’re here to help you, after all.

6. Data Breaches pose a huge liability.  Find out how to identify, track, fix and report a HIT data breach, as well as best practices for organizational recovery.

5.  27 Red Flags of medical ID theft…learn what you need to do to protect yourself and your clients from data breaches and medical ID theft.

4.  Get money from the Recovery Act, Medicaid and Medicare by learning the security frameworks required by these programs.

3.  Save money by registering by October 30: enter code QFZ483 on the registration page for an extra $100 off the current rate.

2.  Bill Clinton is providing the closing keynote address: “Embracing our Common Humanity”.  How often do you get to see the former President up close and personal?

1. Be proactive on your HIPAA and HITECH implementation so that you can make the right strategic and tactical HIT management decisions…learn how to avoid security breaches in the first place!

For more information about the conference, click here.

Clinical trials and medical studies are fundamental to the advancement of medicine. But how does HIPAA impact the research and what personal health information can be shared? The National Institutes of Health has put together a 38-question FAQ addressing this: HIPAA Privacy Rule for Researchers.

The good news is that “patients and health plan members should be more willing to authorize disclosures of their information for research and to participate in research when they know their information is protected…The Privacy Rule both permits important research and, at the same time, encourages patients to participate in research by providing much needed assurances about the privacy of their health information.”

What does the Privacy Rule cover when it comes to research? In short, it regulates the documentation needed (i.e. the waiver that patients sign to release their information for the study).

Who else might see your information? “The Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) is a public health authority under the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Therefore, covered entities can continue to disclose protected health information to report adverse events to the OHRP either with patient authorization as provided at 45 CFR 164.508, or without patient authorization for public health activities…”

Are you a patient involved in a clinical research study? Learn more about the protections for your personal health information by clicking here to read the lowdown at the National Institues of Health.

If you’re new to the healthcare industry and HIPAA compliance, or just need a reminder, all the acronyms can be a bit intimidating… here’s a cheat sheet of a few important acronyms and what they refer to.

ACRONYMS:

AHIMA – American Health Information Management Association
AHRQ – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
CFR – Code of Federal Regulations (A compilation of the general and permanent rules of the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government as published in the Federal Register. The code is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation.)
CHP – Certification in Healthcare Privacy
CHPS – Certification in Healthcare Privacy and Security
CMP –Civil Money Penalty
EHR – Electronic Health Record
EMR – Electronic Medical Records Systems
HHS – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
OCR – Office for Civil Rights (within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
PSO – patient safety organizations
PSQIA — Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Rule (PSQIA establishes a voluntary reporting system to enhance the data available to assess and resolve patient safety and health care quality issues. To encourage the reporting and analysis of medical errors, PSQIA provides Federal privilege and confidentiality protections for patient safety information called patient safety work product. Patient safety work product includes information collected and created during the reporting and analysis of patient safety events.)
PSWP – patient safety work product

Don’t see what you’re looking for in the short list above? Check out this list for more healthcare acronyms.

We’ve scoured the top job sites including Monster.com, Dice.com as well as other specialized healthcare and compliance sites to bring you ten interesting HIPAA jobs that you’ll want to check out.  How would you like to work at a hospital for children as the Director of Medical Records in Brighton, MA?  Or perhaps working for Kaiser in Denver might be of more interest.  Either way, read on to see some of the most interesting HIPAA jobs nationwide.  We’re going to try to make this a regular feature of HIPAAnews.net so be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed so you don’t miss out!

Job list compiled on October 5, 2009.

Job Title: SEBMF- Director of Health Information & HIPAA Privacy Officer SEBMF- Director of Health Information & HIPAA Privacy Officer
Company: Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation
Location: California-San Francisco East Bay and Solano-Lafayette
Job description: Provides direction for the Health Information/Medical Records Departments of Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation, supports the strategic objectives of the organization, and ensures compliance to regulatory requirements/statutes.
Responsible for daily functions surrounding the medical record; creates policies and establishes workflow transition processes during and post EHR migration to include transcription services. Creates policies and procedures related to electronic data transmission, storage, and HIPAA regulations, manages electronic health record, and acts as system administrator for HIMS related IT systems. Establishes organizational structure and ensures implementation of “best practices” for Health Information Management. Responsible for staffing, budgeting, and facility development for Care Center Health Information/Medical Record Departments.
The Director of Health Information & HIPAA Privacy Officer reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer. Reporting to the incumbent are Care Center Medical Records Department leads and supporting staff with a dotted line to the Care Center Manager…
Click here to read more about this position.

Job Title: Corporate HIPAA Compliance Manager
Company: Health Management Associates, Inc
Location: Naples, FL
Job description: The Corporate HIPAA Compliance Manager assists in the development, implementation and training of the organization’s HIPAA policies and procedures to comply with federal and state laws regarding privacy and security practices. This organized leader will provide internal and external communications expertise for ongoing HIPAA efforts and serve as a resource for questions regarding application and interpretation of the HIPAA regulations. Builds awareness throughout the organization to educate and motivate employees and management — making HIPAA understandable to specific target audiences. Maintains critical communication pathways across entire corporation with all designated HIPAA Officers. Additionally, the Manager oversees progress reports to corporate Senior Management and develops training events to enhance compliance…
Click here to read more about this position.

Job Title: HIPAA Systems Development Support
Company: Computer Sciences Corporation
Location: Menands, NY
Job description: This candidate will work on HIPAA implementation, issues remediation, and will assist in the development of the Privacy and Security Policies and Procedures. Much of this work means being assigned to and following various listserv such as NCPDP, X12N, DISA, NMEH, Wedi-SNIP and others. Some travel will be required to work with the industry groups and standards development organizations in the development of HIPAA Implementation Guides and technical reports. This candidate will participate on weekly and biweekly teleconference meetings. This involvement is key to ensure CSC’s and DOH’s interests are addressed and taken into consideration whenever changes are requested for the various Implementation Guides or technical reports. This candidate will work with Trading Partners helping to bring them to HIPAA compliance and keeping them informed of how HIPAA requirements affect the Medicaid transactions and will travel to various sites to do HIPAA transaction training and teach the Trading Partners the tools necessary to assist them in submitting successful production HIPAA transactions…
Click here to read more about this position.

Job Title: Director of Medical Records
Company: Franciscan Hospital for Children
Location: Brighton, MA
Job description: Develops and implements policies and procedures for documenting, storing, and retrieving information, and for processing medical-legal documents, insurance data, and correspondence requests, in conformance with federal, state, and local statutes. Supervises staff, in preparing and analyzing medical documents. Participates in development and design of computer software for computerized health information system. Responsible for Inpatient, Psych, Outpatient, Dental, Home Health, and other program medical records. Duties include a significant amount of time assembling, analyzing and coding (diagnostic, procedural & E&M) medical records especially with Inpatient, Inpatient Psychiatry, Outpatient, Dental and other non-hospital program records. Coordinates medical care evaluation with medical staff and develops criteria and methods for such evaluation. Develops in-service educational materials and conducts instructional programs for health care personnel. Prepares department budget…
Click here to read more about this position.

Job Title: HIPAA Compliance Administrator
Company: Woodbury Technologies, Inc
Location: San Antonio, TX
Job description: HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance Monitoring. The specialist shall assist Privacy and Security Officers with the planning and execution of periodic risk assessments and ongoing privacy and security compliance monitoring activities. …The specialist shall coordinate with government leadership and assigned Privacy and Security Officers to assist with, and support organizational activities related to the development, implementation, maintenance of, and compliance with the Privacy Act and HIPAA privacy and security requirements as mandated by Federal, DoD, and AFMS policies and procedures.
The specialist shall organize ongoing HIPAA compliance activities, noting requirements, milestones, timelines, and resources. This shall incorporate and address all overlapping organizational privacy and security issues, which affect the protection of health information…. The specialist shall provide an Education, Training, and HIPAA Awareness Plan which outlines specific efforts taken to meet educational and training needs to promote privacy and security awareness in order to protect health information and Privacy Act data…. Facilitate a map/gap analysis and evaluation of policies, processes, procedures and instructions as they relate to privacy, security and the protection of individually identifiable health information/protected health information…. Review/assess all locally maintained business associate agreements to ensure compliance with HIPAA and Privacy Act…
Click here to read more about this position.

Job Title: Data Specialist/SAS Programmer
Company: Kaiser Permanente – Colorado Region
Location: Denver, CO
Job description: The Data Specialist / SAS Programmer 2 works in conjunction with the Statistical Analysts and Programmers to manage all aspects of data manipulation, ensuring data quality and maintaining data integrity for one or more complex studies through the use of high level SAS programming. As part of the research team, the Data Specialist / SAS Programmer 2 is responsible for providing expertise on efficient and appropriate use of data. … Coordinates with the HIPAA compliance officer to make sure all data use, manipulations, storage, and transfers meet the required HIPAA guidelines….Starting salary range is $49,000 – $74,000 DOE plus excellent benefits package…
Click here to read more about this position.

Job Title: Meditech HIM (MRI) Client-Server Implementation Expert – Lead Analyst experience
Company: CyberCoders
Location: Los Angeles, CA; Seattle, WA
Job description: Due to continued growth, we need to add dedicated Implementation Specialist to our Meditech team. In this role, you would act as Lead Analyst on Meditech HIM (MRI) system installs within a client/server environment.

This is a travel job and you can be based from any city in the Western USA as long as you are willing to travel Monday thru Thursday. Travel will be within the south western USA… This is a full time gig working as a traveling consultant… We work hard but keep it manageable! We love our consultants and reward them generously with bonuses….Salary range is $85,000 – $110,000…Skills required: Meditech Client/Server, Team Leader, Nursing Informatics, Electronic Healthcare Systems, Electronic Medical Records, HIPAA, Meditech C/S 5.6 Platform…
Click here to read more about this position.

Job Title: Lead ETL/ Claims (HIPAA) Tester
Company: Mastech Inc
Location: Pleasanton, CA
Job description: We are currently seeking Lead ETL/ Claims (HIPAA) Testers for our client in the Healthcare domain. …Create Test Scripts in co-ordination with Business and verify data loaded from source to staging to Data warehouse. 
Work in conjunction with the Business Analysts, Solution Consultants, and ETL Team to create, modify, or update Test Scripts.
 Perform analysis, design, and create Test Cases, documentation, and execution of Test Scripts. 
Follow testing guidelines, standards, and procedures.
 Participate in requirements, design, and code reviews, and get the big picture.
 Lead the project independently and communicate with Business Analysts, ETL Developers, and Business Team…Compensation: $50 – $55/ Hourly on W2…
Click here to read more about this position.

Job Title: HIPAA Billing & Payment Associate
Company: CVS/Pharmacy
Location: Woonsocket, RI
Job description: Work closely with Third Party agencies to gather specifications and test materials required for conversion to HIPAA II mandated transaction standards. Assist Third Party business and IS personnel in mapping HIPAA transaction data, developing Third Party reporting requirements, performing agency data validation and project documentation requirements. Assist in successfully implementing NCPDP and HIPAA ASCX12 standard requirements for Third Party agencies…
Click here to read more about this position.

Job Title: BUSINESS PROCESS ANALYSTS – Health Care Insurance
Company: LOGIN Consulting Services
Location: Ventura County, CA
Job Description: Major health care insurance company has a 3+ month contract available for Business Process Analysts experienced with the insurance/Medicare operations. The Analysts should have HIPAA and EDI experience. Candidates cannot be considered unless they have health care insurance industry experience.

The Process Analysts must be able to facilitate meetings, collaborate with both business and IT organizations, have excellent documentation and communication skills and be self motivated.
The Analysts will obtain the business requirements and will communicate those requirements to the IT operation such that the detailed and technical requirements can be produced.
Click here to read more about this position.

There’s a proposed rule that impacts HIPAA and GINA – no, that’s the name of a specific patient but rather the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (shortened to GINA). The proposed rule was issued on October 1, 2009 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and provides individuals new privacy and nondiscrimination rights with respect to the use of their genetic information in employment and heatlh insurance decisions.

For example, genetic information might include screenings for diseases such as Huntington’s Disease, early onset Alzheimer’s, or breast cancer just to name a few. In the past some women have declined breast cancer screenings for fear of the ability to get and keep health insurance. This just doesn’t make sense, and the new rule addresses this: “The proposed rule would modify the HIPAA Privacy Rule to clarify that genetic information is health information and to prohibit the use and disclosure of genetic information by health plans for underwriting purposes.”

The bottom line? Genetic information can’t be used to discriminate for employment or underwriting purposes. The proposed ruling is subject to a 60 day comment period.

You can read more here.