How to Avoid HIPAA Double Jeopardy
Medical practices healthcare providers and their business associates may be faced with a double jeopardy threat now that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has asserted its right to prosecute data breaches by entities subject to HIPAA regulation (see our previous blog post). The FTC ruling makes it possible for a breach of patient information to […]
Who’s Enforcing HIPAA?
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) insistence that it has the authority to enforce data security breaches by HIPAA-covered entities has some people crying foul. We tweeted about this issue a few weeks ago when the FTC first stuck its thumb in the HIPAA pie, but it’s worth taking a closer look at the problem and […]
How to Energize Your Staff and Beat the Winter Blues – Part I
Winter is just getting started and already most people have had their fill of snow and cold. Gray days, nasty weather, bone-chilling cold and lack of sunshine can take a toll on the office staff at your clinic or medical practice. Mondays seem to be a particularly trying day for most people as they struggle […]
More Office Tips on Beating the Winter Blues
If the relentless cold weather and gray skies have your medical office staff sinking into a blue funk, use the following tips to boost office morale and keep the winter blues at bay (see our previous post for more blues-beating tips): Laugh! Laughter lifts the spirits. Sharing a belly laugh or even a good chuckle […]
More Tips for Bridging the Employee Generation Gap – Part II
Helping older and younger staff members at your medical practice bridge the generation gap can reap rewards for both employees and your practice (see our previous post). Both generations have valuable ideas to bring to the table, but differences in communication and work styles can create misunderstandings and ruffle feathers. Use these additional tips to […]
Bridging the Gap between Younger and Older Employees – Part I
Most medical offices and clinics have a mix of older employees who my have been with the practice for years, and younger employees who are new to the practice and may be new to the workplace or the field of medicine or both. Both generations have much to offer and can learn from each other, […]
More Tips for Achieving HIPAA Compliance
Achieving and maintaining compliance with HIPAA’s complex patient information privacy regulations is one more time-consuming chore adding to the workloads of already overburdened medical office staffs. Between the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA’s new Omnibus Rule and changes to Medicare and Medicaid, the flurry of new paperwork threatens to overwhelm physician and dental practices, taking staff […]
Critical Steps for Achieving HIPAA Compliance
If HIPAA-compliance concerns are keeping you up nights, you’re not alone. Complying with HIPAA regulations has been a challenge since the first national privacy standards were implemented in 1996. Omnibus Rule updates have only made HIPAA compliance more complex and much more time-consuming, particularly for smaller physician and dental practices. Aside from the desire to […]
Bad Winter Weather Increases the Need for Backup Services
If snow and cold weather keep your favorite coffee shop from opening, it could make for some cranky folks with caffeine withdrawal. In the case of a medical office, the results can be far more dire. When brutal winter conditions prevent your associates from reaching the office, do you have a backup plan to keep the lines of communication […]
Arctic Vortex Spikes Demand for Disaster Standby Medical Answering Services
The Arctic Vortex that froze the Midwest over the weekend dipped into the Deep South and started moving up the East Coast, shattering low temperature records that have stood for more than a century. With sub-zero wind chills of minus 50 in Wisconsin, minus 40 in Chicago and minus 30 in Cincinnati, Ohio; Antarctica and […]
