Healthcare experts agree that the biggest threat to patient privacy and data security is an organization's workforce. While, healthcare entities have substantial discretion, they also have little regulatory guidance or certainty in developing effective programs to determine that prospective employees will adequately protect protected health information.

The HIPAA security rule, for example, requires healthcare organizations to develop reasonable security and training measures, but says little about hiring practices.

States, however, have been active in this area. For example, Michigan requires criminal background checks for workers in long-term care and nursing home facilities.

Protecting Patient Data at the Front Door: Vetting Prospective Employees for HIPAA and Other Data Protection Laws can help healthcare organizations develop standards for hiring workers.

Participants will be briefed on:

• Why the importance of vetting prospective employees goes beyond HIPAA
• Types of questions that should be included in employment applications
• The need to include Privacy and Security Officers in employment decisions
• The usefulness of different background checks that organizations may use in evaluating prospects;
• How state and federal laws limit what healthcare employers can ask
• The possible need for new Business Associate contracts provisions

And more

The Faculty:

John Parmigiani, President of John C. Parmigiani & Associates, LLC. John has over 35 years experience in information systems management in both the public and private sectors. The former Director of Enterprise Standards for CMS, John was the chairman of the government-wide HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security and Electronic Signature Standards Implementation Team that created the Security Rule and was a member of the federal committee that oversaw the development and implementation of the HIPAA Transactions and Code Sets and the Privacy Rule.

Christopher Berner, Esq. Labor and Employment Counsel for Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, which has more than 12,000 physicians and associates. Prior to that, Chris worked as a labor relations manager and a trial attorney representing individual employees and unions. He has experience litigating discrimination claims in federal court and collective bargaining disputes in private arbitration settings. Chris provides advice on all manner of labor and employment law issues, including fair employment practices, wage and hour laws, individual employee rights, and traditional labor-management relations.

Barry J. Nadell, President of InfoLink Screening Services, a national provider of employment background checks. is a founding member and on the board of directors of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners and the Association of Consumer Reporting Agencies, He assisted the California Legislature in amending legislation affecting how employers can protect consumers from identity theft while protecting themselves when requesting pre-employment background checks. Barry also is an associate member of the American, California State and Los Angeles Bar Associations specializing in labor and employment issues.

Who Should Listen:

• HIPAA Privacy & Security Officers
• HR Professionals
• Healthcare search firms;
• Healthcare Executives
• Risk Managers
• Business Associates
• Healthcare Providers
• Researcher Administrators
• Researchers
• Health Plans
• Clearinghouses
• Healthcare Lawyers and Consultants