|
 I
hope summer is going well for everyone and you all are finding time for
vacation and having a little fun in the sun. The rain and cool weather is
finally over in my part of the state and with the sun and typical summer
heat, I’m finally starting to get some ripe tomatoes out of my garden! In
my mind, there is nothing like a fresh picked tomato straight from the
garden.
Raising tomatoes isn’t all I have been doing to keep busy
this summer. Michelle Kornfeld and I have been collaborating on a
resolution on Privacy and Security of Health Information. Wishing to call
attention to the need for more diligence on the part of Health Care
Organizations in the area of privacy and security, we penned the resolution
and presented it to the MHIMA Board and the AHIMA Privacy and Security
Practice Council for their support.
I will be presenting the Resolution at Summer Team Talks
this Friday (July 18), and hope to have the House of Delegates vote to
approve later this summer. Our hope is that passing this resolution will
remind our membership of the importance of privacy and security and help to
embolden them to speak up at their organizations regarding the need to keep
Health Information safe and secure.
We are including the Resolution in this newsletter; please
review it and send my any comments you have regarding it.
Thanks, and go out there and enjoy what is left of the
summer.
Jeff McGraw, RHIT
President-elect
| 8/2 |
8:00-12:00 |
EMHIMA Meeting |
St. John's
|
Lisa Kronsberg - Coding Roundtable
|
|
| 9/17 |
4:30 |
EMHIMA Meeting |
St. John's
|
Dr. Myesorkar - Hyperbaric Wound
Center/Trauma experience
|
A BIG THANKS to our Board members who have finished
their terms of office!
Karen Gambon, RHIA – Director of Marketing
Donna Caldwell-Chaffin, RHIA – Director of Recruitment
Michelle Kornfeld, RHIT, CPC – Delegate
Please welcome new members of the MHIMA Board!
Susan Labonte, RHIA, CHP – Delegate
Maggie Gambill, RHIA, CCS-P – Delegate
Diane Swift, RHIT – Director of Recruitment
Julie Dooling, RHIT – Director of Marketing
 Beginning
in August, the MHIMA Newsletter committee will be introducing a NEW format
to the MHIMA e-Alert! This new monthly version will look a
little different, but will include the same great information PLUS a few new
featured sections!
If you are interested in joining the Newsletter Committee,
or have suggestions for our newsletter, please CLICK HERE.
MHIMA Newsletter Committee:
Kathleen Byerley, RHIT
Regina Everett, RHIA
Tammy Lacio, RHIT
Jennifer Melvin, RHIA
Julie Wolter, RHIA.
Email us at
newsletter@mohima.org
In 2007 and 2008 a number
of patient privacy breaches have made the headlines. From the many highly
publicized breaches of celebrities’ health information to the 3000 electronic
patient records on a laptop stolen from the trunk of a car, it is obvious that
the privacy and security standards are much too lax for many healthcare
providers and health plans. Such deficient standards undermine public
confidence in the privacy and security of electronic health records, which could
hinder their future adoption and undermine President Bush’s call for most
Americans to have access to an interoperable electronic medical record by 2014.
AHIMA is committed to being
the leader in protecting health information from inappropriate use and
disclosure, ensuring confidentiality and integrity of identifiable health
information by applying privacy and security measures to enhance public
confidence in the protection of data.
Whereas, patients have a fundamental right to health
information privacy and security;
Whereas, the media has reported the improper access and
disclosure of several celebrities’ health information;
Whereas, there have been many instances of stolen computers
containing unencrypted, non-secure health information;
Whereas, health information should only be accessed by those
who need the information for continuity of care, payment, healthcare
operations, and/or applicable laws, based on the concept of minimum
necessary;
Whereas, health information must be kept in a secure and
reliable manner that ensures its accuracy and integrity;
Whereas, health information professionals have the expertise
in privacy and security of health information and must abide by AHIMA’s Code
of Ethics to protect the confidentiality of health information;
Therefore, be it
Resolved, that AHIMA members call on healthcare
organizations to educate users of health information about the need for
improved and consistent information privacy and security and the role HIM
professionals have in protecting and securing information;
Resolved, that AHIMA call on healthcare organizations to
improve privacy and security of health information through greater attention
to the concept of minimum necessary, encryption of health information and
use of biometric-based keys;
Resolved, that HIM professionals be on the forefront of
auditing and monitoring access to individual health information, especially
high-profile patients;
Resolved, that AHIMA endorses consistent internal sanction
policies that are enforced equally across all disciplines when a privacy or
security breach is discovered and external penalties for organizations that
do not take appropriate steps to prevent privacy or security breaches.
Resolved, that AHIMA supports efforts to establish
consistent patient health information privacy and security legislation to
establish standards for national health information exchange and eliminate
confusing and contradictory state regulations.
Marsha Dolan, MBA, RHIA, was selected to
receive the Shooting STAR award for June by the MHIMA Board. Congratulations
Marsha!
If you are making a gift in honor of a
friend or colleague in HIM, a mentor, a co-worker, or a classmate, don't
forget to request your FORE Shooting Star pin when you make a gift. The gold
lapel pin is for you to present to your honoree in recognition of all they
contribute to the HIM profession. Each Shooting Star pin is $25 and can be
mailed directly to you to present to your honoree or (at your request) FORE
can mail it to the individual on your behalf.
Click here for more information.
|
