The National Academy of Ambulance Compliance recently released a new program to help EMS professionals navigate HIPAA compliance issues.
The Certified Ambulance Privacy Officer program is the first of its kind in the nation. With more HIPAA enforcement actions brought against health care providers in the past few years, participants in the course will learn methods for conducting thorough, ongoing risk analysis within their environments and information systems.
The course hones in on the risk areas identified by Office for Civil Rights, and identifies ways health care providers can plug compliance gaps often seen at EMS agencies. In light of FBI warnings that hackers are targeting medical information, the course explores potential data breaches and trains Certified Privacy Officers to know where the vulnerabilities are and how to identify and minimize breaches.
The course is taught by national EMS attorneys and HIPAA compliance professionals. It features two days of rigorous classroom instruction, a written examination, and interactive worships showcasing real-life scenarios. The course covers key areas including the development and implementation of HIPAA policies and procedures, an understanding of privacy and security rules, the role of social media when dealing with HIPAA issues, and requests for protected health information.
Registration is available for the $995 course, which runs March 10-11 at the Embassy Suites Philadelphia-Airport Hotel.