Baptist recently transformed its privacy and security department. The group, which comprises four colleagues, is responsible for protecting patient information and ensuring that Baptist follows federal and state privacy laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations. Specifically, the department:
- Provides education and awareness and looks for ways to enhance privacy and security.
- Investigates claims that private information has been compromised.
- Notifies patients if private information has been compromised.
- Files required reports with the federal government.
- Responds to government investigations that patient information has been compromised.
- Helps colleagues arrange for appropriate methods to transmit patient data when transmission is necessary for business needs.
- Provides opportunities for patients and colleagues to ask questions or file complaints via options #3 and #4 on the 877-BMH-TIPS hotline.
- Reviews requests for sharing data with business partners to ensure appropriateness of sharing and security of data.
- Monitors changes in the law that may necessitate updating Baptist’s Notice of Privacy Practices and/or policies and procedures.
The members of the privacy and security team are:
Janelle Burns – corporate privacy and security officer
Barbara Anson – program director, corporate information security program
Laura Cummins – corporate privacy officer
Jenna Cummings – information analysis coordinator