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An award winning newsletter for Orange Regional Medical Center employees, physicians and volunteers
From The President & CEO All too often people forget how important it is to keep our patient’s Protected Health Information (PHI) private. Patients expect, and the law requires, that we will not access medical records unnecessarily or out of curiosity or discuss a patient’s care unless it is our job to do so. We have a sacred Scott Batulis trust to protect our patient’s privacy and the President & CEO consequences for not following policy and the law can be severe. When we do access medical records, the law requires that we use the “minimum necessary” standard to only view the records that necessitate providing appropriate and safe patient care. The Compliance Department maintains HIPAA policies and procedures, and provides training and education to make sure we follow the law. There is also a handy “HIPAA Privacy and Security Reference Tool” you can find on the Orange Regional intranet.
April 2017
Our ‘Life Saving’ Heart Care Program Makes Headlines
Patients receive a “Notice of HIPAA Privacy Practices” document upon admission to make them aware of their rights. We, as an organization, are required to protect their privacy. The Information Technology (IT) Department conducts routine and random audits to make sure employees are following HIPPA policies. Remember that we are required to record and save every time someone accesses a medical record. Even when we are off duty, and even if we leave the organization, the HIPAA rules must be followed. Additionally, staff is not permitted to access their own health records or those of family members in Epic. Please sign up for MyChart or contact the Health Information Management (HIM) Department for any medical record needs. I’m writing this as an important reminder to protect you, our patients and our organization. Thank you for protecting the privacy of our patients. It is the right thing to do.
Sincerely,
Scott Batulis, President & CEO
Our fantastic cardiology awards were featured in a story by the Times Herald-Record on April 19. Congratulations to all of the staff who contributed to these amazing achievements and who help improve the health of our community each and every day! Thank you to Cardiac Rehab Nurse, Linda Knapp, and Dr. William Gotsis for taking photos!