At Crossroads, we’re always trying to stay one step ahead of our clients and their needs. By focusing our awareness on current industry trends and issues, we can more fully assess the current and future needs of those we serve.

Most recently, one issue we’ve seen deals with random checks from the Department of Health and Human Services. Any organization which work with patient information and files, is considered a covered entity. These organizations are required to follow all guidelines and policies set by HIPAA. Previously, the Department would respond when a complaint or violation has been reported. However, now they are completing what could be considered “random” checks, and any covered entity could be targeted. For organizations who do not comply with HIPPA standards, this can result in fines totaling over millions of dollars. HIPAA standards can be difficult to understand or implement for some organizations, making this a huge risk many cannot afford to take.

In this document from the Federal register, the purpose of the updated HIPPA standards is clearly stated. The document goes on to explain further the purpose of the HITECH act as well as costs for investigations and fines for specific breaches. The amount an organization is fined can increase based on knowledge of the risk itself as well as when the most recent one occurred. This article from Healthcare IT News mentions the 6 biggest HIPAA breach fines, the largest totaling over $4 million.

Crossroads' cybersecurity and compliance professionals can provide organizations the security they need. We apply our understanding of IT Operations, Regulatory Compliance, Visioning to develop strong actionable engagements with our clients to drive change. We assemble the most talented thinkers and IT professionals to attack the most pressing issues surrounding IT today; the need for vision, focus on compliance, and strong governance. We use the intellectual power of our company to help address some of the industry’s most pressing problems.