@NAHC Why is HIPPA important? HIPAA, or the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is important because it is a major federal law that protects the security and privacy of patients’ health information. HIPAA is more important than ever as we increase the ability to share patient information across the continuum of health care. HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is a Federal Regulation designed to: • Protect the privacy of individually identifiable health information; • Grant individual rights with respect to health information; • Ensure the security of information that is electronically collected, maintained or transmitted Privacy and security measures must be in place to com- ply with HIPAA regulations. As an employee at NAHC, it is our job to abide by the NAHC policies to meet HIPAA requirements. Protected Health Information (PHI) is individually iden- tifiable health information in any form (electronic or non-electronic) that is held or transmitted by a cov- ered entity. This includes information that is written, printed, spoken or transmitted electronically. Snapshot of HIPAA at NAHC By, Natalie Aguilera Director of Human Resources The Minimum Necessary information rule means: don’t look, don’t listen, and don’t disclose PHI unless it is necessary for you to do your job. Only provide the minimum amount of information necessary for the purpose of any disclosure. Why is protecting privacy and security important? We all want our privacy protected when we are pa- tients – it’s the right thing to do. Additionally, HIPAA and California law require us to protect a person’s pri- vacy. If you need a refresher, please review the HIPAA Self Study Guide is also saved on the NAHC shared drive: S:\_Shared Bulletin Board\Forms and Instructions\HIPAA If you have any questions about HIPAA, do not hesi- tate to ask your Supervisor, ask the Privacy Officer (Director of Human Resources) or the Security Officer (IT Director). Remember that NAHC expects everyone to protect patients’ information; protect another employee’s information and follow NAHC Privacy and Security policies!
Transcript
@NAHCWhy is HIPPA important? HIPAA, or the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is important because it is a major federal law that protects the security and privacy of patients’ health information. HIPAA is more important than ever as we increase the ability to share patient information across the continuum of health care.
HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is a Federal Regulation designed to:
•Protecttheprivacyofindividuallyidentifiable health information; •Grantindividualrightswithrespecttohealth information; • Ensure the security of information that is electronically collected, maintained or transmitted
Privacy and security measures must be in place to com-plywithHIPAAregulations.AsanemployeeatNAHC,it is our job to abide by theNAHCpolicies tomeetHIPAA requirements.
Protected Health Information (PHI) is individually iden-tifiable health information in any form (electronic or non-electronic) that is held or transmitted by a cov-ered entity. This includes information that is written, printed, spoken or transmitted electronically.
Snapshot of HIPAA at NAHCBy,NatalieAguileraDirector of Human Resources
The Minimum Necessary information rule means:don’t look, don’t listen, and don’t disclose PHI unless it is necessary for you to do your job. Only provide the minimum amount of information necessary for the purpose of any disclosure.
Why is protecting privacy and security important? We all want our privacy protected when we are pa-tients–it’stherightthingtodo.Additionally,HIPAAandCalifornialawrequireustoprotectaperson’spri-vacy.
If you need a refresher, please review the HIPAA Self StudyGuideisalsosavedontheNAHCshareddrive:S:\_Shared Bulletin Board\Forms and Instructions\HIPAA
If you have any questions about HIPAA, do not hesi-tate to ask your Supervisor, ask the Privacy Officer (Director of Human Resources) or the Security Officer (IT Director).
Remember thatNAHCexpects everyone toprotectpatients’ information; protect another employee’s information and follow NAHC Privacy and Securitypolicies!
HR Buzz
November AnniversariesThankyouforyourservicetoouragency
Arowofhospitalstaffvigilantlymonitorbrightlyblinking,complicated,color-codedscreensthatshowalltherooms,bedsandpatients.Theystrategizehowtobestmovethepatientsthroughthesystemandemptythebedsandinturn,thewaitingroom.Anothertouchingstoryisofayounggirlwhosestrepthroathasbecomelife-threateningbecauseherthroatswellstothepointwhereshealmostcan’tbreathe.Herparentsarebothuninsured,bothworkingpoor.TheyaretreatedbyanAfrican-American,femalephysicianwhoexplainsthegirl’sillnessandtreatmentineverydayterms;shecalmsthewholeroomwiththehumbleanddignifiedwayshe treats her patients. This interaction shone a tiny beacon of hope onto a messy patchwork of what public healthlookslikerightinourbackyard.Thetaskoffixingitseemsdaunting.Peoplewithpreventablehealthis-suesthatareexacerbatedtoasometimeslethaldegreebysocial-economicfactorsgototheemergencyroomforlackofabetterplacetogo.
Whereandhowdowecontinuetoaddressthesocialproblemsthatpresentthemselvesinthewaitingroomasindividualsandalsoasanagency?NAHChasunderstoodandexecutedtheconceptofholisticcareduringitsentireexistencefromthebeginning.Howdowecontinuetoservesuchagreatneedunderabrokensystemthatisslowlychanging?Forone,NAHCcontinuestoworktointegrateservicessopatientsreceivequalitycareinatimelymanner.WearealsoimplementingElectronicHealthRecordsandcreatingaMemberServicesdepartment so that our patients can be at the center of our care. Our health education classes are always full ofpatientswhowanttolearnabouthowtoimprovetheirhealth.NAHCintendstocontinuemovingforwardinto the future with our patients in the center of our actions, initiatives, and advocacy.
Thisyear’sHolidayCelebrationswereasuccess!Thestaffholiday party took place on the 14th of December andgaveourstafftheopportunitytohavetheirpicturetak-en in front of a winter themed backdrop, as well as en-joyamealtogether,anddancethenightaway.Theraffle prizes this yearwere very generous and plenty of staffwenthomewithanunexpectedgift.
The community holiday party was well attended, and featured holiday music, a chance to take pictures with Santa,andtheGrinch,aswellasplentyofholidayfoodand cheer. There was even some spontaneous holiday karaokeattheendoftheevening.
Special thanks goes out to the staff and community holiday party committees this year for their hard work andthoughtfulness,andformakingtheNAHCholidaysso special.
JOY FOR THEHOLIDAYS!
Join us next year!
WhenAlamedaHighSchoolbecamehometooneofAlamedaCounty’s first school-basedhealthcenters,in1993,itsarrivalarousedastormofprotest.“Therewerecertainelementswhothought itwasaplace todistributecondoms,” saidAlamedaCountySupervisorWilmaChan,who said she led the earlyefforttoestablishasimilarcenteratEncinalHighin1999. “But it’s much more than that.”Alameda’s schools now host three of the centers, with theadditionofacenteratIslandHighin2010.AndEn-cinalHigh’shealthcenterwillbegettinganewhomethatmayexpandtoservethemiddleschoolstudentsthatwillbecomingoncampusnextfall,withtheaidofa$412,000federalgrant.“We’reveryexcited,”saidIreneKudarauskasofAlam-edaFamilyServices,whichhaspartneredwithNativeAmerican Health Center and the school district toprovide medical, dental and behavioral health servic-estoalloftheIsland’shighschoolstudents.TheAffordableCareAct–alsoknownasObamacare– included $200million tobuild new school-basedhealth centers and upgrade existing ones, the firsttime the federal government has provided capitalfundingforthecenters,aspokespersonfortheagen-cyhandingout thegrants said.Over thepast threeyears, the government has awarded grants to 520school-basedcenters,with31California-basedcent-ersgettingmorethan$14millioninthislatestround.The centers’ goal is to provide care for teens whoaren’tgettingitinordertokeepthemhealthy–andin school. A spokesperson with the Health Resources and Services Administration, which distributed the grants, said the centershelp childrenwith acuteorchronic illnesses stay in school and improve students’ overall health.“Students canbe servedon campuswithouthavingtofindabusorgetoutofwherevertheyaretofind
Encinal High Health Center Gets a Federally Funded BoostBy,MicheleEllson Reproduced from The Alamedan Link to original article here: http://www.thealamedan.org/news/encinal-high-health-center-gets-federally-funded-boost
someotherresource,”saidOonaGilles-Weil, school-based health center program director for AlamedaFamily Services. She said about a third of the students on each of the three campuses where the centers are located use their services.In addition to improving student health, the centersare credited with boosting student achievement. Inmakingitscaseforthecenters,theCaliforniaSchoolHealth Centers Association cites studies saying thehealth care services the centers provide – particularly mental health care – help to boost attendance and stu-dent achievement, and also help lower dropout rates.They are also filling an unmet need for care. Gilles-Weil said that 23 percent of the students who at-tended a recent dental screening for students at Is-landHighSchoolandtheAlternativesinActionHighSchoolneededurgentcare,asdid13percentofthosewhoattendedasimilarscreeningatEncinalHigh.“When the economy dips the way it has now, dental insuranceisoneofthefirstthingstogo,”shesaid.Chansaidtheclinicsbeganpoppingupatmiddleandhighschools inthe1990safterresearchshowedthatadolescentsweretheleastlikelysegmentofthepopu-lation to receive health care. The clinics, she said, are a convenient, safe – and private – place for youths to obtain medical, dental and mental health care.She said the number of school-based clinics in Alam-edaCountyhassurgedfromahalf-dozeninthe1990stomorethantwodozennow.California’sschoolshost200 of the centers, serving 205,000 youths, and atleast40moreareintheworks,accordingtotheCali-fornia School Health Centers Association; there aremorethan1,900nationwide.The services available through Alameda’s clinics in-clude immunizations, vision and hearing screenings,reproductive health care and sports physicals, as well as dental exams andmental health assessments and
counseling. Oakland-based Native American HealthCenter provides medical care, while Alameda Fam-ilyServicesoffersone-on-oneandgrouptherapyanddrugandalcoholcounseling.“Anythingyouwouldgoseeadoctorfor,theyprovidethoseservicesoncampusforfree,”Gilles-Weilsaid.Inadditiontoservingstudentsoneachcampuswherethey’re located, the centers are also open to students attendingtheIsland’scharterschoolsandtheAlamedaScienceandTechnologyInstitutemagnet.Services provided also include enrollment in insurance programsandhealtheducation,someofwhichispro-vided by youths trained by center staff. “Nobodysaysitbetterthanayouth,toayouth,”Gilles-Weil said.ServicesarefundedinpartthroughMedi-Calandoth-ergovernment-fundedhealthcareprograms;studentsreceivethecare freeofcharge.Alameda’sclinicsgetadditionalfundingfromthecounty,andtheyalsore-ceive support from the school district, Alameda Hos-pital and local community groups like the AlamedaWelfareCouncilandthelocalRotaryclub.Thegrantwillbeusedtoreplacethedilapidatedport-able that houses Encinal’s clinicwith a newmodularbuildingfromwhichGilles-WeilhopestoalsobeabletoservemiddleschoolstudentswhowillbeattendingEncinal through a new “Junior Jets”magnet programstartinginthefall.Thebuilding’sdesignwouldbere-flectiveofthebroaderagerangeofstudentsusingthecenter’s services, she said.“Thereasonfora12-or13-year-oldtocomeseekourservicesaredifferentthana17-year-old,”shesaid.
WhenIwasalittlegirl,mygrandmotherusedtosaythatashumanbeingswehadtokeepmovingforward.Butshealsosaidthatsometimesthingswouldbehard.That maybe the best we could do then is just stand there. But it didn’t matter, as longaswewerestillstanding.Thenwhenwehadgatheredourstrength,wecouldbegintomoveforward,onestepatatime,onefootinfrontoftheother.
Idle no MoreBy,ShunkilaBlackCalfIntakeCoordinator,CWD
