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Overview: Today's health care delivery occurs in a diverse, fast-changing, multidisciplinary health care environment. This often presents challenges to the health care professional that are not easy to navigate. Medical records and their confidentiality have long been the exclusive province of state law, but has now been recognized for some time in the federal HIPAA statutes and federal regulations. Differing and even conflicting sources of requirements at the state level still exist for the retention and disposition of medical records. These sources may vary based upon the specific health care practitioner - whether physicians, dentists, psychologists, or other health care providers, including mental health practitioners. As to the specific, individual health care practitioner, state laws mandate their confidentiality, retention, and even their specific content with regards to patient, clinical records. In addition to these clinical requirements, additional state laws set forth the content and retention of other types of records kept by the professional, such as supervisory agreements with other professionals subordinate to them as well as their own unique record content requirements. With the majority of medical records moving to an electronic format, special rules now exist with regard to the confidentiality, security, retention, and disposition of electronic medical records. This is particularly important as state laws continue to allow for and regulate the provision of telemedicine by various health care practitioners. For example, while psychotherapy and mental health services are ideal treatments to offer over the internet, that is, by simultaneous audio-visual transmission between the doctor and the patient, the risks of breaches of confidentiality also vastly increase. And when the successful doctor-patient relationship is over, how does the health care practitioner providing a mental health service dispose of these electronic records? In addition to

Overview: Today's health care delivery occurs in a diverse, fast-changing, multidisciplinary health care environment. This often presents challenges to the health care professional that are not easy to navigate. Medical records and their confidentiality have long been the exclusive province of state law, but has now been recognized for some time in the federal HIPAA statutes and federal regulations. Differing and even conflicting sources of requirements at the state level still exist for the retention and disposition of medical records. These sources may vary based upon the specific health care practitioner - whether physicians, dentists, psychologists, or other health care providers, including mental health practitioners. As to the specific, individual health care practitioner, state laws mandate their confidentiality, retention, and even their specific content with regards to patient, clinical records. In addition to these clinical requirements, additional state laws set forth the content and retention of other types of records kept by the professional, such as supervisory agreements with other professionals subordinate to them as well as their own unique record content requirements. With the majority of medical records moving to an electronic format, special rules now exist with regard to the confidentiality, security, retention, and disposition of electronic medical records. This is particularly important as state laws continue to allow for and regulate the provision of telemedicine by various health care practitioners. For example, while psychotherapy and mental health services are ideal treatments to offer over the internet, that is, by simultaneous audio-visual transmission between the doctor and the patient, the risks of breaches of confidentiality also vastly increase. And when the successful doctor-patient relationship is over, how does the health care practitioner providing a mental health service dispose of these electronic records? In addit

Overview: The connection between the Body, its physiology and particularly biochemistry, have been linked to the mind with particular emphasis upon emotions and stress. This can be easily substantiated in common everyday situations. Anyone who has observed a facial red flush triggered by some sort of embarrassment can attest to the foregoing connection. The emotions and stress play a key role in many if not all diseases and disorders: due to the vastness of the subject, we will focus on the application of the mind/body connection(MBC) to skin. This serves as an introduction to the field of psych dermatology which, although still in its infancy in the USA, is expanding as evidence with regard to the psychological component related to the etiology of skin diseases continues to grow. Concurrently, the field of Alternative techniques IN mind/body treatments continue to grow in leaps and bounds providing effective methods for integration with conventional cosmetic and dermaceutical treatment. This provides a dual complimentary pathway both for prevention and treatment of any/most skin disorders. Expanding on this model, we have already shown how the mind influences the body as per the above example. This general proposition can be extended to include specific skin disorders such as acne rosacea psoriasis eczema and atopic dermatitis to name a few. We will concentrate on Acne for the sake of this discussion. First, focusing on the B component of the BMC model, the primary lesion associated with acne is the formation microcomodones, which are small enough to proceed undetected until larger comodones appear later in the cycle. The latter cycle is initiated by peroxidation of squalene and unsaturated fatty acids present in human sebum. This leads to the foregoing lesions and pro- inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and interleukins followed by an increase of p.acnes on the epithelial cell wall together with increased film formation of the p.acnes is the same area This

Overview: New changes modifying the HIPAA Privacy and Security Regulations are going into place to meet the privacy and security mandates within the HITECH Act in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The changes include establishing new rights for individuals as well as changes to the limitations on uses and disclosures. New requirements for patient access to records and requirements to notify individuals in the event of a breach are only two of the many areas affected in the new law, including new requirements for restriction and accounting of disclosures and increased enforcement activity. Covered entities that use electronic health records (EHRs) will need to meet new access and disclosure rules and all kinds of business associates and their subcontractors will need to establish compliance programs. And if you are required to have a HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, you will need to update that to show all the new rights that patients will have, such as electronic copies, new rights to restrict disclosures, and much more. Business associates are now directly covered by the HIPAA privacy and security regulations and are liable for fines and penalties if they do not comply. If a business associate supplies services that interact with the new changes to the rules, the BA will need to be aware of the new requirements. We will explain what a Business Associate needs to do differently under the new regulations. Electronic records have new demands placed on them, in both providing access and in accounting for all disclosures of health information - the electronic age in health care brings new obligations to serve individuals as well as manage health information for healthcare professionals. We will discuss how disclosures must be tracked in an EHR and review the various ways patient records can be supplied electronically. The new regulations will be reviewed and their effects on usual practices will be discussed, as will what policies need to be chang

Overview: Today's educated professionals function in a maze of different educational and training requirements, which vary from state to state and from profession to profession. Nowhere than in health care is this more evident where multidisciplinary health care practitioners work together towards a common goal for the patient. What is a profession? What areas of work require the unique professional education, training, and experience that becomes mandated by the state? What work requires professional judgment and skill so as to be regulated by the government through mandatory laws applicable to an individual person practicing his or her chosen profession? State laws are enacted for the protection of the public by legislatures in all the fifty states. A list of individual professions and their applicable statues and administrative regulations takes up entire volumes of lawbooks. These state laws impose significant regulation on these professionals, and often in very different ways found in many aspects of state regulation, from the educational process, the examination requirements, the state licensure applications, and the legal standards and rules of each unique profession. Explore how state licensure boards are created and function at the state level. While most such state agencies have common, core functions and operations, there are many differences - and some requirements that are truly the opposite from profession to profession. Review the common requirements the state imposes on the health care provider. Know the basics of professional education and licensure. Understand the difference between legally binding laws and mere codes of ethics, which are aspirational and do not form the basis for legal action. Find out how to understand and navigate the challenges presented from differing and conflicting state laws governing the many health care professions. Know where key requirements exist that are common to many professions. This program

Overview: Today's educated professionals function in a maze of different educational and training requirements, which vary from state to state and from profession to profession. Nowhere than in health care is this more evident where multidisciplinary health care practitioners work together towards a common goal for the patient. What is a profession? What areas of work require the unique professional education, training, and experience that becomes mandated by the state? What work requires professional judgment and skill so as to be regulated by the government through mandatory laws applicable to an individual person practicing his or her chosen profession? State laws are enacted for the protection of the public by legislatures in all the fifty states. A list of individual professions and their applicable statues and administrative regulations takes up entire volumes of lawbooks. These state laws impose significant regulation on these professionals, and often in very different ways found in many aspects of state regulation, from the educational process, the examination requirements, the state licensure applications, and the legal standards and rules of each unique profession. Explore how state licensure boards are created and function at the state level. While most such state agencies have common, core functions and operations, there are many differences - and some requirements that are truly the opposite from profession to profession. Review the common requirements the state imposes on the health care provider. Know the basics of professional education and licensure. Understand the difference between legally binding laws and mere codes of ethics, which are aspirational and do not form the basis for legal action. Find out how to understand and navigate the challenges presented from differing and conflicting state laws governing the many health care professions. Know where key requirements exist that are common to many professions. This program

Course "Validation and 21 CFR 11 Compliance of Computer Systems: Intermediate to Advanced" has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: Computer Systems Validation (CSV) also known as Software Validation is all-pervasive in the Life Sciences Industry. It is a requirement of all the predicate rules, as well as 21 CFR 11 and Annex 11. However, unless one knows how to implement CSV, it is often very hard to detect the requirement for CSV, and very hard to determine what needs to be done, to meet domestic and / or international regulations or business continuity requirements. In addition, the FDA has stepped up 21 CFR 11 inspections that include CSV. This course will build on the Validation and 21 CFR 11 Compliance Basic Course, to give hands on experience on executing on the computer systems validation of a system, and to discuss related activities such as Validation Master Plan, Infrastructure Qualification, Project Management for Validation and Validation of Test Tools The attendees must have attended the Basic Validation & 21 CFR 11 Compliance. This is a very hands-on class and the attendees will be expected to use templates provided in the class to create the complete package for the validation of a system The Seminar: This Hands-On course will provide the attendees with more detailed experience on validation / 21 CFR 11 compliance of a computer system, as well as details for activities associated with computer systems validation as follows: 1. Validation Master Plan 2. Complete Validation for a System 3. Excel Spreadsheet Validation 4. Change Control 5. SOPs 6. Test Tools Validation 7. Project Management for Validation Who Should Attend : * VP of IT * Director of IT * Quality Managers * Project Managers (for CSV / IT) * Validation Specialists * Database Administrators * System Administrators * Directors / Senior Directors of Discovery * Directors /

Course "Validation and 21 CFR 11 Compliance of Computer Systems: Intermediate to Advanced" has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: Computer Systems Validation (CSV) also known as Software Validation is all-pervasive in the Life Sciences Industry. It is a requirement of all the predicate rules, as well as 21 CFR 11 and Annex 11. However, unless one knows how to implement CSV, it is often very hard to detect the requirement for CSV, and very hard to determine what needs to be done, to meet domestic and / or international regulations or business continuity requirements. In addition, the FDA has stepped up 21 CFR 11 inspections that include CSV. This course will build on the Validation and 21 CFR 11 Compliance Basic Course, to give hands on experience on executing on the computer systems validation of a system, and to discuss related activities such as Validation Master Plan, Infrastructure Qualification, Project Management for Validation and Validation of Test Tools The attendees must have attended the Basic Validation & 21 CFR 11 Compliance. This is a very hands-on class and the attendees will be expected to use templates provided in the class to create the complete package for the validation of a system The Seminar: This Hands-On course will provide the attendees with more detailed experience on validation / 21 CFR 11 compliance of a computer system, as well as details for activities associated with computer systems validation as follows: 1. Validation Master Plan 2. Complete Validation for a System 3. Excel Spreadsheet Validation 4. Change Control 5. SOPs 6. Test Tools Validation 7. Project Management for Validation Who Should Attend: * VP of IT * Director of IT * Quality Managers * Project Managers (for CSV / IT) * Validation Specialists * Database Administrators * System Administrators * Directors / Senior Directors of Discovery * Directors / Senior

Course "HIPAA for the Compliance Officer" has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: I will be going into great detail regarding you practice or business and how it relates to the HIPAA Security/Privacy Rule, Areas covered will be history of HIPAA, privacy vs security, business associates, changes for 2016, audit process, paper based PHI, HIPAA and suing, texting, email, encryption, medical messaging, voice data and much, much, more I will uncover myths versus reality as it relates to this very enigmatic law based on over 600 risk assessments performed as well as years of experience in dealing directly with the Office of Civil Rights HIPAA auditors. I will also speak to real life audits conducted by the Federal government (I've been on both sides of these audits) what your highest risks are for being fined (some of the risk factors may surprise you). In addition, this course will cover the highest risk factors for being sued for wrongful disclosures of PHI and the manner in which patients are now using state laws to sue for wrongful disclosures. Don't always believe what you read online about HIPAA, especially as it relates to encryption and IT, there are a lot of groups selling more than is necessarily required. Why you should attend: This lesson will be addressing how practice/business managers (or compliance offers) need to get their HIPAA house in order before the imminent audits occur. It will also address major changes under the Omnibus Rule and any other applicable updates for 2016. There are an enormous amount of issues and risks for covered entities and business associates these days. I will speak on specific experiences from over 17 years of experience in working as an outsourced compliance auditor, expert witness on HIPAA cases, and thoroughly explain how patients are now able to get cash remedies for wrongful disclosures of private health information. More im

Overview: This lesson will be going into great detail regarding your practice or business information technology and how it relates to the HIPAA Security Rule, in particular portable devices. Areas covered will be texting, email, encryption, medical messaging, voice data and risk factors as they relate to IT. I will uncover myths versus reality as it relates to this very enigmatic law based on over 600 risk assessments performed as well as years of experience in dealing directly with the Office of Civil Rights HIPAA auditors. I will also speak to real life audits conducted by the Federal government (I've been on both sides of these audits) what your highest risks are for being fined (some of the risk factors may surprise you). In addition this course will cover the highest risk factors for being sued for wrongful disclosures of PHI and the manner in which patients are now using state laws to sue for wrongful disclosures. Don't always believe what you read online about HIPAA, especially as it relates to encryption and IT, there are a lot of groups selling more than is necessarily required. Why should you Attend: HIPAA NOW HAS TEETH! Be prepared for what's new in 2016! Protect your practice or business! What factors might spurn a HIPAA audit? …are you doing these things? Why are the Feds enforcing after all these years? It is important to understand the new changes going on at Health and Human Services as it relates to enforcement of HIPAA for both covered entities and business associates as it relates to portable devices, texting, and emailing of PHI. You need to know how to avoid being low hanging in terms of audit risk as well as being sued by individuals who have had their PHI wrongfully discloses due to bad IT practices. I have also been expert witness on multiple court cases where a business or medical practice is being sued for not doing their due diligence to minimize risk. Areas Covered in the Session: Updates for 2016 BYOD Portable devices B

Course "Effective and Efficient Internal and Supplier Quality System Auditing for Medical Devices" has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: Do you want to understand how to do efficient and effective internal and supplier audits that meet all the requirements of your external auditors, but also add value to your company? Are you confused by all the requirements and guidance documents for medical device quality management systems and are tired of wading through all the regulatory language they contain. This course is for those who will do internal or supplier audits, manage an audit process for these or other company audits. This course will provide you with an easy to understand presentation on the auditing process as well as the requirements you will need to audit under ISO 13485 and the FDA Quality System Regulation (cGMP) Both FDA Quality System Regulation (QSR) and ISO 13485 require that companies do internal audits. However, because the FDA does not look at the content of internal audits, some companies do not get feedback on the true effectiveness of their internal audit system from the FDA during FDA Inspections. ISO 13485 auditors do look at internal audits, but are most concerned that you define a process that meets the requirements of the standard and are following your process. Both require that you define Auditor training is required, but this sometimes just requires reading the company's procedure, although most external auditors will look for more than this. Do you need to train new auditors for yours medical device quality management system or to audit your suppliers? Or do you need to improve the training of your internal and supplier auditors so that they add value to these audits? If you need to do either of these, this seminar will provide this training. In addition to auditing skills and hands-on auditing exercises, this seminar will provide an ove

Course "Texting and E-mail with Patients: Patient Requests and Complying with HIPAA " has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: With the recent advances in portable technology, more and more organizations and their users are taking advantage of mobile devices to save time and get work done more efficiently. Texting, portable e-mail, and Apps are revolutionizing the ways health care providers interact with their patients and get their work done. But the use of these devices comes with hidden costs of compliance, especially if they lead to a reportable breach under HIPAA or state laws. HIPAA Privacy and Security Officers have been struggling to keep up with the use of the devices to protect patient privacy and avoid compliance issues. Even if these devices aren't in formal use in your organization, you need to act now to anticipate their use and make sure they are used properly. This session is designed to provide intensive, two-day training in HIPAA compliance as it relates to the use of mobile devices, including how to use them with Protected Health Information, the policies and procedures you need to have in place to use them securely, and how to manage issues of the "BYOD" phenomenon. The session provides the background and details for any manager of health information privacy and security to know what issues to look for with mobile devices, what needs to be done for HIPAA compliance, and what can happen when compliance is not adequate. Audits and enforcement will be explained, as well as privacy and security breaches and how to prevent them. Numerous references and sample documents will be provided. The session will be valuable for both newcomers to HIPAA compliance as well as seasoned veterans. HIPAA compliance will be explained and discussed in detail, from the basics through the latest changes and new technology issues, so that the attendee will have a coherent u

Overview: This lesson will be going into great detail regarding your practice or business information technology and how it relates to the HIPAA Security Rule, in particular portable devices. Areas covered will be texting, email, encryption, medical messaging, voice data and risk factors as they relate to IT. I will uncover myths versus reality as it relates to this very enigmatic law based on over 600 risk assessments performed as well as years of experience in dealing directly with the Office of Civil Rights HIPAA auditors. I will also speak to real life audits conducted by the Federal government (I've been on both sides of these audits) what your highest risks are for being fined (some of the risk factors may surprise you). In addition this course will cover the highest risk factors for being sued for wrongful disclosures of PHI and the manner in which patients are now using state laws to sue for wrongful disclosures. Don't always believe what you read online about HIPAA, especially as it relates to encryption and IT, there are a lot of groups selling more than is necessarily required. Why should you Attend: HIPAA NOW HAS TEETH! Be prepared for what's new in 2016! Protect your practice or business! What factors might spurn a HIPAA audit? …are you doing these things? Why are the Feds enforcing after all these years? It is important to understand the new changes going on at Health and Human Services as it relates to enforcement of HIPAA for both covered entities and business associates as it relates to portable devices, texting, and emailing of PHI. You need to know how to avoid being low hanging in terms of audit risk as well as being sued by individuals who have had their PHI wrongfully discloses due to bad IT practices. I have also been expert witness on multiple court cases where a business or medical practice is being sued for not doing their due diligence to minimize risk. Areas Covered in the Session: Updates for 2016 BYOD Portable devices B

Overview:   Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) defines reliability as "failure-free performance over time2". This is simple enough to be understood by anyone. The aim is to have no failures over an extended time period in spite of variability in the patient environment. spite of variability in the patient environment.  This is in line with the technical definition of reliability as the probability of successful performance of intended functions for a specified length of time under a specified user (patient) environment. In a system where the severity of consequences is high, such as in hospitals, the goal is to achieve reliability as close to 100% as possible. This is called failure-free performance. Some hospitals have achieved this goal for specific medical procedures for several quarters. Can they extend this performance over years instead of quarters? That is the challenge we need to face and find elegant solutions zero mistakes or find a way to protect patients if a mistake cannot be prevented.  Why should you Attend: The failures of the U.S. healthcare system are enormous considering the severity of failures. As much as 400,000 patients die each year from hospital mistakes. Another 2.1 are harmed from nosocomial infections (infections acquired during hospital stay). The cost is in billions. Discussions with doctors show that there is reluctance to apply reliability principles to healthcare systems because the variability in healthcare is enormous compared to the aviation and industrial fields. Each customer (patient) is different and each illness is unique in its own way. Then there are interconnecting systems such as cardiology, gynecology, gastroenterology, emergency medicine, oncology, and patient data from various doctors, pagers, computers, vendor software, and intensive care, each operating independently most of the time. But good approaches to improving the system reliability have been tried and tested in many industries. There is a

Overview: In this webinar, Hope will present the lessons she's learned over her career as a grant writer and editor in medical research. By identifying simple solutions to common problems, participants will learn tools to improve their ability create competitive grant applications and increase their academic and research productivity. To write compelling grant applications, this webinar will cover: How your choice of words will help you stay within page limits without compromising the science How to minimize abbreviations to improve readability and respect reviewer time constraints How to use Microsoft Word efficiently to improve page layout and readability How to manage references by enlisting online databases and reference management software How and when to stop developing the content to meet both grantor and institutional deadlines Why should you Attend: Many Grant Writing workshops do not teach writing per se. Though useful for beginning grant writers, most focus on understanding the application process and the various sections of a grant. For participants wanting to learn to actually write a grant, they are often left to figure out the technique for themselves. In addition, funding opportunity applications (FOAs) have changed quite rapidly in the past few years and require more focused writing in fewer pages. Competition has increased as budgets have shrunk, and knowing how to make the most out of both the time and the length of a grant project can prove challenging and extremely stressful. This webinar is for both new and experienced grant writers, either scientists and principal investigators or writers and other support staff. By using common resources (MS Word, EndNote, PubMed), the webinar content is designed to help grant-writing teams increase their efficiency in the writing process and also meet the requirements of the FOAs. Plus, plain language and good writing practices taught in this webinar will ensure straight-forward, content-rich, and well

Overview: This lesson will be going into great detail regarding you practice or business information technology and how it relates to the HIPAA Security Rule, in particular portable devices and personally owned devices. Areas covered will be texting, email, encryption, medical messaging, voice data and risk factors as they relate to IT. I will uncover myths versus reality as it relates to this very enigmatic law based on over 600 risk assessments performed as well as years of experience in dealing directly with the Office of Civil Rights HIPAA auditors. I will also speak to real life audits conducted by the Federal government (I've been on both sides of these audits) what your highest risks are for being fined (some of the risk factors may surprise you). In addition this course will cover the highest risk factors for being sued for wrongful disclosures of PHI and the manner in which patients are now using state laws to sue for wrongful disclosures.  Don't always believe what you read online about HIPAA, especially as it relates to encryption and IT, there are a lot of groups selling more than is necessarily required.  Why should you Attend: HIPAA NOW HAS TEETH! Be prepared for what's new in 2016! Protect your practice or business! What factors might spurn a HIPAA audit? …are you doing these things? Why are the Feds enforcing after all these years?  It is important to understand the new changes going on at Health and Human Services as it relates to enforcement of HIPAA for both covered entities and business associates as it relates to portable devices, texting, and emailing of PHI. You need to know how to avoid being low hanging in terms of audit risk as well as being sued by individuals who have had their PHI wrongfully discloses due to bad IT practices. I have also been expert witness on multiple court cases where a business or medical practice is being sued for not doing their due diligence to minimize risk.  Areas Covered in the Session: Update

What is Corporate Governance? In a broad sense, corporate governance can be defined as a set of processes by which corporations are run and administered. These are a collective function of the critical, core decision makers in the organization, such as Directors, CEO, managers, investors, stakeholders, shareholders, creditors, auditors and others. Corporate Governance sets out the methods and rules for making rules that govern corporate entities. Although business is the main concern and task of an organization, Corporate Governance occupies as important a position, because while the financial aspect of a business is all about profits, the Corporate Governance aspect is primarily about its integrity, values and reputation. Corporate Governance takes into consideration all aspects of the governance of the organization from critical standpoints such as ethics, regulatory aspects, policies and mission, etc. History of the growth of Corporate Governance Although Corporate Governance has been around for a number of decades in some or another form, it came to acquire proper shape and direction of late, following the collapse of very big multinationals such as Enron, WorldCom and others. It was felt that their shady dealings, which led to huge losses for their stakeholders and eventually to the businesses collapse, could have been averted if a proper regulatory framework of Corporate Governance were in place. This is the feeling that led to the passing of the Sarbanes Oxley Act, or SOX in the early 2000's. One of the core principles enunciated in SOX related to Corporate Governance. Elements of Corporate Governance As a result of the SOX Act and other legislations in other developed countries, such as the Cadbury Report of the UK and other legislations in the OECD nations; Corporate Governance is now administered through a well-defined set of principles. As a result of these legislations, Corporate Governance is now concerned with the following: Problems areas of Co

Overview: This lesson is going to get back to the basics using multiple real life scenarios and "what if's". My goal is to make this very confusing and not well explained law easy to understand for the typical staff member. I will uncover myths versus reality as it relates to this enigmatic law based on over 1000 risk assessments performed as well as years of experience in dealing directly with the Office of Civil Rights HIPAA auditors. I will also point out multiple court cases I have been affiliated with where a staff member of a hospital or clinic has been sued or even imprisoned! I will also speak to real life audits conducted by the Federal government (I've been on both sides of these audits) what your highest risks are for being fined (some of the risk factors may surprise you). In addition this course will cover the highest risk factors for being sued for wrongful disclosures of PHI and the manner in which patients are now using state laws to sue for wrongful disclosures. Don't always believe what you read online about HIPAA, especially as it relates to encryption and IT, there are a lot of groups selling more than is necessarily required. Why should you Attend: Are you confused about HIPAA? Do you just want the basics and in plain English? Do you know there are civil and criminal penalties even for the rank and file staff member! Do you know what you can and can't do with protected health information? It is important to understand the new changes going on at Health and Human Services as it relates to enforcement of HIPAA for both covered entities and business associates as it relates to portable devices, texting, and emailing of PHI. You need to know how to avoid being low hanging fruit in terms of audit risk as well as being sued by individuals who have had their PHI wrongfully discloses due to bad IT practices. I have also been expert witness on multiple court cases where a business or medical practice is being sued for not doing their due diligence

Overview: The idea of providing health care treatments and insurance coverage according to "medical necessity" determinations seems eminently reasonable. Its obvious ethical thrust is to discourage unnecessary, wasteful or fraudulent practices. As practically implemented, however, "medical necessity" regulations and determinations have proven remarkably controversial and elusive. First of all, the language connected with medical necessity is inherently vague. Language to the effect that a treatment is medically necessary if it is "likely to achieve a significant practical improvement," is "realistic," or "reasonable" will predictably cause disputes between payors and providers of care. Second, the persistence of these disputes calls into question whether evidence based practices have evolved to a point where they are all that reliable and useful. Third, medical necessity determinations incur problems as to who should ultimately make them: payors, health providers or the courts. Obviously, whoever controls the definition of medical necessity controls the flow of health care dollars. While ethical theory can offer important insights about our moral obligations, it remains unable to reliably translate its theoretical principles and rules bearing on harms, benefits and justice into informing medical necessity determinations. Thus, resolving disputes over medical necessity have taken a procedural approach that looks to the interpretation of contractual language in insurance policies, often at the bench of an administrative law judge. This presentation will advance a reasonable set of strategies whereby a convincing case can be made for certain care interventions qualifying as "reasonable and necessary." Why should you Attend: Despite their central importance as a locus for determining reimbursement, "medical necessity" regulations and determinations have proven remarkably controversial and vexing for at least the last 20 years. Yet, whoever controls the definition

Course "Supplier Management for Medical Device Manufacturers" has been pre-approved by RAPS as eligible for up to 12 credits towards a participant's RAC recertification upon full completion. Overview: Supplier selection and management is one of the critical issues for medical device manufacturers. Suppliers provide materials and services to the device manufacturer, which means that they can be critical to performance and delivery of your device. Neither the FDA nor your notified body regulates your suppliers (with a few exceptions). They expect you to have an effective process to ensure your suppliers perform in the regulatory environment. How well do you understand the requirements for supplier management? Could you pass a regulatory audit or inspection without any issues? This course delivers the tools, templates, and methods to help participants implement an effective and efficient supplier management program. This two-day hands-on course provides a clear understanding of the underlying principles of supplier management. The course uses exercises to solidify understanding. In addition, the course uses FDA Warning Letters to illustrate the points and help you learn from others. As part of the practical implementation, the course includes receiving acceptance activities, outsourced processes, process validation at the suppliers' location, supplier auditing techniques, and supplier issues in management review. The course uses the Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF) framework, but expands it to cover other issues and techniques important in effective implementation. Why should you attend: Since FDA regulations do not allow them to audit your suppliers unless they make finished medical devices, they require that you have sufficient control over them. But from time to time the FDA makes a reinterpretation of what this means. This happened within the last f 5 years, so if you supplier management program is older than that, you need to make major changes in you supp

Overview: Mental health care practitioners work in today's diverse, fast-changing, multidisciplinary health care environment. Nowhere but in mental health is there such diversity of clinicians who provide the same or similar services of counseling and therapy. A potential client has a wide choice of mental health providers from whom to choose. Yet each individual mental health profession has a unique education, training, and experience requirement for practice. While similarities exist, requirements differ from state to state and even from profession to profession with a single state. What are these requirements and how do they apply? The state's authority and power over mental health practitioners often presents challenges to these mental health professionals that are not easy to navigate. Differing sources of legal and ethical authority govern each respective health care practitioner in ways that are similar but not the same. Ethics and law are similar, but not the same. All mental health practitioners must adhere to standards of state law which govern their professional practices, including the very core of the doctor-patient relationship. Codes of ethics and state law may both apply to govern the conduct of this clinician. Even some state laws are referred to as ethical codes. Complaints as to alleged misconduct or ethical failings are received and investigated by a state agency and leave the mental health practitioner with an uncertain process to handle and to defend the state action against them. With this background, this seminar empowers the full understanding and application of ethics and laws for mental health practitioners. Learn to identify and understand an ethical framework for a sound mental health practice. An ethical framework is essential to having the right perspective to examine mental health dilemmas. Compare and contrast regulatory laws and codes of ethics to understand their differing applicability. Know the difference between laws and ethics,