HIPAA Summit Offers Privacy Updates

Several federal officials will be offering important updates on healthcare privacy and security issues next week at the National HIPAA Summit.

I'll be serving as moderator for presentations by three officials from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights, which enforces the HIPAA privacy and security rules. Among those speakers is Susan McAndrew, OCR's director for health information privacy.

Also making a presentation at this event, to be held March 9-11 in Washington, will be Joy Pritts, chief privacy officer for HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. ONC is spearheading the HITECH Act electronic health record incentive program.

We'll be providing news updates from this event, including the latest developments on federal regulatory and enforcement activity. A number of privacy and security specialists also will provide practical advice. For example, Phyllis Patrick will offer tips on preparing for HIPAA compliance audits.

OCR has yet to announce when the audits, mandated under the HITECH Act, will begin. Perhaps we'll learn more details next week. And if you can't attend in person, the event will be accessible online as well.