CynergisTek Introduces HIPAA Research Program Assessment for Healthcare Organizations
Company’s New Service Evaluates Research Policies, Procedures & Practices to Ensure HIPAA Compliance
Austin, TX – June 6, 2017 — CynergisTek, an Auxilio company (NYSE MKT: AUXO), and industry leader in health information privacy, compliance and cybersecurity, today announced the availability of its HIPAA Research Program Assessment. The new service provides healthcare organizations with a comprehensive, independent evaluation of its research policies, procedures and practices in accordance with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), as well as guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration and the Office of Human Research Protection.
CynergisTek developed its HIPAA Research Program Assessment in response to growing industry demand for objective assessments of compliance with regulations related to the use and disclosure of identifiable health information for research initiatives. While the ability to access and share information across entities is essential for researchers to continue to advance medical developments, the service provides healthcare organizations with a means of verifying that its research programs meet required standards, as well as actionable information regarding any identified gaps.
“Increased access to data and the ability to easily identify potential research subjects is incredibly encouraging, but also poses significant privacy concerns,” said Andrew Conkovich, Institutional Compliance Officer at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso. “For this reason, it’s essential that organizations have controls and aggressive auditing in place to ensure compliance. Fines and penalties are rising at unprecedented rates, and organizations that don’t properly manage their data may find themselves on the front page of the newspaper or paying substantial monetary penalties.”
OCR is strictly enforcing compliance with HIPAA regulations and putting pressure on covered entities and research institutions to demonstrate appropriate acquisition and sharing of identifiable health information. In addition to costly penalties, organizations found in noncompliance risk losing the confidence of federal- and industry-sponsoring entities and critical research financing.
“In discussions of privacy, security and compliance in healthcare, research is too often overlooked,” said Marti Arvin, Vice President of Audit Strategies at CynergisTek. “We continue to see a trend of research hospitals experiencing breaches as a result, and that is motivating organizations to seek out expert support. As we continue to build new service offerings to meet the needs of our clients, research stands out as an area where we can deliver even more value.”
About CynergisTek
CynergisTek, an Auxilio company, (cynergistek.com) is a top-ranked cybersecurity, privacy and compliance consulting firm. The company offers solutions to help organizations measure privacy, security and compliance programs against regulatory requirements and assists in developing risk management best practices. Since 2004 the company has served as a partner to hundreds in the healthcare industry and is dedicated to supporting and educating the industry by contributing to relevant industry associations. The company has been named in numerous research reports as one of the top firms that provider organizations turn to for privacy and security, and won the 2017 Best in KLAS award for Cyber Security Advisory Services.
About Auxilio, Inc.
Auxilio (auxilioinc.com) is a leading provider bundling best of breed IT security and workflow solutions into its managed document services program designed exclusively for the healthcare industry. Since 2004, the company has saved more than $80 million for its clients by providing a vendor neutral program that enhances security of printed, stored data and digital documents while driving out costs and inefficiencies within the patient information logistical chain. The company’s document management best practices and intelligent workflow automation suite transforms printed documents to digital workflows, reducing waste and improving end-user satisfaction.
Contact
Danielle Johns
Senior Account Executive
Aria Marketing
617.332.9999 x241
[email protected]