/PRNewswire/ -- The following statement was released today by Rita K. Bowen, President, AHIMA Board of Directors:
"While AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association ) continues to applaud federal government support for the ideal of protecting patients' health information rights, the proposed rule-making for HIPAA privacy, security and enforcement by HHS has a number of requirements that we do not believe the industry is ready to undertake; especially as it gears up for Meaningful Use. Today AHIMA is releasing its recommendations to the HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) that speak to the issues we believe are most critical to the patients of America, the healthcare industry and the best practice of health information management.
"As staunch supporters of patients' health information rights, AHIMA agrees the single most contentious issue in the proposed regulation is the ability of individuals to restrict the information held by their healthcare providers from being shared with their health plan. While AHIMA believes an individual's control over this data flow is valid, data flow restrictions in the HHS proposal creates unintended repercussions for data integrity, data processing and other elements within the current US reimbursement system.
"Many AHIMA members are engaged in providing patients' individual and aggregate data for a variety of approved uses. There is a continued discussion within the profession on how to best cover the costs of the retrieval, analysis and release of information within the context of the privacy and security regulations, patient restrictions; and the need to verify the requesting individual as a means of keeping released information available to a necessary minimum. Additionally, we remain concerned the charges permitted by states or HIPAA do not cover all costs and ultimately raise the cost of health care.
"AHIMA also questions the sale of patient health information when an organization is being absorbed by a second organization. The OCR's approach, while practical, raises the issue of whether consumers have the right to determine if their health information should be transferred with the ownership of a health organization.
"Finally, AHIMA feels strongly that the OCR needs to provide greater clarification regarding the definition of 'agents' as it relates to covered entities and who should be covered by HIPAA, including its hybrid organizations."
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Monday, September 13, 2010
AHIMA Files Response to HHS Privacy Rules
Thursday, January 7, 2010
HHS Delivers the Nation's First Health Security Strategy
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released The National Health Security Strategy, the nation's first comprehensive strategy focused on protecting people's health during a large-scale emergency. The strategy sets priorities for government and non-government activities over the next four years.
"As we've learned in the response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, responsibility for improving our nation's ability to address existing and emerging health threats must be broadly shared by everyone - governments, communities, families, and individuals," Secretary Sebelius said. "The National Health Security Strategy is a call to action for each of us so that every community becomes fully prepared and ready to recover quickly after an emergency."
National health security means that the nation and its people are prepared for, protected from, and resilient in the face of health threats or incidents with potentially negative health consequences such as bioterrorism and natural disasters. The strategy provides a framework for actions that will build community resilience, strengthen and sustain health emergency response systems, and fill current gaps.
"Events which threaten the health of the people of this nation could very easily compromise our national security. Whether it's a pandemic or a premeditated chemical attack, our public health system must be prepared to respond to protect the interests of the American people. In order to be prepared to both respond to an incident and to recover, we need a strong national health system with individuals and families ready to handle the health effects of a disaster," Secretary Sebelius said.
The National Health Security Strategy and the accompanying interim implementation guide outline 10 objectives to achieve health security:
1. Foster informed, empowered individuals and communities
2. Develop and maintain the workforce needed for national health security
3. Ensure that situational awareness so responders are aware of changes in an emergency situation
4. Foster integrated, health care delivery systems that can respond to a disaster of any size
5. Ensure timely and effective communications
6. Promote an effective countermeasures enterprise, which is a process to develop, buy and distribute medical countermeasures
7. Ensure prevention or mitigation of environmental and other emerging threats to health
8. Incorporate post-incident health recovery into planning and response
9. Work with cross-border and global partners to enhance national, continental, and global health security
10. Ensure that all systems that support national health security are based upon the best available science, evaluation, and quality improvement methods
The National Health Security Strategy also highlights specific actions that the nation - including individuals, communities, non-government organizations, and government agencies - should take to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from health threats.
Among the initial actions for the federal government are conducting a review to improve the system for developing and delivering countermeasures - medications, vaccines, supplies and equipment for health emergencies; coordinating across government and with communities to identify and prioritize the capabilities, research, and investments needed to achieve national health security; and evaluating the impact of these investments.
Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government agencies, as well as medical, public health and community-based organizations, collaborated to develop the strategy and interim implementation guide. To determine any additional issues and themes the strategy should address, the HHS solicited direct input from non-federal participants during six regional workshops. HHS also worked with the Institute of Medicine to engage the medical community.
The Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act directed the HHS Secretary to develop the National Health Security Strategy with an accompanying implementation plan by 2009 and to revise the documents every four years. HHS, however, will update the implementation plan every two years to reflect advances in public health and medicine.
Because of the close relationship between health and national security, the National Health Security Strategy that complements and supports other U.S. strategies and guidelines related to security preparedness, response, and recovery.
To obtain a copy of the strategy and implementation guide, visit www.hhs.gov/disasters.
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Sunday, February 10, 2008
Soldiers Help Iraqis Revitalize Hospital
With help from U.S. soldiers, work is under way in Salman Pak, about 15 miles south of the Iraqi capital, to revitalize a hospital that has not been fully operational for about five years.
Soldiers and leaders from 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, and Team 915 of Company A, 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, from Knoxville, Tenn., attached to 1-15th Infantry Regiment, visited the hospital Feb. 4.
Army Maj. John Wolfe, from Scottsboro, Ala., a 489th Civil Affairs Battalion team leader, said the Iraqi National Police have been using the facility as a headquarters and barracks since 2005.
"The national police were forced by circumstance to work out of the hospital and other key facilities," explained Army Maj. Cliff Faulkner, from Silverton, Colo., commander of Company A, 489th CA. "Now that security has improved, they can give physical possession of key infrastructure back to local residents."
Wolfe said the first step in revitalizing the hospital was negotiating with the city council to relocate the police from the building. The next step is establishing community access to the hospital.Several council leaders, a leader of the local Sons of Iraq security group, and maintenance representatives led the tour through the hospital's cold, dark halls.
Wolfe said he believes coalition forces and Iraqi leaders can restore the hospital to full operation. If the facility returns to its former capacity, jobs will be available for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.
"Past insecurity and sectarian violence kept many medical professionals away," Faulkner said. "We are optimistic that the improved security and stability will permit the return of these professionals and essential services."
Army Capt. Jason Carney, from Knoxville, Tenn., a 489th CA team leader, said changes have been made since the national police vacated the facility. The Sons of Iraq, members of a neighborhood watch-type program, took over security for the hospital, and three doctors see patients daily from morning to early afternoon.
"Doctors and patients are still leery to stay overnight," Carney acknowledged.
Wolfe said the Iraqi Health Ministry is helping fund improvements. The hospital in Salman Pak already has used Health Ministry funds to buy water pipes and porcelain sinks.
"Now we just need to get the people to understand that the hospital is open," Wolfe said.
(Army Sgt. Natalie Rostek serves with the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, in the Multinational Division Center Public Affairs Office.)
