Hospitals and physicians around the country rely on Federal, state, and local “peer review” statutes and regulations to protect records of peer review investigations from public disclosure. Such introspective, candid documents assessing what was done right and wrong during an operation or other procedure are essential to patient health and safety, and institutional quality control.
The Joint Commission Issues Seven New Workplace Violence Prevention Recommendations
Many healthcare workers experience violence in the workplace often resulting from violent behavior by their patients, clients and/or residents. What can healthcare organizations do to improve safety and minimize the risk of workplace violence?
In an effort to help healthcare organizations better prevent and address violence in the workplace, The Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest
“Your Own Cybersecurity Is Not Enough”: NJ Physician Practice Fined Over $400,000 for Data Breach Caused By Vendor
New Jersey’s Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (“Division”) recently announced that a physician group affiliated with more than 50 South Jersey medical and surgical practices agreed to pay $417,816 and improve data security practices to settle allegations it failed to properly protect the privacy of more than
Health Apps: Convenience vs. Security Risks
The pace of innovation in healthcare today has produced an amazing increase in the number of available mobile apps for health-related information. More than 300,000 healthcare apps are available online. Our colleagues in the Workplace Privacy, Data Management & Security practice group discusses whether healthcare providers can tap into the available technology of “connectivity” and
EEOC’s Notice Pleading Survives Motion to Dismiss in Failure to Accommodate and Wrongful Termination Suit
A North Carolina district court recently declined to dismiss a failure to accommodate and wrongful termination action brought by the EEOC on behalf of a patient accounts representative in EEOC v. Advance Home Care, Inc. (“Advance”). The plaintiff was discharged after she could not return to work without restrictions following exhaustion of her FMLA leave.
“Vaccinate” Your Mandatory Flu Shot Policies Against Litigation
As we have just survived one of the worst flu seasons in recent memory, now is a good time to consider whether you should implement or revise a mandatory flu shot policy for 2018. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all United States healthcare workers obtain annual flu vaccines. While many healthcare employers
Why the Healthcare Industry Should Pay Particular Attention to Drug and Alcohol Issues in the Workplace
While all employers struggle with navigating the ever-changing landscape of drug and alcohol issues in the workplace, healthcare employers should pay particularly close attention.
According to the annual Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index, illicit drug use among U.S. employees continues to rise, resulting in the highest drug test positivity rates in the last 12
Cost-Benefit Analysis 101 for Healthcare Providers
Healthcare entities (and their business associates) face stiff financial penalties for breaches resulting from the internal operations of the healthcare provider: $150,000 for a lost, unencrypted flash drive, $750,000 for sending an administrative service provider PHI without a signed BAA, and $2.5 million for a stolen laptop, just to name a few. Our colleagues in
Affirmative Action Training May Be Your Best Friend
Many hospitals and healthcare facilities are federal contractors. Jackson Lewis regularly provides specialized assistance in developing and implementing affirmative action plans (AAPs). Some of the specific services we offer include:
- Identifying pertinent labor market areas and analyzing census-related statistical data
- Providing sample plan texts, notices, letters and policy statements
- Preparing utilization and availability analyses
- Conducting
Navigating the Waters of Late Age Physician Testing
Rheumatologist Ephraim Engleman practiced medicine until he died at age 104 in 2015. Although Dr. Engleman’s story is atypical, as our colleagues who attended the American Health Lawyers Association’s 2018 Physicians and Hospitals Law Institute reported, and the Association of American Medicine Medical College’s November 2017 State Physician Workforce Data Report confirms, an increasing number