The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) named University of Michigan Associate Professor Kevin Fu Acting Director of Medical Device Security in its Center for Devices and Radiological Health. This is a newly created 12-month post in which Fu will “work to bridge the gap between medicine and computer science and help manufacturers protect
Privacy
Legislators and Regulators Weigh in On Privacy and Data Security Protections for Healthcare Providers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
As they work to combat the surging COVID-19 virus, healthcare providers recently were reminded by legislators and regulators of the importance of data security and privacy protections. Read more here.
HIPAA Privacy Rule Waiver, Other Medical Information Questions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Joseph J. Lazzarotti on
Posted in Healthcare, Privacy
As the coronavirus spreads across the globe and in the United States, providers, businesses, employers, and others are struggling to understand what medical information they can collect and what information they can share. These are difficult questions the answers to which involve considering factors such as long-standing compliance requirements (e.g., HIPAA, ADA, GINA, state law),…
New York City Ban on Pre-Employment Drug Testing Won’t Apply to (most) Healthcare Workers
By Michael J. Kozimor on
Posted in Healthcare, Privacy
On May 10, 2019, a bill amending New York City’s administrative code related to prospective employee drug-testing officially became law for New York City employers. While the law does not go into effect until May 10, 2020, it is the first of its kind in the nation. The law prohibits employers from requiring applicants to…
“Your Own Cybersecurity Is Not Enough”: NJ Physician Practice Fined Over $400,000 for Data Breach Caused By Vendor
Posted on
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…
Cybercriminals Often Target Healthcare Providers with Ransomware Attacks
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had issued guidance on ransomware attack prevention and recovery from a healthcare sector perspective in July 2016. The importance of these measures was highlighted by the recent worldwide ransomware, “WannaCry,” attack that caused major disruption to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service and cancellation of operations. Learn…
Healthcare Employer’s Termination Letter Provides Basis For Court to Allow Discovery of Patient Contact Information
Posted on
The following post from our colleagues at the Jackson Lewis P.C. Workplace Privacy, Data Management & Security Report may be of particular interest to healthcare employers. Click here to be transferred directly to the link.
Health Care Personnel in New York Must Get Flu Vaccination or Wear a Mask
By Ana C. Shields on
Click here for the full article that appeared on Jackson Lewis’ website this week.
Hospital Worker Fails To Show That Termination For HIPAA Violation Was Discriminatory
By Michael R. Bertoncini on
Posted in Discrimination Claim Risk Avoidance, Privacy
A hospital lawfully terminated an employee for improperly accessing a co-worker’s lab results and refusing to admit to doing so, a federal district court in Mississippi has found in Cosby v. Vicksburg Healthcare, LLC D/B/A River Region Medical Center, et al., No. 5:11cv159-KS-MTP (S.D. Miss. May 16, 2013), rejecting the former employee’s claim of…
Union Information Requests: Is Nothing Sacred?
By Ana C. Shields on
Unionized healthcare employers may be interested in a recent post on the Jackson Lewis LLP Unions & Labor Law Reform Blog addressing union information requests in the hospital setting. Click here for more information.