HIPAA

Bringle Academy

www.bringleacademy.com

The position of HIPAA compliance coordinator is relatively recent on the compliance scene. The following outline of the major responsibilities of this position is drawn from a sample job description available in the tools section of the web site for HFMA Healthcare Compliance Forum members. While smaller healthcare entities must incorporate the duties listed below into other existing positions, larger hospitals and systems will find it necessary to create a new position to oversee the many aspects of HIPAA compliance.

Overview

The HIPAA compliance coordinator monitors the hospital's compliance with the government regulations related to the elements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The coordinator will research available resources and coordinate implementation of this highly specialized and technical information with clinical, administrative, and support departments. A significant responsibility will be the coordination of the hospital's implementation of HIPAA's transaction standards, privacy standards, and security standards. The coordinator may also be a resource for HIPAA issues for affiliates of the hospital.

Responsibilities and Specific Performance Standards

1. Routinely monitor changes in the applicable HIPAA government regulations. Research and analyze available sources of regulatory guidance in response to specific questions. (weight: 25)

2. Coordinate the implementation of HIPAA process changes with various clinical, administrative, and support departments. Assemble the appropriate resources to determine the applicability of these regulations to the services provided by the hospital. Coordinate with the appropriate support services (such as information systems, legal, finance, medical records) to analyze the impact and develop the appropriate implementation plan. (weight: 20)

3. Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of applicable transaction, privacy and security standards to develop an appropriate implementation action plan. Develop and maintain an appropriate project management process to monitor progress towards successful and timely implementation of these standards. (weight: 25)

4. Develop and maintain a systematic process to monitor the hospital's ongoing HIPAA compliance, especially with the privacy and security regulations. (weight: 15)

5. Develop and maintain, in cooperation with the education department, training material and courses to help hospital staff address these regulatory changes. Inform departmental and administrative management of significant changes. Coordinate with any external consultants hired to assist with HIPAA implementation or ongoing HIPAA compliance maintenance. Provide HIPAA guidance to other hospitals within the hospital's system of care. (weight: 10)

6. Conducts special projects as assigned. (weight: 5)

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.