In today’s fast-paced and competitive healthcare technology environment, retaining your top IT staff is critical. You need a skilled team who can get mission-critical projects done and adapt to new technologies and challenges. In 2023, healthcare IT will continue to see significant changes and disruptions. As a result, your organization must be prepared to retain top talent. With the increasing demand for skilled IT professionals, many businesses offer lucrative salaries and benefits packages to attract top candidates. But money isn’t the only factor employees consider when deciding whether to stay with a company. In fact, a recent survey found the top reasons employees leave a company are lack of career advancement opportunities, lack of work-life balance, and poor management. So, how can you retain your IT staff in 2023 and beyond? Here are four key strategies that can help: 1. Allow remote workRemote work allows employees to work from anywhere, as long as they have access to a computer and internet connection. This allows employees the freedom to work from home or in a location that is most convenient for them. There are numerous benefits to offering remote. For the employee, it can increase work-life balance and reduce commute time and costs. It can also increase job satisfaction and productivity, as employees have more control over their work environment. For the employer, it can reduce overhead costs and increase employee retention. However, having clear communication and guidelines is essential when implementing remote work. This includes setting expectations for availability and communication. 2. Promote internallyThere are several benefits to promoting internally
Ensure the promoted employee is qualified and has the necessary skills and experience for the new role. This can be achieved through training and development programs or by allowing employees to take on additional responsibilities in their current roles. 3. Invest in current staffBy investing in the development of your healthcare IT staff, you’re showing you value their contributions and are committed to helping them advance their careers. This increases job satisfaction and loyalty, leading to higher retention rates. Besides investing in formal training and development programs, provide ongoing support and mentorship to your IT staff. This could include one-on-one meetings with managers or regular check-ins to provide guidance and support. Investing in your IT staff also means being open to their ideas and suggestions for improving processes and systems. This can help foster a sense of ownership and engagement among your employees, leading to increased retention. 3. Stay InterviewsA stay interview is a one-on-one conversation between an employee and their manager focused on understanding what keeps the employee engaged and motivated in their job. Stay interviews can be conducted regularly, such as annually or every six months, to help identify any potential issues or concerns the employee may have. By prioritizing stay interviews, companies can gain valuable insight into what their employees need and want to feel valued and motivated. This can include career development opportunities, a better work-life balance, or a more supportive team environment. Stay interviews also allow employees to voice their concerns and feel heard by their managers. Companies can improve employee satisfaction and retention by addressing any issues or concerns. Closing ThoughtsOverall, retaining your IT staff in 2023 and beyond requires a combination of competitive salaries and benefits, a positive and supportive work environment, ongoing training and development, work-life balance, and open communication and transparency. By focusing on these key areas, you can create a work culture that’ll attract and retain top talent in the field of IT and help your company succeed in the years ahead. Send HIPAA compliant email without reinventing the wheel.The post Four top tips to retain your healthcare IT staff appeared first on Paubox.
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We’ve been getting asked by customers and prospects about various telehealth solutions and whether they can use them in a HIPAA compliant manner. We know the HIPAA industry is vast so we can empathize with just how many people need to use cloud-based services in this sector. Today we will determine if VSee is a HIPAA compliant service or not. About VSeeVSee is a video conferencing and messaging platform designed for use in healthcare and other industries. It allows users to hold virtual meetings, make video calls, and exchange messages and files. VSee is designed to be secure and compliant with industry regulations. It includes features such as end-to-end encryption, password protection, and the ability to remotely wipe data from lost or stolen devices. It is available for use on various devices, including desktop and mobile computers, tablets, and smartphones. VSee and the business associate agreementWe’ve previously talked about how a business associate agreement (BAA) is a written contract between a covered entity and a business associate. It is required by law for HIPAA compliance. We checked VSee’s site and found a page called HIPAA and VSee Video Conferencing. It states: VSee video chat helps you to be HIPAA compliant in two ways: 1) It protects data privacy in that all audio/video communication is securely encrypted. 2) VSee offers the HIPAA-required Business Associate Agreement where VSee agrees to be responsible for keeping all patient information secure and to immediately report any breach of personal health information. This is a good sign. Notification of Enforcement DiscretionWhen the pandemic first hit in March 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) quickly announced the Notification of Enforcement Discretion, which allowed health care providers to use widely available communication apps without the risk of incurring HIPAA fines. This notice allows health care providers to use popular applications to provide telehealth services, so long as they are “non-public facing.” Examples of non-public facing applications include:
See also: HIPAA privacy and security guidelines as they relate to telehealth Is VSee HIPAA compliant?The business associate agreement is a key component to HIPAA compliance between a covered entity and a business associate. As we noted earlier, VSee is willing to sign a BAA with its customers. In addition, VSee is considered by HHS as a telehealth solution that can be used in a non-public facing manner. While the HHS Notification of Enforcement Discretion is not indefinite, it would allow healthcare entities to use VSee and not be liable for HIPAA fines even if VSee did not offer a BAA to its customers. Conclusion: VSee can be configured to be HIPAA compliant. The post Can I use VSee and be HIPAA compliant? appeared first on Paubox. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently responded to a data breach at subcontractor Healthcare Management Solutions, LLC (HMS). The incident may have affected Medicare beneficiaries’ personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI). According to the press release, “HMS acted in violation of its obligations to CMS and the incident has the potential to impact up to 254,000 Medicare beneficiaries out of the over 64 million beneficiaries that CMS serves.” Keep reading to learn more about the data breach and what CMS is doing in response. Plus, find out how covered entities can protect themselves with a HIPAA compliant email platform. What happened?On October 8, HMS’ corporate network was targeted in a ransomware attack. As a CMS subcontractor, HMS resolves system errors connected to Medicare beneficiary entitlement. The company also helps collect premiums from the direct-paying beneficiary population. CMS was informed of the cybersecurity incident on October 9. However, it was initially found that no CMS systems or Medicare claims data were involved. As soon as the incident was reported, CMS immediately began an investigation to uncover what personal information may have been compromised. On October 18, CMS determined that the incident potentially included PII and PHI for certain Medicare enrollees. Specifically, exposed data might have included the following:
How is CMS responding to the data breach?CMS is mailing letters to all potentially impacted beneficiaries to directly inform them of the data breach. The company states that they are “continuing to investigate this incident and will take all appropriate actions to safeguard the information entrusted to CMS.” While CMS is not aware of any identity fraud cases connected to the breach, they are still issuing new Medicare cards with a new Beneficiary Identifier out of an abundance of caution. Beneficiaries are also being offered Equifax Complete Premier credit monitoring services free-of-charge. “The safeguarding and security of beneficiary information is of the utmost importance to this Agency,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “We continue to assess the impact of the breach involving the subcontractor, facilitate support to individuals potentially affected by the incident, and will take all necessary actions needed to safeguard the information entrusted to CMS.” Protect your organization with PauboxHealthcare providers can avoid data breaches in the first place by making risk management a top priority. This includes ensuring that every third-party vendor is willing to sign a business associate agreement (BAA), which outlines the responsibilities of the business associate to keep protected health information (PHI) secure. And with email serving as a leading entry point for cybercrime, human error is often at fault for letting ransomware into a network system. Therefore, it is critical for healthcare providers to safeguard PHI at every stage with a HIPAA compliant email provider. Designed to seamlessly integrate with your existing email platform, Paubox Email Suite enables HIPAA compliant email by default to ensure automatic compliance with HIPAA email rules. This means you don’t have to spend time deciding which emails to encrypt and your patients are able to receive your messages right in their inbox—no additional passwords or portals necessary. In addition to healthcare email encryption, Paubox Email Suite’s Plus and Premium plan levels include robust inbound email security tools that block ransomware and other cyberattacks from even reaching the inbox in the first place. Our patent-pending Zero Trust Email feature uses email AI to confirm that an email is legitimate. Additionally, our patented ExecProtect solution quickly intercepts display name spoofing attempts. The post <strong>CMS responds to third-party data breach </strong> appeared first on Paubox. Are you looking for ways to improve patient engagement in 2023? If so, you’re in the right place. In this blog post, we’ll share ten tips providers can use to revolutionize their relationships with patients through effective email marketing. By following these tips, you’ll be able to improve patient engagement, build trust and loyalty and boost your bottom line. So let’s get started! Ten tips to revolutionize your relationship with patients through email in 2023
Include PHI in your emails with Paubox MarketingThe smartest way for covered entities to send secure marketing emails is by using a HIPAA compliant email marketing platform that guarantees encryption on 100% of the emails you send. That’s where Paubox Marketing comes in. Prior to its launch, healthcare providers were stuck with generic messaging. This is because it was impossible to personalize email with patient information while complying with HIPAA email rules. Unlike standard marketing tools, Paubox Marketing allows you to send secure, targeted emails including PHI to increase patient engagement and build your business—all while remaining HIPAA compliant. Recipients can also conveniently access secure marketing emails directly into their inbox, without having to take any extra steps. Paubox Marketing is HITRUST CSF certified and free to use for up to 100 contacts. The free plan also includes a business associate agreement for all customers. Healthcare’s solution to personalized patient email marketingPaubox Marketing is a breakthrough product. Now you can finally include PHI in healthcare marketing emails and remain HIPAA compliant. Start getting higher open rates today! The post Ten tips to revolutionize your relationship with patients through email in 2023 appeared first on Paubox. Today we held our third annual winter networking lunch for the Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship. The primary objective of the event was to build professional connections between our scholarship recipients and the Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship advisor network. We know the big ideas behind the scholarship are financial aid and access. Big ideas are trends that do not change over time. In other words, our scholarship recipients will always have a need for financial assistance and access to our professional network. We therefore know it’s perpetually a good use of time and resources to focus on these big ideas. Paubox Kahikina STEM ScholarshipThe primary objective of the Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship is to encourage Native Hawaiians to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The scholarship is recurring in nature. In other words, recipients receive $1,000 per year until they graduate. The scholarship is in its fourth year and now has 22 active recipients. Winter Networking LunchLast year we had 15 people attend the winter networking lunch (seven recipients and eight advisors). This year, we had a turnout of 30 people, with four of them joining via Zoom. Our COO Rick Kuwahara was on hand to help me pull off the event. I am grateful for him being at Paubox since practically day one. Here are the scholarship recipients that joined (in-person or Zoom):
Here are the advisors that joined (in-person or Zoom):
We officially began the event with some opening remarks by me, followed by introductions around the room. We made sure each person shared with the room what they wanted to achieve by attending. We also asked advisors to explicitly share with the group whether they were hiring and/or offering paid internships. Today’s networking lunch was a home run. Our biggest and best yet. More to come. Enjoy the pics! About PauboxPaubox is for healthcare organizations seeking to remove friction from their HIPAA compliant communications. Paubox is a cloud-based solution that provides a seamless user experience for both senders and recipients of secure email. Unlike incumbent solutions that force recipients to login to a portal to read a secure message, Paubox allows the recipient to read a secure email in their inbox, just like a normal message. Some notable customers in Hawaii include:
The post Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship – winter networking lunch (2022) appeared first on Paubox. Just like all medical practitioners, it’s important for doctors to understand HIPAA compliance when they communicate with or about patients. Doctors not only provide patient care but also safeguard protected health information (PHI). Because they deal with private information daily, they should be aware of how to safely communicate it. SEE ALSO: PII and PHI best practices: How healthcare organizations should handle sensitive information HIPAA compliant email is one of the best ways for patients and their healthcare providers to give and receive information clearly and securely. However, a HIPAA breach can be a major concern for all medical professionals. And it can cause undue stress on already overworked staff. HIPAA compliant secure email provides a top option for healthcare professionals, especially doctors. What is HIPAA?HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) is U.S. legislation that protects the rights and privacy of patients. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights regulates and enforces the act. In total, HIPAA consists of five sections (or titles), with Title II being the most referenced. Title II sets the policies and procedures for safeguarding PHI, whether in paper or electronic (ePHI) form, and includes:
These rules and amendments strengthen and further elucidate the building blocks necessary for patient privacy and security. And, of course, patient care. LEARN ABOUT: Patient engagement and HIPAA compliance: What you need to know What doctors need to know about HIPAADoctors are privy to PHI for numerous patients at any given time. And like all medical practitioners, doctors must follow HIPAA guidelines to protect a patient’s privacy. SEE ALSO: Clinician’s guide to HIPAA privacy Sometimes PHI might just be a name. But many times, PHI in front of a doctor could include diagnoses, financial information or insurance claims. And since doctors look after multiple records and patients when working in a small clinic or a large hospital, they may intentionally or unintentionally expose PHI during:
Furthermore, their office may want to share office updates, educational material or appointment reminders. In other words, it’s crucial for doctors to understand the best way to communicate healthcare information. HIPAA compliant emailHIPAA compliant email must meet the HIPAA requirements for the safe communication of PHI electronically. Sending and receiving an email with PHI is not a HIPAA violation if essential safeguards are correctly set. RELATED: Why healthcare providers should use HIPAA compliant email The Security Rule puts safeguards into three categories: administrative, physical and technical. For email, this could mean setting policies and procedures (administrative), workstation/computer controls (physical) and login controls (technical). The idea is to restrict access, monitor use and always ensure PHI integrity and message accountability. One critical aspect of email security is encryption. HIPAA labels encryption as “addressable” and states that it must be used if it “is a reasonable and appropriate safeguard.” Unfortunately, though, there is no appropriate alternative to encryption. Therefore, healthcare organizations need to take sufficient steps to secure PHI at rest (in storage) and in motion (in transit). What is an email HIPAA violation?A HIPAA violation occurs when a healthcare professional does not properly safeguard PHI due to either negligence or an accident. A HIPAA violation can result in costly fines and lost business. HIPAA rules exist not only to stop such violations but also to hold uncompliant healthcare practitioners liable. SEE ALSO: Preventing security breaches in healthcare A HIPAA violation through email is common, which is why many physicians stay away from email. The most common way to send email is by not encrypting or properly safeguarding it, opening it up to a data breach. There can also be accidental breaches as well as disclosures that are purposeful and sometimes even harmful. How could a doctor violate HIPAA with email?There are several ways a doctor could violate HIPAA through email:
There are also intentional violations, such as curiosity-driven disclosures. This is when there is an interesting or celebrity case, and a doctor decides to share information outside of actual patient care. LEARN MORE: Potential coronavirus-related HIPAA violations Finally, there are breaches due to an organization not utilizing strong email security, which can lead to a cyberattack. In any of these incidences, using strong HIPAA compliant email would have helped. Do all doctors need to use HIPAA compliant email?Doctors always need to use a HIPAA compliant email solution when sending PHI. Especially given that healthcare is stressful and tiring as it is for medical practitioners. They need a secure solution that is easy to use and does not add to their workload. LEARN ABOUT: Permitted use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI) under HIPAA Moreover, studies show that patients want to communicate with doctors through email. Finding the most effective way to talk to patients has a positive effect on patient engagement and patient care. 6 HIPAA compliant email use best practices
READ MORE: Why cybersecurity education is key to protecting your medical practice It is important to understand HIPAA and work with a HIPAA compliant email provider. By using a secure email provider like Paubox, your communications remain effective and protected. Paubox HIPAA compliant email helps doctors care for patientsPaubox Email Suite takes healthcare emails seriously by providing doctors with an easy way to communicate securely with patients. Our HITRUST-CSF certified solution is effortless and lets doctors focus on caring for patients, all without adding to the stress of digital communication barriers and HIPAA compliance regulations. No additional passwords or portals are necessary, and there is no need to change your existing platform. RELATED: Top 7 things you didn’t know about Paubox Email Suite Paubox Email Suite enables HIPAA compliant email by default and encrypts every outbound message automatically. And our Plus and Premium plans come equipped with innovative, proactive inbound tools like Zero Trust Email and ExecProtect. There is no reason to hesitate. Let Paubox do the heavy lifting when it comes to HIPAA compliance and emailing your patients so you can focus on patient care. Paubox takes the stress out of HIPAA compliance and emailOver 4,000 healthcare customers secure nearly 70,000,000 emails every month with the #1 rated HIPAA compliant messaging and encryption solution from Paubox. The post How to make HIPAA compliant email stress-free for doctors appeared first on Paubox. The HIPAA Security Rule requires covered entities to implement procedures that help prevent the unauthorized access of protected health information (PHI). However, there can often be confusion around what exactly constitutes PHI. Are email addresses and names considered PHI too? Gaining clarity on this topic is particularly critical for healthcare providers looking to engage in email marketing. In order to stay HIPAA compliant, PHI in electronic form (ePHI) must be secured both at rest and in transit. Keep reading to learn more about what information is protected under HIPAA. Plus, find out how to add an extra layer of security with a HIPAA compliant email marketing platform. What information is considered PHI?PHI is any type of information used to identify a patient during the course of their care. Therefore, PHI isn’t just limited to medical records. It can actually include data that does not relate to a health condition on its own. Examples include names, email addresses, physical addresses, birthdates, phone numbers, social security numbers, and employment records. Essentially, any personal data that is connected to an individual’s health condition automatically becomes PHI. This means that a patient’s email address could be considered PHI if it is linked to a health condition or treatment. An example is sending a marketing email promoting a treatment to a set group of individuals who were chosen to receive it based on their medical history. There are instances where covered entities may use personal data for communications such as appointment reminders. However, these should include minimal information and leave out details on the appointment purpose. Choose a HIPAA compliant email marketing platformAny third-party vendor that stores, accesses, or sends PHI is considered a business associate. In order for a third-party vendor to be considered HIPAA compliant, a business associate agreement (BAA) must be signed by both parties. This written document describes the obligations of the business associate to safeguard PHI. The truth is, many popular email marketing platforms such as MailChimp and HubSpot will not sign a business associate agreement (BAA). Other companies will state they sign a BAA, but reading the final print will reveal that they are still not a viable option. For instance, Constant Contact will sign a BAA. However, the company’s terms and conditions note that users are not permitted to transmit PHI through the platform. (And as discussed, even email addresses become PHI when linked to a health condition.) Similarly, the scope of Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s BAA only covers data at-rest on their platforms. Strengthen security with PauboxThe smartest way for covered entities to send secure marketing emails is by using a HIPAA compliant email marketing platform that guarantees encryption on 100% of the emails you send. That’s where Paubox Marketing comes in. Prior to its launch, healthcare providers were stuck with generic messaging. This is because it was impossible to personalize email with patient information while complying with HIPAA email rules. Unlike standard marketing tools, Paubox Marketing allows you to send secure, targeted emails including PHI to increase patient engagement and build your business—all while remaining HIPAA compliant. Recipients can also conveniently access secure marketing emails directly into their inbox, without having to take any extra steps. Paubox Marketing is HITRUST CSF certified and free to use for up to 100 contacts. The free plan also includes a business associate agreement for all customers. Healthcare’s solution to personalized patient email marketingPaubox Marketing is a breakthrough product. Now you can finally include PHI in healthcare marketing emails and remain HIPAA compliant. Start getting higher open rates today! The post Are email addresses protected by HIPAA? appeared first on Paubox. Now in its fourth year, it’s a good time to run basic demographics on the Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship. As a recap, the primary objective of the Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship is to encourage Native Hawaiians to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The scholarship is recurring in nature. In other words, recipients receive $1,000 per year until they graduate. Starting with Nick Wong in 2019 as our inaugural recipient, we’ve grown the scholarship to 22 active recipients. The goal of this post will be to get a better understanding of our recipients’ basic demographics. See related: The big ideas behind the Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship: By GenderOf the 22 active recipients,15 are wahine and seven are kane. I wasn’t sure how our gender makeup compares nationally, so I asked ChatGPT:
There are many factors that can influence the percentage of female scholarship recipients, including the eligibility requirements for the scholarship, the fields of study or career paths that the scholarship is intended to support, and the broader societal and cultural context in which the scholarship is offered.” A safe, diplomatic answer here. Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship: By ResidenceNext, let’s take a look at what island our recipients are graduating high school from. As of today, we do not have scholarship recipients that went to high school outside of Hawaii. Here’s the breakdown by residence:
I also checked with ChatGPT by asking it the following: What percentage of Native Hawaiians live on which island? Here’s the output: “According to the United States Census Bureau, approximately 20% of Native Hawaiians lived on the island of Hawai’i in 2019. The island of O’ahu was home to about 47% of Native Hawaiians, while the island of Maui was home to about 18% of Native Hawaiians. The island of Kaua’i was home to about 8% of Native Hawaiians, and the island of Lana’i was home to about 1% of Native Hawaiians. It is important to note that these figures may not be representative of the current population of Native Hawaiians, as they are based on data from 2019. Additionally, these figures do not account for Native Hawaiians who may live on other islands in the state of Hawai’i or outside of the state.” Looks like our scholarship recipients generally correlate to Native Hawaiian population by island. Note: ChatGPT is not aware of the okina. Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship: By High SchoolWhen it comes to high schools attended, 68% of recipients graduated from a private school in Hawaii, while 32% of our scholars are public school graduates like me. The high school with the largest representation is Kamehameha Schools Kapalama at 27.3%. Kamehemeha Schools Hawaii, Punahou School, and Iolani School are all tied for second at 9.1% each. Keeping with our theme of double-checking with ChatGPT, I also asked: What percentage of Native Hawaiians attend a public high school? Here’s the output: In general, it is important to ensure that all students have access to high-quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances. This can involve supporting public schools and ensuring that they have the resources and support they need to provide a strong educational foundation for their students. It can also involve supporting and promoting alternative educational options, such as private schools or homeschooling, for those who may prefer these options.” Not that helpful here.
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