Another Reason for Background Checks!

Looks like HIPAA may have teeth after all. An

Arkansas

nurse recently plead guilty to a HIPAA violation based on her disclosure of patient information for personal gain.  Criminal prosecutions are rare under HIPAA, but the lesson here is that federal prosecutors will throw the book at anyone improperly attempting to benefit financially from patient information.

So what does this mean to healthcare IT providers? Be smart.  While HIPAA does not apply directly to you as a company, you may have a duty to conduct background checks of your employees that may have access to patient information. A simple background check may help you meet your obligation of "reasonable and appropriate" security measures if you signed a Business Associate Agreement and may keep aggressive prosecutors from going after you. For general guidance on background checks go here .