Information Technology Blog

Most medical practices are aware of the HIPAA HITECH requirements that affect their organizations, and the fines that they face if they are not compliant in the ways they handle patient health information (PHI).

What a lot of professionals don’t know is that HIPAA HITECH regulations also hold business associates, (i.e. other professionals from other companies who could also have access to PHI) just as responsible for protecting the data as the medical practices who own that information.

After read...

This month's Special Delivery includes the following:

• Golden Opportunity for Small-Business Owners
• Tax Tactics: Giving IRA Funds to Charity
• Uncover Key Change for Roth 401(k)s
• Baseball's Long Season and Time Horizons for Investors
• Upcoming Event With Aurum Wealth Management Group
• Skoda Minotti Employee Obtains Advanced Global Business Designation

Golden Opportunity for Small-Business Owners

Are you contemplating purchasing new equipment or assets for your small business? It’s a good time for many...

The rules introduce new requirements for content of HIPAA privacy notices and requires the redistribution of the updated notices.  This primarily applies directly to covered entities.

In additional to the existing HIPAA privacy rule requirements, the new rules require the HIPAA privacy notice to inform individuals that:

• They have a right to be notified following a breach of their unsecured PHI
• They may be contacted to raise funds and have the right to opt out of receiving such communications
• Most...

The new rules make business associates directly responsible for complying with the security rule.  Previously, only a covered entity had directly responsibility for compliance, with their business associates having responsibility only to the covered entity via contract.  This is an important distinction as this places significantly more liability on vendors and sub-contractors who are deemed to be business associates.

The rules require business associates to:

• Use or disclose PHI only as permitted...

In summary, the HIPAA HITECH rules cover the following areas of compliance:

• Privacy Rule
• Security Rule
• Breach Notification Rule
• Enforcement Rule
• Unique Identifiers Rule

The primary focus for most organization’s required to comply with HIPAA HITECH  is to ensure compliance with the privacy and security rules.  The major goal of these HIPAA regulations is to ensure that any identifiable Personal Health Information (PHI) is kept secure, confidential, and only accessed by authorized personnel.   These...

When the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the initial set of HIPAA rules in 2009 and 2010, the rules were not intended to be a “final” set of rules, but merely a proposed set of rules.  Industry experts expected these rules to become effective, or “final”, sometime in 2012 or later, but were unsure of any further changes that might be made.

Finally, on January 13, 2013, a final set of rules (the omnibus Final Rule) was released.  HHS also used its regulatory authority to...

What is Protected Health Information (PHI)?

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, PHI is "any individually identifiable information, whether oral or recorded, in any form or medium" that:

• is created, or received by a health care provider, health plan or health care clearing house (aka Covered Entity); and
• relates to past, present, or future physical or mental health conditions of an individual; the provision of health care to the individual; or past, present, or future...

When and why did HIPAA/HITECH Compliance start?

In 2006, President Clinton enacted the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA), after a growing public concern about how private health care information was being used.  In 2009, I'm sure you recall that President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (otherwise known as the STIMULUS). Included in that legislation was the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH Act”), as a...

This month's IT Informer includes:

• Free Lunch Seminar: HIPAA Compliance - What Medical Practices & Their Business Associates Need to Know
• How Wireless Technology Makes Buildings More Efficient, Comfortable & Profitable
• Skoda Minotti Technology Partners Named to List of Top Managed Services

Free Lunch Seminar: HIPAA Compliance - What Medical Practices  & Their Business Associates Need to Know

Most medical practices are aware of the HIPAA and HITECH requirements that affect their organizations, and...

Skoda Minotti Technology Partner employee, Brian Rosenfelt, CPA, was featured in this month's Properties Magazine, discussing how wireless automation systems make buildings greener, more efficient and more profitable.

Read an excerpt from the article below:

We live in a wireless world. In a few short years, the mobile computing revolution, driven by smart-phones and tablets, has changed the way so many of us communicate and transact business. The AEC industry is no exception.

Mobile computing helps...

Are you concerned about the security of your company’s data? Wondering if employees are protecting the information they work with on a daily basis? Unsure if your company is adhering to the many compliance regulations required for your industry?

Our team of Security and Compliance experts can help by providing a no-risk evaluation of your current security practices. Our comprehensive analysis will highlight what you are doing right and suggest areas where you should make improvements.

Looking for...

This month's IT Informer includes:

• iOS 6.1.2 Released in Response to Recent iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch Issues
• Unified Communications Solutions Help Companies Provide Better Customer Service
• Cloud Services Your Company Should Consider: Hosted Desktop (The Webtop)
• Obama Signs Cybersecurity Executive Order
• New E-Book: Pay-Per-Click Advertising Tips
• Skoda Minotti Technology Partners Announces Three New Hires
• Technology Partners Pulse: Mobile Technology Use Survey
•  Free Lunch Seminar: Trade Show...

This month's IT Informer includes the following:

• 2012's Top Blog Posts
• Featured Whitepaper: Top 10 Things You Need to Know About the Cloud

Top 5 Technology Blogs of 2012

2012 was a great year for Skoda Minotti Technology Partners, thanks to trusted clients and contacts like you. We thought it would be helpful to round-up a list of the five most popular blogs written by our Technology Partners team in the past year to show you what other professionals are interested in reading. (Posts are ranked by...

For most of us, email has become our most critical business system. How many days without this critical communication medium could you last, without it having a real impact on your business?

With that in mind, more and more companies, both small and large, are moving this critical service to the cloud. With cloud-based email services, the same powerful collaboration software that you’ve come to know can now be accessed via highly reliable and redundant data centers.

Microsoft’s Exchange email...

Click here...

When most people think of data backup, they likely still picture the backup tapes and disks that have been used for years.

Backing up your data has evolved significantly over recent years. With the increased reliance on technology and its related data, data backup has become a critical part of every company's business continuity plans.

Depending on your needs, you can use a combination of:

1. Onsite Backup and Business Continuity Solutions
2. Offsite Backup and Business Continuity Solutions
3. Secondary Site...

iPad.  Galaxy S3.  iPhone.  Nexus.  Windows Phone 8. Droid Incredible.  Galaxy Note. Kindle Fire.  iPad Mini. 

These devices have become staples for businesses of all sizes.  As people become increasingly comfortable with the devices they use for recreational and personal use, it is beneficial for businesses to find ways to effectively integrate those “personal” devices into the workplace.  And, with many employers embracing “Bring-Your-Own-Device” policies (allowing their employees to use their...

It's no secret that, with the recent Superstorm Sandy, a lot of offices around the region experienced outages and disruptions to their daily routine. In addition to that, the Wall Street Journal reported in a recent article that about 3.1 million Americans work from home on a regular basis.

So, how do all of those remote users stay focused amidst all of the other life distractions that can take place in their home or other out-of-office location?

This Wall Street Journal article lists these top...