Apprenticeships, traditionally considered a pathway to trade work, have increasingly become an alternative pipeline for professional organizations to build their next generation workforce. The US Labor Department reports that 150,000 employers and labor management organizations participate in its Registered Apprenticeships program-companies including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Chrysler, General Electric, Walgreen Co., and Whirlpool. Learn more about the AHIMA Foundation's Managing the Talent Pipeline in Health Information apprenticeship program and the benefits for becoming an apprenticeship.

OCR's Phase Two HIPAA Audits Have Begun 

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; Office for Civil Rights (OCR) 

As a part of our continued efforts to assess compliance with the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has begun its next phase of audits of covered entities and their business associates. The 2016 Phase 2 HIPAA Audit Program will review the policies and procedures adopted and employed by covered entities and their business associates to meet selected standards and implementation specifications of the Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. 

Selected covered entities received notification letters Monday, July 11, 2016. Business associate audits will commence in the fall. OCR has begun to obtain and verify contact information to identify covered entities and business associates of various types and determine which are appropriate to be included in potential auditee pools. Communications from OCR will be sent via email and may be incorrectly classified as spam. 

Read notice.

HHS OCR Offers New Materials for Covered Entities 

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; Office for Civil Rights (OCR) 

Earlier this year, HHS OCR finalized the rule under Section 1557 to advance health equity and reduce health disparities by strengthening protections for some of the populations that have been most vulnerable to discrimination in the health care context. Section 1557 is the nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act and states that individuals cannot be subject to discrimination based on their race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. 

As of Monday, July 18, 2016, certain health care and coverage providers are subject to new requirements under Section 1557 and are expected to ensure their programs are in compliance with the law. HHS OCR has added a number of downloadable resources to our website to reduce burden for covered entities. Certain parts of the rule have a delayed applicability date and we encourage covered entities to review the procedural requirements of the final rule. 

Read more.