DFM Announces new HIPAA Privacy Officer

Jim Berg, MBA, CPA has taken on a new role as the Department of Family Medicine Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Officer. Jim replaces Bob Drachenberg, CPA in this role. Starting immediately Jim will add these new duties to his position as the Director of Reimbursement Services. Jim will be working closely with Michelle Wood, MS, who serves as the DFM HIPAA Security Officer.

The first-ever federal privacy standard passed to protect patients' medical records and other health information provided to health plans, doctors, hospitals and other health care providers took effect on April 14, 2003. Developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), these new standards provide patients with access to their medical records and more control over how their personal health information is used and disclosed. They represent a uniform, federal floor of privacy protections for consumers across the country.

Congress called on HHS to issue patient privacy protections as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA included provisions designed to encourage electronic transactions and also required new safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of health information.

Security standards for the electronic transfer of patient health information went into effect on April 20, 2005. The University of Wisconsin has developed an online HIPAA Security Training Module that all Medical School and UW Health employees will be required to complete. This online training is expected to be available in the next few months. In addition, Family Medicine Information Technology Services staff implemented clinic security training sessions and deployed infrastructure changes for HIPAA Security compliance efforts.

Both Jim and Michelle are available to answer HIPAA questions and to make sure we are in compliance with these federal regulations.

Jim can be reached at jim.berg@fammed.wisc.edu or by telephone at 608-263-4374. Michelle can be reached at michelle.wood@fammed.wisc.edu or by telephone at 608-263-0494.