HIPAA deadline looms; BC Group moves to new ownership; Resun develops modular health facility constructor; and more.

Is Your Facility Ready for HIPAA?
Only 30% of payors and 18% of health care providers are compliant with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) security rule regulations, according to a recent report. The deadline for compliance with the HIPAA security rule is April 20, 2005.

The low compliance findings come from a survey conducted by the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS of Chicago) and Phoenix Health Systems (Mont-gomery Village, Md). Those who responded to the survey reported roadblocks to compliance with HIPAA. Achieving successful integration with the new system’s policies and procedures across the enterprise was the primary impediment to those who re-sponded to the winter 2005 survey. Other delays included interpretation of HIPAA regulations, as well as budget and time restraints.

The security rule requires that health care providers implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect electronically transmitted medical data. This mandate includes patient-identifying information, such as name, medical record, identification number, or picture.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS of Baltimore)—the organization behind HIPAA—while the numbers of noncompliant facilities could seem worrisome days before the act goes into effect, the level of compliance, overall, has been efficiently high. For more information on what HIPAA means for your facility, visit www.hipaa.org. 

Resun Develops Modular Health Facility Constructor
When developing a new health care facility, project planners have to be aware of stringent standards for waste disposal and air quality, the need to respond to the rapid development of new technology, obligations to meet client needs quickly, and budget pressures. To simplify the planning process, Charles Paquin, president of Resun Corp (Dulles, Va), recently formed MedBuild, a division of Resun that will provide health care space solutions.

Resun provides engineered solutions for temporary and permanent modular space. MedBuild will focus exclusively on providing high-end, turnkey modular facilities to the health care industry and offering cost-efficient space solutions for bio-safety labs and other specialized health care needs.

Upcoming Events in May
Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation
Annual Conference and Exposition
May 14–17 • Tampa, Fla • www.aami.org
Highlights: More than 100 exhibitors and more than 50 practical educational sessions, including a 2-day BMET evaluation and review course.

DITEC 2K5
National Continuing Education Conference & Vendor Exhibits
May 25–27 • Cleveland • www.ditecnet.com 
Highlights: Keynote address on “PACS Presents New Opportunities” by Stuart Gardner, president, SG&A Consulting Inc (Arlington, Tex); 39 educational seminars.

CR Software Inc
Users’ Conference
May 11–13 • Fairfax, Va • www.crsoftwareinc.com
Highlights: Record attendance anticipated. 24x7