Case Study 2: HIPAA and IT Audits

Imagine you are the Information Security Officer at a medium-sized hospital chain. The CEO and the other senior leadership of the company want to ensure that all of their hospitals are and remain HIPAA compliant. They are concerned about the HIPAA Security and Privacy Rules and its impact on the organization. You begin looking at the information provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, located at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/enforcement/index.html. Specifically, you are asked to provide an analysis of two (2) of the cases found here with emphasis on what was done to resolve the compliance issues.

Section 1. Written Paper
Non-compliance with HIPAA regulations can result in significant fines and negative publicity. To help ensure that your organization remains in compliance with HIPAA regulations you have been asked to write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:
1a.    Create an overview of the HIPAA Security Rule and Privacy Rule.
1b.    Analyze the major types of incidents and breaches that occur based on the cases reported.
1c.    Analyze the technical controls and the non-technical controls that are needed to mitigate the identified risks and vulnerabilities.
1d.    Analyze and describe the network architecture that is needed within an organization, including a medium-sized hospital, in order to be compliant with HIPAA regulations.
1e.    Analyze how a hospital is similar to and different from other organizations in regards to HIPAA compliance.
1f.    List the IT audit steps that need to be included in the organization’s overall IT audit plan to ensure compliance with HIPAA rules and regulations.
1g.    Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

Section 2. Network Architecture
2a.    Create a network architecture diagram (using Visio or an open-source equivalent to Visio for creating diagrams), based on the description of the network architecture that you defined above for the organization to be compliant with HIPAA regulations.
2b.    Include in the diagram the switches, routers, firewalls, IDS / IPS, and any other devices needed for a compliant network architecture.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Describe the process of performing effective information technology audits and general controls.
Explain the role of cybersecurity privacy controls in the review of system processes.
Describe the various general controls and audit approaches for software and architecture to include operating systems, telecommunication networks, cloud computing, service-oriented architecture and virtualization.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in information technology audit and control.
Write clearly and concisely about topics related to information technology audit and control using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.

Respond to student postsAnnette WashingtonPart 1There are many characteristics that effective leaders of change must have.  Leaders of change have to have good communication skills.  They will have to communicate changes and other important information with the shareholders and stakeholders.  Effective change leaders also have to have the ability to lead.  They must be able to do the work that they expect others to do and lead by example. They have to adapt and understanding that changes will always in the workplace.  The most effective way to handle change is to be able to adapt to changes. Effective change leaders are organized.  Organizational skills are necessary for the organization to function properly.  In order for leaders to get respect from the employees they have to be respectful themselves.  Respect from all will create a positive working environment where effective production can occur.  Good leaders are understandable and work well with people.  They have compassion for others.  I have been blessed with my work experience.  All of the leaders that I have worked under all were effective leaders of change and displayed these characteristics. I have always worked in positive working environments and I believe that this is because everyone was respectful of each other.      Part 2The key stakeholders are students, educators, parents, and school personnel. Problem:  Parents were upset because they did not feel they received enough information regarding the Common Core State Standards. Many parents do not support the standards because they do not understand them.  Solution:  Inform the parents and get the correct information about the Common Core State Standards to them. Communication is very important.  We have to have open communication with parents.  They should feel comfortable enough to discuss any issues that they have with us. They should be encouraged to be active in the schools and classrooms.  All educators and school officials have to be knowledgeable of the Common Core State Standards and be able to answer any questions that the parents may have regarding the standards.  It is our duty as educators and school leaders to inform the parents of any changes in their child’s education.  We have to do our part to gain and keep their trust. Parents are a critical part of their child’s education. That is why it is important for them to get involved and stay involved in their child’s education. This includes being willing to support the Common Core State Standards.  This means they have to have an understanding of them and how they work.
Sheymirra Tyree post Part 1Effective leaders of change are individuals who are passionate and constantly strive to make improvements in the world, community, and/or work environment. This type of leader does not need any added motivation because their desire to create change is all that is needed to keep pushing forward. In my previous work experience I have worked with leaders who embraced their role and created almost a family environment that consisted of staff that truly liked and respected each other. I have also worked under leadership that was so challenging that the staff grew closer out of a mutual dislike for management.In both cases, staff can be seen coming together over shared interests, but it is more productive when staff is able to do so under a quality leader.  For instance, I once worked with an early childhood teacher who taught in the three-year-old classroom. Prior to coming to the child care center, she had taught in the public school system as an elementary school teacher. Her educational background and teaching experience brought a wealth of knowledge to the center. Still, what made her stand out the most was her passion and dedication for the children in her care. People who are successful and creating change know the best way to be effective is to constantly make small changes to the change process (Swing, 2009). When other teachers wanted to give up on the challenging child who had daily outbursts, she was doing research to find ways to reach him and improve the overall learning experience in her classroom. The extra steps she took to work with him and his parents did not go unnoticed and she was soon promoted to director at another location. It was evident that she had the vision, insight, and skill to create innovative solutions to provide effective learning opportunities for children (Claudet, 2010).Part 2Problem Statement: Early intervention training should be a requirement for early childhood teachers and providers.  To better address this issue the primary stakeholders must come together in agreement for the sake of providing the best learning environment for the children enrolled at the childcare center. This would include a meeting with early childcare providers/teachers, parents, and early intervention specialists. Although providing early intervention services in childcare may be costlier on the front end, it actually results in being the most economic choice on the back end as children enter primary school (Rand Labor & Population, 2005).A possible risk for teaching early intervention methods to childcare teachers are that the methods may not be used properly. However, the pros could result in teachers feeling confident and developing the skills to deal with complex children while maintaining a level head and professionalism. With that being said, I have devised four questions pertaining to this issue for the stakeholders:

Are you equipped to care for children who could be suffering from undiagnosed learning and behavior disorders?
What policies and procedures are in place to aid overstressed teachers and keep the children safe?
Can you afford additional staff to allow for one on one interaction for the child that requires more attention?
Can you afford a lawsuit?

It is important that the stakeholders are able to answer yes to questions 1, 2, and 4, and have adequate policies and procedures in place.  This will reveal whether or not the stakeholders are able to provide appropriate care to all children. If they are not able to answer yes and do not have policies and procedures in place than they could be setting themselves up for disaster. Early intervention programs are more effective when the caregivers receive better training and are college educated (Rand Labor & Population, 2005).
Ciara post  Growing up obese myself, the obesity epidemic has always been hard and uncomfortable to talk about. Although I’ve never been big on eating fast food and I hate sodas, I’ve always been plus size and it’s always been a struggle for me. When I watch videos like these, it makes me wonder what exactly am I putting in my body. From the outside looking in, I actually eat pretty healthy but nowadays even healthy food is bad for you. Food is so processed and chemically altered that there’s no wonder people are obese and having to medicate obesity related issues which in turn makes the pharmaceutical companies lots of money. Obesity is definitely one huge problem and it doesn’t make sense that more hasn’t been done about it. “You are what you eat” will always be true and if you aren’t fueling your body with the right things, you won’t feel right.
Kelly post
The surgeon general was absolutely right when mentioning that the “most pressing issue” was obesity.  He said it best.  It is the Killer Within.  As you can see by the graph of America, since 1985 the obesity rate has skyrocketed.As we look at what obesity does to our bodies, it is clear to see that our life expectancy will suffer as well.  It seems we are raising a generation of children to only die young.When looking at what obesity does to a body, the list is so long.    The long term affects on the integumentary system can include resistance of insulin in your body, and eventually a person can get diabetes or further conditions.  Skin conditions related to obesity can include changes in collagen structure. Collagen forms the structure of the skin and helps in wound healing.  Other issues can include increased acne, profuse sweating and a decrease in blood circulation.  Obesity also raises the risk of fatty liver disease, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis and certain cancers.   Deteriorating bone density and muscle mass is another side effect of increase weight.   The inability to move the joints and tendons in the body due to trying to carry additional weight.  This will lead to Osteoarthritis and the breakdown of bone density due to fatty lipids in the body.
How does diet and lifestyles affect the integumentary, skeletal, and muscular system? no specific words amount just answer it thoroughly.  Why is most of the volcanic activity in the United States located in the Pacific West region? What features of the Hawaiian Islands are explained by plate tectonics? Do the features of the Hawaiian Islands make a good or a poor case for plate tectonics? Why? If you understand how the Hawaiian Islands were formed geologically, can you determine the relative age of the islands? How accurate would your determination be?

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