Privacy Specialist

Privacy Specialist

Summary of Position: 

The Privacy Specialist is responsible for assisting the Director of Compliance and Privacy in ensuring Verisma is compliant with the HIPAA Privacy Rule and state laws while safeguarding sensitive information. The Privacy Specialist is responsible for analyzing and ensuring that the handling, storage, and dissemination of protected health information comply with relevant privacy laws, regulations, and industry standards. By investigating unauthorized disclosures of PHI, this position will help identify potential risks to personal data and recommend measures to mitigate these risks. This position is pivotal in maintaining customer trust and upholding Verisma's reputation by preventing data breaches and ensuring ethical data governance.  

Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Work with Operations and Education departments to retrain team members and adopt revised workflows after a reported potential HIPAA incident 
• Train compliance employees, including prn employees, navigating Verisma systems, generating ad hoc reports, email navigation, and working with simple and complex databases; conducted record auditing 
• Maintain, create, upload, and monitor the Privacy & Compliance SharePoint site 
• Oversee the Code Yellow/Code Silver tracking and monitoring initiative 
• Develop and sustain tracking tools for interdepartmental communication and reporting, including the HIPAA Regional Accuracy log, Monthly HIPAA log, Associate Productivity Report, Breached Releases, OCR complaint tracking log, HITRUST tracker, and others 
• Follow the HIPAA impermissible disclosure workflow for reported potential incidents; this includes ensuring retrieval of misdirected documents when possible, obtaining confidentiality statements, conducting risk assessments, conducting state and federally mandated reporting processes 
• Communicate the final breach notification report to Operations and Verisma clients within 10 days from the date of discovery 
• Ensure breach notifications and paperwork are appropriately processed and delivered in legally designated timeframes 
• Assist in the development, implementation, and maintenance of appropriate privacy related policies and procedures 
• Ensure consistent application of sanctions for failure to comply with privacy and/or security policies for all individuals in the organization’s workforce in cooperation with human resources, administration, and others as appropriate 
• Understands that this role requires specific responsibilities for protecting sensitive data 
• Execute supplementary compliance duties as required 
• Perform other duties, as assigned, to ensure effective operation of the department and the Company 
• Live by and promote Verisma Core Values 

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree, required; Master’s in Health Information Management or a related field, such as Health(care) Administration or Health Informatics, preferred 
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in compliance, information privacy and security, current regulations, and technologies 
•  Advanced organizational and time management skills 
•  Appropriate certification from industry governing bodies is required (e.g. AHIMA, HCCA, IAPP, or HIMSS) 
• Must demonstrate organization, facilitation, communication, and presentation skills 
• Knowledge in and must possess the ability to apply the principles of health information, project management, change management, and the health care regulatory environment 
• Proficient in technology and computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite; EHR experience preferred  
• Highly collaborative with ability to influence others and build strong professional relationships 
• Ability to interact effectively and professionally, and provide exceptional service, both internally and externally at all times 
• Open to travel up to four times annually