What's Happening in Health IT

In This Issue

• Workforce Training for Health IT Professionals: Staying Current in the Changing Healthcare Environment
• New Funding to Strengthen Efforts to Combat Cyber Threats
• Report to Congress: Examining Oversight of the Privacy & Security of Health Data Collected by Entities Not Regulated by HIPAA
• Register Now: August 29 Webinar on Assessing Safety Risks Associated with EHRs
• Federal Advisory Committee Schedule August 8 - August 12

Workforce Training for Health IT Professionals: Staying Current in the Changing Healthcare Environment

ONC will be hosting an informational webinar that features speakers from ONC and workforce grantees.  These presenters will provide an update on the Workforce Training Program being offered for Health IT Professionals. New Health IT training programs are now available to help health care workers and others stay current in the changing healthcare environment and deliver care more effectively. The sessions include online and face-to-face formats, and are customized to address specific health IT skills needed by physicians, nurses, care coordinators, health IT specialists and other healthcare workers.

For more information, register for our upcoming informational webinar, Wednesday, August 24, 2016, from 1-2 p.m. ET. 

New Funding to Strengthen Efforts to Combat Cyber Threats

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) recently announced two cooperative agreement funding opportunities for an Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) for the Healthcare and Public Health sector.

The combined funding from both opportunities for an ISAO in the first year will be worth $250,000 and could be renewed for up to five years. HHS hopes these opportunities will facilitate the sharing of cybersecurity threats identified in the Healthcare and Public Health sector with relevant stakeholders in the industry as well as federal partners, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

For more information, please visit HHS.gov

Report to Congress: Examining Oversight of the Privacy & Security of Health Data Collected by Entities Not Regulated by HIPAA

ONC’s Office of the Chief Privacy Officer, in collaboration with the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), recently released an important Report to Congress. It addresses the lack of clear guidance around the privacy and security of health information used by entities not currently covered by HIPAA.

The wearable fitness trackers and social media sites where individuals currently share health information did not exist when Congress enacted the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. This Report addresses these new security gaps in a way that protects consumers while leveling the playing field for innovators inside and outside of HIPAA.

Please visit our website to download the report.

Register Now: August 29 Webinar on Assessing Safety Risks Associated with EHRs

An AHRQ webinar Monday, August 29, from 12:30 – 2 p.m. ET, will discuss the safe use of electronic health record (EHR) systems, specifically, methods to evaluate the safety of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) functionality. Presenters will discuss methods to identify ‘wrong-patient’ errors when ordering medications and tests and will describe updates to a CPOE evaluation tool that assesses critical alerts.

Earn 1.5 hours of continuing medical education credits (CME)/continuing education units (CEUs) for participating.

Please register online at webex.com.

Federal Advisory Committee Schedule August 8 - August 12

There are no Federal Advisory Committee meetings scheduled August 8 - August 12.

*All times are in Eastern Time unless otherwise noted