This document discusses the importance of communication and education for healthcare employees regarding patient privacy protections. It outlines key aspects of HIPAA, including standards to protect individuals' health information privacy rights and control over how their data is used. Noncompliance with HIPAA can result in civil penalties up to $1.5 million per year or criminal penalties such as fines and imprisonment, depending on the nature of the violation. Healthcare organizations must hold staff accountable for following privacy policies and procedures or face being reprimanded.