The final project requires a unique high-level topic related to HIPAA compliance, consisting of a 12-slide PowerPoint presentation, a 500-word summary, and a 5-source annotated bibliography. The project emphasizes the need for proper citation of sources, incorporation of direct quotes, and original writing. It also outlines the historical context and evolving nature of HIPAA regulations aimed at securing protected health information and ensuring compliance through regular audits.

1. Final Project Presentation requirement
Select your final project topic (Selected topic - HIPAA
Compliance, see below). It must be unique. It should be a high
level topic related to this course. Pick a topic that you will learn
something from or that will be useful in your work. It must be
specific not generic.
Your final project will consist of a 12 minutes, 12 slide
powerpoint and a 1-page single spaced summary and an
annotated reference list as described below all of which will be
submitted in final Week.
Your final project will consist of a Powerpoint presentation, a
500-word summary, and a 5 source annotated
bibliography/reference list. Include at least one quote from each
of 5 different articles, place the words you copied (do not alter
or paraphrase the words) in quotation marks and cite in-line (as
all work copied from another should be handled). The quotes
should be one full sentence (no more, less) and should be
incorporated in your discussion (they do not replace your
discussion) to illustrate or emphasize your ideas. Each quote
must be cited in-line and at the end.
Cite your sources in a clickable reference list at the end. Do not
copy without providing proper attribution (quotation marks and
in-line citations). Write in essay format not in bulleted,
numbered or other list format.
It is important that you use your own words, that you cite your
sources, that you comply with the instructions regarding length
of your submission Do not use spinbot or other word
replacement software. It usually results in nonsense and is not a
good way to learn anything. I will not spend a lot of my time
trying to decipher nonsense. Proof read your work or have it
edited. Find something interesting and/or relevant to your work
to write about.

2. Project Proposal Topic
HIPAA Compliance
In 1996, the United States Congress passed the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), one of the
purposes of which was to simplify and standardize the
administrative functions of healthcare. The Administrative
Simplification provisions of this law require an adaptation and
implementation of standards for the privacy, security and
arrangement of electronic healthcare transactions. The Health
Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act
of 2009 (HITECH Act) of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) contains provisions that
significantly affected the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule and the HIPAA security Rule
(collectively, the “HIPAA Rules”) were issued by the United
States Department of Health and Human Services in 2002 and
2003, respectively. A second goal of HIPAA was to prevent
healthcare fraud and ensure that all ‘protected health
information’ was appropriately secured and to restrict access to
health data to authorized individuals.
Prior to HIPAA, no generally accepted set of security standards
or general requirements for protecting health information
existed in the health care industry. At the same time, new
technologies were evolving, and the health care industry began
to move away from paper processes and rely more heavily on
the use of electronic information systems to pay claims, answer
eligibility questions, provide health information and conduct a
host of other administrative and clinically based functions. “A

3. major goal of the Security Rule is to protect the privacy of
individuals’ health information while allowing covered entities
to adopt new technologies to improve the quality and efficiency
of patient care” (HHS Office of the Secretary, 2013)
The Technical Safeguards focus on the technology that protects
PHI and controls access to it. The standards of the Security
Rule do not require to use specific technologies. The Security
standards were designed to be "technology neutral. “Failure to
comply with HIPAA regulations can result in substantial fines
being issued and criminal charges and civil action lawsuits
being filed should a breach of ePHI occur. There are also
regulations be aware of covering breach reporting to the OCR
and the issuing of breach notifications to patients.” (HIPAA
JOURNAL, 2018)
“HIPAA requires covered entities and business associates to
conduct annual audits of their organization to assess
Administrative, Technical, and Physical gaps in compliance
with HIPAA Privacy and Security standards. Under HIPAA, a
Security Risk Assessment is NOT ENOUGH to be compliant–
it’s only one essential audit that HIPAA-beholden entities are
required to perform in order to maintain their compliance year-
over-year.” (Sivilli, 2019)
In our organization, our entire eco system is cloud based servers
providing a myriad of functions and services in support of the
inhabitants. Many of these services include the collection and/or
use of PHI resulting in the maintenance and use of both physical
and ePHI. We recently had a need to contract with an outside
CONSULTANT to assess the Company’s compliance efforts as a
Hybrid Entity regarding HIPAA Privacy and Security and the
HITECH/OMNIBUS Act. This assessment will note current
effort status and identify deficiencies.