On January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order, which declared that ensuring the health and safety of workers is a national priority and a moral imperative. The order directed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to take action to reduce the risk that workers may contract COVID-19 in the workplace. On June 10, 2021, finding existing regulations inadequate, OSHA issued an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to address specifically workers in the healthcare industry.
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Federal OSHA Issues Emergency Temporary Standards for Healthcare Industry Posted on: June 24, 2021 In: COVID-19 Response
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FBI Healthcare Alert - Imminent Threat Of Widespread Ryuk Attack Posted on: October 29, 2020 In: COVID-19 Response
The FBI and DHS-CISA issued a warning on October 28, 2020 about an imminent threat to hospitals and healthcare providers. They represent that they have credible information to suggest there will be a widespread Ryuk ransomware attack this weekend (October 30 - November 1), and the FBI, DHS and the NSA's Cybersecurity Threat Operations Center are currently investigating the matter. It is recommended that hospitals and healthcare providers implement the following measures as soon as possible.
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The Next Major Public Health Crisis Posted on: October 15, 2020 In: COVID-19 Response
In 2014, a business associate of a healthcare entity was notified by law enforcement that it had suffered a cyberattack to the company's information system. The hackers were able to access and exfiltrate the health information of more than 6 million people from numerous entities served by the business associate. In addition to a fine issued by OCR, a related covered entity was sued and a multimillion-dollar settlement was reached. OCR placed the covered entity under a very detailed corrective action plan.
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OCR Announces HIPAA Telehealth Security Waiver in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Posted on: March 20, 2020 In: COVID-19 Response
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is the body responsible for enforcing certain regulations pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), is exercising its enforcement discretion to meet the needs of health care providers and patients during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) public health emergency.
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What an Employer May Screen in the Time of COVID-19 Posted on: March 19, 2020 In: COVID-19 Response
In this time of extra precautions, closing businesses, and social distancing, employers are doing their best to protect the public and their workers. Some businesses, however, are unable to close their doors and/or serve a valuable public purpose. For those employers, they seek any and all available methods to ensure safety. Some of those measures, however, may violate various laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act.
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