National Data Hosting Provider, CoreLink Data Centers, to Host Free Webinar on the Upcoming HITECH Final Rules Impact on HIPAA Security Compliance

MT. PROSPECT, Ill., Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- National data center hosting provider, CoreLink Data Centers, LLC (www.corelink.com/data-center-services.htm) will host a webinar at noon CDT on Tuesday, October 4th, about how Covered Entities (CE), Business Associates (BA) and subcontractors that electronically receive, store, process or transmit Protected Health Information (PHI) must prepare for upcoming changes to The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009.

HITECH significantly modified and strengthened a number of aspects of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), extending the Act's security standards beyond healthcare organizations. It mandates business associates, as well as covered entities, comply with security breach notification requirements. Under these more stringent standards, business associates potentially face the same civil and criminal penalties for security violations as healthcare organizations themselves. The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (OCR) has proposed regulations to implement various HITECH provisions, and is expected to issue final regulations late this year.

The one-hour presentation, "HITECH and HIPAA Security Compliance: Critical Issues for Healthcare Organizations," will include critical information designed to help CE, BA and subcontractor executives with IT infrastructure responsibility, as well as CIOs and other C-level executives managing electronic PHI, navigate these changes. The focus will be on preparing for, and being compliant with, HHS audits beginning by year's end.

The webinar will also address healthcare organizations' legal responsibilities under the HIPAA Security Rule. Rick Hindmand, a member of the prestigious Chicago law firm of McDonald Hopkins LLC, will discuss these responsibilities as well as steps providers and their business associates and subcontractors can take to promote audit compliance under the Security Rule and HITECH Act.

"This webinar will discuss practical, actionable steps to prepare for HITECH's final rules, including how to perform a risk analysis to identify HIPAA security gaps," said co-presenter Nav Ranajee, Director of CoreLink's Healthcare IT Vertical. "We will also explain how certain outsourcing options can help healthcare organizations cost effectively reduce risk and meet HIPAA security compliance requirements."

In addition to discussing the importance of providing guidelines for effective risk analysis, the webinar will educate attendees on how to evaluate and manage business associates and subcontractors for HIPAA security rule compliance. Proper management will work to reduce the risk of data breaches through a full understanding of related obligations. Additional information to be shared will focus on the nuances of working with data centers to meet compliance through SSAE 16 and PCI-DSS audits.

The webinar will be presented from noon to 1:00 p.m. CDT on Oct. 4th at no cost. Attendees can register for the event here. System requirements include Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server for PC-based attendees; Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer for Macintosh®-based attendees.

Contact CoreLink Data Centers for more information about HIPAA compliant data center hosting services, including managed security and disaster recovery solutions or call 866-435-2375.

About CoreLink:

CoreLink is a leading provider of HIPAA Security Compliant data hosting and disaster recovery solutions to the healthcare industry. CoreLink provides data center hosting and managed services of critical infrastructure services delivered on a "state of the art," robust and environmentally friendly technology platform. By leveraging data centers in Chicago, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Seattle with access to massive and diverse network connectivity, CoreLink delivers small, medium and large enterprise customers and service providers with high quality and uniquely agile, data center services. CoreLink's focus on aligning customer needs with the proper solution, combined with a relentless focus on service, provides the flexibility and peace of mind all businesses require from a data center provider.

For more information, please call 866.435.2375 or visit our website or check out more at CoreLink Data Centers' blog, CoreLink on Facebook and @corelinkdata on Twitter.

SOURCE CoreLink Data Centers, LLC