Author: Will Evertsen

Will Evertsen (CISSP, CHPSE, CHP) is the Founder and Cybersecurity/Compliance Practice Lead at Axeleos, Inc., a healthcare compliance and cybersecurity firm. Axeleos's flagship product, Sentraeus360, a HIPAA compliance and cybersecurity platform for skilled nursing facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices, and healthcare IT providers. For organizations that would rather hand the work off entirely, Axeleos Managed Compliance adds a dedicated compliance lead to run your risk analysis, maintain your documentation, and get you ready for OCR. Learn more at https://hipaa.axeleos.com or connect with Will at https://www.linkedin.com/in/willevertsen/.

HIPAA for the Clinician, Part 4, What an OCR Investigation Looks Like

by Will Evertsen - 0259

HIPAA for the Clinician, Part 4, What an OCR Investigation Looks Like will evertsen Introduction Most covered entities have a vague, uncomfortable sense that an OCR investigation is something to be avoided. Fewer still have a clear picture of what one involves, how it starts,

HIPAA for the Clinician, Part 3 Business Associate Agreements – What They Must Contain and Why Most Don’t

by Will Evertsen - 0204

HIPAA for the Clinician, Part 3 Business Associate Agreements – What They Must Contain and Why Most Don’t Will evertsen Introduction Your billing company has handled your claims processing for six years. You trust them. They know your payers, your codes, your quirks. When you

What the Change Healthcare Attack Should Have Taught Every Covered Entity

by Will Evertsen - 0193

What the Change Healthcare Attack Should Have Taught Every Covered Entity will evertsen Introduction On February 21, 2024, Change Healthcare went offline. The ransomware attack that took it down was not subtle. Within hours, claims processing across thousands of practices, hospitals, and pharmacies ground to a halt. Prescriptions couldn’t be filled. Claims couldn’t

HIPAA for the Clinician, Part 2: The Security Risk Analysis You’re Probably Not Doing Correctly

by Will Evertsen - 01230

HIPAA for the Clinician, Part 2 The Security Risk Analysis You’re Probably Not Doing Correctly Will Evertsen Introduction The questionnaire arrives in your inbox from your EHR vendor. It’s labeled something like “Annual HIPAA Security Assessment” or “Compliance Review Checklist.” You spend twenty minutes clicking

Your Completed Risk Assessment Just Became a Liability

by Will Evertsen - 0186

Your Completed Risk Assessment Just Became a Liability Will Evertsen Introduction A data breach hits your practice. OCR opens an investigation. You pull out your completed Security Risk Analysis, hand it over, and wait for the process to run its course. After all, OCR has

Small Practice, Big Target: Why Solo and Group Practices Are Healthcare’s Most Vulnerable Entities

by Will Evertsen - 0632

Small Practice, Big Target: Why Solo and Group Practices Are Healthcare’s Most Vulnerable Entities Will Evertsen Introduction You run a small practice. You see patients, manage a lean staff, keep the lights on, and do your best to stay current on clinical obligations. Cybersecurity, if

HIPAA for the Clinician, Part 1: What You’re Actually Responsible For

by Will Evertsen - 01615

HIPAA for the Clinician, Part 1: What You’re Actually Responsible For Abstract This is the first installment of “HIPAA for the Clinician,” a series dedicated to cutting through the noise around healthcare compliance and giving practitioners a clear-eyed view of what the law

Your EHR Is Not Your Compliance Program

by Will Evertsen - 01125

Your EHR Is Not Your Compliance Program   The call to the EHR vendor’s support line goes something like this: A practice administrator has just received an OCR data request letter and is trying to figure out what documentation they need to produce. Somewhere in the conversation, they ask the support rep

Securing Success: How Cybersecurity Practices Drive Improved Patient Outcomes

by Will Evertsen - 01034

Securing Success: How Cybersecurity Practices Drive Improved Patient Outcomes When considering patient outcomes, one of the things that probably doesn’t come to mind is cybersecurity.  After all, that’s computer stuff, not patient stuff.  Or is it?  Patient outcomes are a critical measure of the effectiveness of medical interventions and the overall

You Missed a Whole Season of Healthcare Breaches This Summer