HIPAA Academy, www.HIPAAAcademy.net, an RSA Security Partner and (isc)2 Education Partner, offers three levels of HIPAA professional Certification.

• CERTIFIED HIPAA ADMINISTRATOR (CHA) TRAINING: Examine HIPAA Privacy Rule from the perspective of end users and administrators. Review sample policies, forms and templates.
  http://www.hipaaacademy.net/certAdminTraining.html
  
  
• CERTIFIED HIPAA PROFESSIONAL (CHP) TRAINING: Examine legislation requirements and solution options for HIPAA Rules: Transactions and Code Sets, Identifiers, Privacy and Security.
  http://www.hipaaacademy.net/certProTraining.html
  
  
• CERTIFIED HIPAA SECURITY SPECIALIST (CHSS) TRAINING: Analyze HIPAA's Security Rule and how to bring your organization into compliance with the standards and implementation specifications. Course content emphasis on Administrative, Physical and Technical Safeguards, as well as security policies and BACs. Review security technology choices, security policies and templates.
  http://www.hipaaacademy.net/certSecurityTraining.html

Certified HIPAA Security Professional, www.hipaasecuritycertification.org, an (isc)2 education partner, offers the Certified HIPAA Security Professional credential (CHSP). The CHSP credential, http://www.hipaasecuritycertification.com/CHSP.htm, denotes advanced competency in the broad security issues raised by the HIPAA initiative and the requirements mandated by the HIPAA Standards and Implementation guidelines. The Certified HIPAA Security Professional (CHSP) training online program covers the HIPAA law and regulations and explains the relevance of HIPAA to information systems infrastructure and initiatives towards HIPAA security compliance.

CHSP Prerequisite Knowledge: Candidates should have a background and experience in Network Administration, LAN/WAN Configuration and a working knowledge of Internet protocols. An exposure to the healthcare care IT sector would be beneficial.

AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association), http://www.AHIMA.org, is a professional association of more than 44,000 health information management (HIM) professionals who work throughout the healthcare industry. AHIMA has 52 chapters and has been certifying HIM professionals since 1933.

The Certified in Healthcare Privacy (CHP) credential, http://www.ahima.org/certification/chp.cfm, is a specialty credential denoting advanced competency in designing, implementing, and administering comprehensive privacy protection programs in all types of healthcare organizations. AHIMA sponsors this credential and administers the credential. Candidates must meet eligibility requirements and then pass the CHP certification examination. They must also maintain the credential over time by meeting CEU requirements.

HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society), www.HIMSS.org, is the healthcare industry's only membership organization exclusively focused on providing leadership for the optimal use of healthcare information technology and management systems for the betterment of human health. Founded in 1961, HIMSS represents more than 13,000 individual members and some 150 member corporations that employ more than 1 million people.

The Certified in Healthcare Security (CHS) credential, http://www.himss.org/asp/certification_chs_chps.asp, is a specialty credential denoting advanced competency in designing, implementing, and administering comprehensive security protection programs in all types of healthcare organizations. HIMSS is the sponsoring organization for this credential, which is administered by AHIMA. Candidates must meet eligibility requirements and then pass the CHS certification examination. They must also maintain the credential over time by meeting CEU requirements.

AHIMA and HIMSS jointly offer the Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS) credential, http://www.ahima.org/certification/chps.cfm. CHPS denotes advanced competency in designing, implementing, and administering comprehensive privacy and security protection programs in all types of healthcare organizations. AHIMA and HIMSS jointly sponsor this credential, which is administered by AHIMA. Candidates must meet eligibility requirements and then pass the CHPS certification examination. They must also maintain the credential over time by meeting CEU requirements.

URAC, http://www.urac.org, is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1990 to establish standards for the health care industry. URAC offers 16 accreditation programs, covering case management, claims processing, credentials verification, disease management, health call center, health network, health plan, health utilization management, health Web site, etc.

URAC's HIPAA privacy and security standards, http://www.urac.org/urac.asp?id=87, were approved by URAC's Board of Directors on April 8, 2003 and April 29, 2003, respectively, and are now operational. URAC's HIPAA Privacy and HIPAA Security Accreditation programs provide a broad spectrum of standards for multiple health care information delivery and management systems, and are designed to accredit many different types of health care organizations including both Covered Entities (CE) and Business Associates (BA).

Whether an organization is a HIPAA Business Associate or a HIPAA Covered Entity, URAC's HIPAA Privacy and HIPAA Security Accreditations are designed to achieve the following:

• To demonstrate good faith efforts to meet HIPAA requirements to current and potential business partners;
• To assure customers and patients that appropriate steps are being taken to safeguard protected health information (PHI);
• To support the institution's risk management strategy;
• To build stakeholder trust in an organization's operations; and
• To differentiate the accredited organization from the competition.

Contact URAC about HIPAA Accreditation. Call (202) 216-9010 or e-mail ita@urac.org for more information.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), www.jcaho.org, and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), www.ncqa.org, have announced that their new Privacy Certification Program for Business Associates (PCBA) will officially launch in June 2003. The standards for the new Privacy Certification for Business Associates address:

• privacy protections for oral, written and electronic health information;
• processes and practices respecting the use, disclosure, and secure storage of personal health information;
• employee training in protecting personal health information;
• consumer access to their own health information; and
• contracting between covered entities and their business associates

For more information about Privacy Certification for Business Associates, call William Tulloch, director of product development, at 202-955-5145, or Anthony Tirone at 202-783-6655.