WASHINGTON DC USA -- HEALTHCARE UPDATE NEWS SERVICE (TM) - APRIL 29, 2003: Train for HIPAA, a leader in healthcare training solutions, http://www.trainforhipaa.com, announced today the launch of a new Advanced HIPAA Compliance for Financial Institutions course and strategic partnerships with Xpediate consulting LLC, http://wwwxpd8llc.com, and Healthcare Training Strategies, LLC, http://www.healthcaretrainingstrategies.com.

Train for HIPAA offers the full continuum of HIPAA workforce training solutions and a full set of over 125 basic forms for HIPAA-compliant policies, procedures and forms. Train for HIPAA is an affiliate of the HIPAA Summit Conference Series, http://www.hipaasummit.com, HIPAA Colloquium at Harvard University, http://www.hipaacolloquium.com, and HIPAA Audioconferences, http://www.hipaaaudioconferences.com.

Train for HIPAA now offers an Advanced HIPAA Compliance for Financial Institutions course prepared by John Casillas, BS, CT (ASCP), Founder and Senior Advisor, The Medical Banking Project, Franklin TN.

• Explain HIPAA's evolution to include health data in various paper and electronic forms.
• Identify benchmarks for knowing when HIPAA impacts banking services for healthcare customers.
• Examine the emergence of the new "bank, based health data clearinghouse."
• Provide examples that illustrate when a bank is a business associates under HIPAA.
• Explain preemption within the context of HIPAA's Privacy Rule.
• Review exemptions granted to financial institutions under HIPAA.
• Provide information on penalties associated with noncompliance with HIPAA.

Train for HIPAA and Healthcare Training Strategies, LLC have announced a strategic relationship. Healthcare Training Strategies, LLC prepares front line professional and support staff in medical practices, dental offices, and long-term care facilities to meet federally mandated compliance regulations. HIPAA training, communication and education strategies are its primary areas of concentration. To learn more about Healthcare Training Strategies go to: http://www.htsonline.com.

Healthcare Training Strategies provides hands on visual learning tools, complete with HIPAA policies and procedures on CD for physician and dental offices as well as long-term care facilities. Train for HIPAA's e-learning solution has been adopted by academic medical centers, hospitals, healthcare companies, pharmaceutical companies and employers. The new strategic relationship will allow both organizations to expand their capabilities, offering a greater variety of training options to their customers.

Train for HIPAA and Xpediate consulting LLC have announced a strategic relationship. Xpediate consulting, LLC is a consulting and product services organization which assists its clients build value, manage risk and improve their performance. For more information on Xpediate go to: http://www.xpd8llc.com.

Xpediate provides a full range of business advisory services and products to leading national and local companies. Xpediate services include: management, information technology, healthcare and human resource consulting; regulatory services; financial advisory services; business process outsourcing services; strategy; implementation assistance and e-health strategic services. Xpediate offers a wide array of HIPAA-related products and services, including the HIPAA Xpediator, a product that allows an organization to continually assess and monitor its HIPAA readiness and compliance. The strategic relationship between Xpediate and Train for HIPAA will permit both companies to assure the availability of a full range of HIPAA consulting and training services to their customers.

Train for HIPAA has become a member of the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI): http://www.wedi.org.

BASIC CURRICULUM:

• The Basics of Healthcare Privacy, Data Security and HIPAA*
• Advanced Privacy of Health Information Training I: Confidentiality*
• Advanced Privacy of Health Information Training II: Patient Rights and Administrative Requirements*
• Advanced Health Information Security Training*

• Advanced HIPAA Business Associate Relationships*
• Advanced HIPAA Medical Research Compliance*
• Advanced HIPAA Compliance for Employers
• Advanced HIPAA Compliance for Health Plans

• HIPAA Privacy and Security Training for the Hospital Medical Staff
• HIPAA Privacy and Security Training for the Patient-Care Workforce
• HIPAA Privacy and Security Training for the Medical Records, Registration and Admission Staff
• HIPAA Privacy and Security Training for the Administrative Support and Floor Support
• HIPAA Privacy and Security Training for the Patient Accounting Staff
• HIPAA Privacy and Security Training for Ancillary Service Providers
• HIPAA Privacy and Security Training for the Contracting Staff
• HIPAA Privacy and Security Training for the Human Resources Staff
• HIPAA Privacy and Security Training for Volunteers

• Advanced HIPAA Policies and Procedures Development and Implementation

Train for HIPAA is the only HIPAA training company to offer the following categories of healthcare continuing education credit for approved courses marked below by an *: AAPC, ACCME, ACPE, AHIMA, ANCC, CPHIMS, HCCB, and NASBA. Applicants may apply directly to the appropriate accrediting bodies for ACMPE and SSCP/CISSP credit. Train for HIPAA licensees may arrange for MCLE credits in certain states.

• Advanced Strategies in Responding to HIPAA Investigations and Enforcement Actions
• Advanced HIPAA Compliance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, PBMs and Pharmacies
• An Extensive Suite of HIPAA Transactions, Code Sets and Identifiers Courses
• An Extensive Suite of HIPAA Testing Courses
• An Extensive Suite of HIPAA Security Courses

A large orthopedic medical group, a major pharmaceutical manufacturer, a major software and outsourcing company, a prominent academic medical center and other major institutions, including SSM Healthcare of St Louis, MO (a multi-facility health system and first winner of the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award).

Train for HIPAA is led by the following preeminent experts in HIPAA:

• Steve S. Lazarus, PhD - Train for HIPAA Chair, President, Boundary Information Group and Chair, Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI), Denver CO
• Peter N. Grant, JD, PhD - Partner and Chair, Health Law Group, Davis Wright Tremaine, Founder, HIPAA Summit and Instructor, Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley, Schools of Public Health, Seattle WA
• John Iglehart, Founding Editor, Health Affairs, Washington DC
• John C. Parmigiani, Director, HIPAA Compliance Services, CGT HealthCare Solutions, Inc. and Former Director of Enterprise Standards, HCFA (now CMS), Cincinnati OH
• Brenton Saunders, JD, MBA, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Cofounder and Past President, Health Care Compliance Association and Co founder and Chair Elect, International Association of Privacy Officers, Washington DC
• Kepa Zubeldia, M.D., President and CEO, Claredi, Inc., Chair, WEDI Security Policy Advisory Group and Vice-Chair, AFEHCT, Kaysville UT

Go to the Train for HIPAA website or contact: Matthew Feigenbaum at 888-228-5021 or via email at mfeigenbaum@trainforhipaa.com.