HITRUST and the American Medical Association (AMA) have announced a partnership to educate physicians and their staff on key areas of information risk management, HIPAA compliance and cyber security with a focus on actionable takeaways, insights and programs they can use in their practices to address these vital and evolving areas. The workshops will provide targeted guidance to small practices, which often lack the resources available to large organizations, to help make good cyber hygiene manageable. These workshops, which will launch in Dallas, Texas at Children’s Health on October 9, 2017, will be held across the country in conjunction with the recently announced HITRUST Community Extension Program.

With ransomware and other cyber attacks increasingly targeting the healthcare industry, many clinics, physician offices and other small providers are looking for local, community-based resources to help guide them through the journey of establishing governance and risk management programs to avoid a cyber-related breach or event that would disrupt their organization and expose the confidential information of their patients or members. The AMA and HITRUST have partnered to ensure these key organizations in the healthcare ecosystem have access to trusted information and strategies to effectively address these important issues.

The workshops will cover topics and programs, including:

• Performing cyber and HIPAA risk assessments
• Fundamentals of good cyber hygiene
• Implementing cost-effective and manageable cyber security solutions within a practice
• Lessons learned and experiences from physician practices

The workshops are scheduled to run two hours and will take place immediately before the HITRUST Community Extension Programs that are being held across the country. More information on the HITRUST Community Extension Program dates, locations, agenda and registration requirements can be found here.

The HITRUST Community Extension Program will provide healthcare organizations of all types and sizes an opportunity to engage with local peers to discuss the challenges, best practices and lessons learned in effectively implementing a risk management program and improving cyber security practices. The program will promote education and collaboration in communities in at least 50 cities across the U.S. over the next 12 months.

The AMA believes that, as cyber threats continue to increase, it is important to arm small practices with the tools they need to keep their practices – and their patients’ information – secure.

Many existing cybersecurity resources and education programs are geared toward larger healthcare organizations and are not practical for a practice with only a handful of employees. Education and information about best practices from trusted names like HITRUST and the AMA will help small practices focus on actions they should take to promote good cyber hygiene in ways that work for them.

HITRUST has been collaborating with the physician community and the AMA to better understand the unique requirements and ensure practical, effective, and affordable solutions are available to address cyber risks and regulatory compliance. These workshops will provide an opportunity to educate practices on what HITRUST has been doing.