Mac McMillan, CEO CynergisTek, is joined by David Mayer, from OCR at AHIMA

Mac McMillan is joined by David Mayer, from OCR, to discuss the OCR Audit Program at the AHIMA Annual Conference, Privacy & Security Institute.

David discussed the current and future state of the program, while Mac addressed lessons learned from CynergisTek’s audit experiences with multiple clients, such as how yo prepare for each step of the audit process, how to interpret and use the audit protocol and important nuances of the process that everyone needs to know.  Both answered questions from a very lively audience to include questions around HITECH and pending rules.

CynergisTek CEO to Speak at Five Educational Events in September

Industry Thought Leader, Mac McMillan, to Discuss Best Practices for Privacy and Security in the Era of Stage 2 Meaningful Use and OCR Audits

Austin, Texas, September 14, 2012— CynergisTek™, an authority in enterprise security and privacy solutions and services for healthcare organizations, today announced that its CEO and Chair of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Privacy and Security Policy Task Force, Mac McMillan, will speak at five education sessions this month:

• NCHICA “OCR Audit Readiness: Advice from Those in the Know.” Monday, September 10, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. EST

• AHIA Tech Talk Roundtable call. Monday, September 10, 2012 at 3:30 p.m. EST
• Iowa HIMSS, “OCR Audit Process: A Detailed Look Inside, Mac McMillian, HIMSS Privacy and Security Policy Task Force.” Wednesday, September 12, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. CST

• CHCA Corporate Compliance Forum, Friday, September 14, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. CST
• AHiMA Privacy and Security Institute, “OCR Audits: Lessons Learned,” (presentation with David

Mayer, OCR Senior Advisor) Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. CST

McMillan will provide attendees with a foundational understanding of the most significant IT security challenges currently facing healthcare today, including the implications of Meaningful Use and other regulatory initiatives. In addition to his general update on current industry trends, McMillan will also share lessons learned from CynergisTek’s experiences providing consultative services to multiple entities chosen to undergo the pilot phase of OCR’s HIPAA Audit program.

“The latest regulatory shifts towards a more stringent set of healthcare IT security standards have increased the pressure on organizations to get their security house in order. Simultaneously, recent hacker activities, like the extortion incident in Illinois, have demonstrated that the stakes are much higher than simple regulatory compliance,” said McMillan. “Both these trends have driven very strong demand for our expertise and unique perspective, and I am looking forward to sharing some of those firsthand lessons and best practices around preparing for new threats and regulations at these upcoming events.”

CynergisTek’s solutions and services are specifically designed to help healthcare organizations improve their security posture, facilitate compliance, advance operational efficiency and foster trust. CynergisTek’s managed and on-demand solutions address the fundamental elements of information security management, including:

• Strategy and Governance
• Compliance and Risk
• Infrastructure
• Technical Vulnerability Management
• Audit Readiness
• Managed Security Solutions

About CynergisTek

CynergisTek is an authority in healthcare information security and privacy management, regulatory compliance, IT audit and advisory services, business continuity management, security technology selection and implementation, and secure IT infrastructure architecture and design solutions. The firm offers practical, manageable and affordable consulting services for organizations of all sizes and complexity. Using an organized, planned and collaborative approach, CynergisTek applies multidisciplinary expertise to serve as partner and mentor, to enhance the consulting experience and, ultimately, clients’ compliance and business performance. CynergisTek participates in and contributes to HIMSS, AHIMA, HFMA, HCCA, AHIA and other industry bellwether organizations.