NEW YORK -- The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series, the leading producer of regulatory focused webcasts, has announced today that Ruth T. Griggs, Counsel, Sands Anderson PC will speak at the Knowledge Congress’ webcast entitled: “Emerging Issues: HITECH Act - What’s New for 2015 and Beyond? LIVE Webcast.” This event is scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2015 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm (ET).

For further details, please visit:

http://theknowledgegroup.org/event_name/emerging-issues-hitech-act-whats-new-for-2015-and-beyond-live-webcast/

Ruth T. Griggs
Ruth Griggs is a member of the Healthcare group at Sands Anderson PC. Her practice focuses on the defense of medical professionals. Ruth also specializes in advising and representing health care providers and others in matters involving the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") and she is a frequent speaker to health care professionals and others on HIPAA, HITECH, and other federal regulatory issues.
After earning her undergraduate degree, Ruth served in the United States Air Force as an Intelligence Officer. She left the Air Force after serving in the First Gulf War.
After leaving the Air Force Ruth created a not- for-profit group which engaged in lobbying activities addressing state and local government land use issues.
In 1998, Ruth was elected to the Board of Supervisors in Prince William County, representing the Occoquan Magisterial District. She served for five years during which time she entered law school.
While in law school Ruth served as an intern to the Honorable S. Randolph Sengel, Commonwealth’s Attorney for City of Alexandria. Following law school she served as the law clerk for the Honorable Stanley P. Klein in the Fairfax Circuit Court.

About Sands Anderson

Sands Anderson began as a small Richmond office and is now one of Virginia’s largest law firms with 59 attorneys and five offices. Headquartered in Richmond, the firm’s regional offices are located in Christiansburg, Fredericksburg and McLean, Virginia, and Raleigh, North Carolina. These office locations allow Sands Anderson to provide a broad range of services to clients in those regions.
Sands Anderson has long been recognized as a pre-eminent firm in legal ability and ethics, and is rated AV in the Martindale Hubbell Peer Rating System*. Twenty one of Sands Andersons' attorneys were chosen for the 2014 edition of the Best Lawyers in America. Today, the depth and breadth of the firm’s practices of law include aviation, business, bankruptcy, commercial real estate, collections, civil and commercial litigation, construction, creditors’ rights, estate planning, government, government relations and lobbying, healthcare, intellectual property, municipal finance, labor and employment, technology and tax.
From pro bono work to economic development and community outreach programs, Sands Anderson remains steadfast to its commitment to society and the communities of which it is a member.

Event Synopsis:

HITECH offered financial incentives for demonstrating 'meaningful use' of EHRs in three stages until 2015. Health care organizations are required to go ensure compliance and to provide governance records proving completion of all stages. There are penalties for failure to attest. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and HITECH also are mutually reinforcing. Specifically, included among the requirements are that physicians and hospital must also have performed a HIPAA security risk assessment under the Omnibus rule and, health care providers' business associates must be accountable for the same liability of data breaches as are providers.

However, much of the HITECH Act is a vaguely written for the digital world and leaves many further confused. In fact, the Congressional Research Service suggests that only about 5 percent of physicians have a functional and compliant EHR system (electronic documentation of patient notes, lab results, and radiological images, electronic prescribing, clinical decision support, and data inter-operability).

The Knowledge Group is producing a live webcast: Emerging Issues: HITECH Act - What’s New for 2015 and Beyond to help health care providers and their counsel better understand and manage health records in the digital age under HITECH, HIPPA, and related regulations. The panel of speakers will help attendees identify and address HITECH compliance risks.

Key topics include:

· Meaningful 'Meaningful Use'

· Implications of Electronic Health Records (EHR) Adoption

· New Amendments to Privacy, Security, Breach and Enforcement Rules

· Covered Entities, Business Associates, Hybrid Entities, and Subcontractors

· Financial Incentives and Assistance to Providers

· Uses and Disclosures, Individual Rights, and Authorizations

· Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)

· Medicare Incentive Payments and Penalties

· E-Prescribing Bonus

· Loan and Grant Programs

· EHR’s Privacy and Security Risks, Breaches

· Potential Liabilities for Non-Compliance

About The Knowledge Group, LLC/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series

The Knowledge Congress was established with the mission to produce unbiased, objective, and educational live webinars that examine industry trends and regulatory changes from a variety of different perspectives. The goal is to deliver a unique multilevel analysis of an important issue affecting business in a highly focused format. To contact or register to an event, please visit: http://theknowledgegroup.org/


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