Bush signs law for national sex offender registry - President George W. Bush on Thursday signed legislation that will establish a national sex offender registry and try to make it harder for sexual predators to reach children on the Internet. Read more
More elderly residents fall victim to caregivers - The case of a former home health care worker sentenced to prison for theft last week represents a trend in which elderly residents are falling prey to trusted caregivers, prosecutors said. Read more
1,000 felons live in Illinois nursing homes - Background checks required by a new state law have found 1,000 convicted felons—including 60 sex offenders—living at Illinois nursing homes. Read more
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Bill to track sex offenders in care homes - The Suffolk (New York) Legislature is expected to adopt a bill that will require nursing home operators to determine whether their employees, residents, volunteers and student interns are listed on the state's sex offender registry. Read more
Nursing home worker checks can be lacking - Employee screenings get renewed attention after the case of a woman sentenced to jail for stealing elderly patients’ morphine. Read more
Nursing home worker checks can be lacking - Employee screenings get renewed attention after the case of a woman sentenced to jail for stealing elderly patients’ morphine. Read more
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Melamedia Seminar Focuses on Vetting Prospective Healthcare Employees to Increase Data Protection
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - April 18, 2006 - Healthcare experts agree that the biggest threat to patient privacy and data security is an organization's workforce. While, healthcare entities have substantial discretion, they also have little regulatory guidance or certainty in developing effective programs to determine that prospective employees will adequately protect protected health information.
The HIPAA security rule, for example, requires healthcare organizations to develop reasonable security and training measures, but says little about hiring practices.
States, however, have been active in this area. For example, Michigan requires criminal background checks for workers in long-term care and nursing home facilities.
To help healthcare organizations develop standards for hiring workers, Melamedia's Health Information Privacy/Security Alert is sponsoring a 90-minute audio seminar on May 24:
Protecting Patient Data at the Front Door: Vetting Prospective Employees for HIPAA and Other Data Protection Laws
Participants will be briefed on:
-- Why the importance of vetting prospective employees goes beyond HIPAA;
-- Types of questions that should be included in employment applications;
-- The need to include Privacy and Security Officers in employment decisions;
-- The usefulness of different background checks that organizations may use in evaluating prospects;
-- How state and federal laws limit what healthcare employers can ask;
-- The possible need for new Business Associate contracts provisions; and more.
THE FACULTY:
John Parmigiani, President of John C. Parmigiani & Associates, LLC. The former Director of Enterprise Standards for CMS, John was the chairman of the government-wide HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security and Electronic Signature Standards Implementation Team that created the Security Rule.
Christopher Berner, Esq. Labor and Employment Counsel for Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, which has more than 12,000 physicians and associates.
Barry J. Nadell, President of InfoLink Screening Services, a national provider of employment background checks. Barry is on the board of directors of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. He assisted the California Legislature in amending legislation affecting how employers can protect consumers from identity theft while protecting themselves when requesting pre-employment background
checks.
Who Should Attend:
-- HIPAA Privacy & Security Officers
-- HR Professionals
-- Healthcare search firms
-- Healthcare Executives
-- Risk Managers
-- Business Associates
-- Healthcare Providers
-- Researchers
-- Health Plans
-- Clearinghouses
-- Healthcare Lawyers and Consultants
Register online at http://www.melamedia.com
(c) 2006 Business Wire. All Rights Reserved.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - April 18, 2006 - Healthcare experts agree that the biggest threat to patient privacy and data security is an organization's workforce. While, healthcare entities have substantial discretion, they also have little regulatory guidance or certainty in developing effective programs to determine that prospective employees will adequately protect protected health information.
The HIPAA security rule, for example, requires healthcare organizations to develop reasonable security and training measures, but says little about hiring practices.
States, however, have been active in this area. For example, Michigan requires criminal background checks for workers in long-term care and nursing home facilities.
To help healthcare organizations develop standards for hiring workers, Melamedia's Health Information Privacy/Security Alert is sponsoring a 90-minute audio seminar on May 24:
Protecting Patient Data at the Front Door: Vetting Prospective Employees for HIPAA and Other Data Protection Laws
Participants will be briefed on:
-- Why the importance of vetting prospective employees goes beyond HIPAA;
-- Types of questions that should be included in employment applications;
-- The need to include Privacy and Security Officers in employment decisions;
-- The usefulness of different background checks that organizations may use in evaluating prospects;
-- How state and federal laws limit what healthcare employers can ask;
-- The possible need for new Business Associate contracts provisions; and more.
THE FACULTY:
John Parmigiani, President of John C. Parmigiani & Associates, LLC. The former Director of Enterprise Standards for CMS, John was the chairman of the government-wide HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security and Electronic Signature Standards Implementation Team that created the Security Rule.
Christopher Berner, Esq. Labor and Employment Counsel for Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, which has more than 12,000 physicians and associates.
Barry J. Nadell, President of InfoLink Screening Services, a national provider of employment background checks. Barry is on the board of directors of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. He assisted the California Legislature in amending legislation affecting how employers can protect consumers from identity theft while protecting themselves when requesting pre-employment background
checks.
Who Should Attend:
-- HIPAA Privacy & Security Officers
-- HR Professionals
-- Healthcare search firms
-- Healthcare Executives
-- Risk Managers
-- Business Associates
-- Healthcare Providers
-- Researchers
-- Health Plans
-- Clearinghouses
-- Healthcare Lawyers and Consultants
Register online at http://www.melamedia.com
(c) 2006 Business Wire. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Senate OKs bill on ex-cons in nursing homes - A bill that "sharpens the teeth" of recent legislation to protect nursing home residents from ex-cons is headed for Gov. Blagojevich's desk after unanimously passing the state Senate on Monday. The proposed law resolves many of the sticking points that surfaced after last year's passage of the Vulnerable Adults Protection Act. It calls for nursing homes to pay for criminal background checks on all adult residents. The state Health Department would analyze the results and tell each facility what, if any, safeguards need to be put in place to protect other residents. The bill also requires registered sex offenders to be segregated in their own bedrooms. Read more
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
InfoLink Screening Services Joins Kroll's Background Screening Division
NEW YORK, March 6, 2006 -- Kroll Inc. (www.kroll.com), the global risk consulting company, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of InfoLink Screening Services, Inc. (www.infolinkscreening.com), a leading, privately-held background screening company headquartered in Chatsworth, Calif., a Los Angeles suburb. InfoLink will operate as the West Coast hub office for Kroll’s Background Screening division, which is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
"Today, demand for employee background screening services continues to rise due to new legislation and concerns about workplace security," said Simon Freakley, chief executive officer of Kroll Inc. "The acquisition of InfoLink reflects Kroll’s strategy of acquiring successful, best-of-breed companies that provide a competitive advantage and secure Kroll’s leadership in key markets."
InfoLink, which employs a staff of 114 at its Chatsworth facility, was founded in 1994 by Barry and Leslie Nadell. Its president, Barry Nadell, is a recognized leader in the employee screening industry. One of the top background screening companies in California, InfoLink provides employee background checks and related services such as drug testing, Form I-9 employment eligibility verifications, and pre-employment physical examinations. Its clients consist of a diverse mix of West Coast-based companies, including those in the hospitality, retail, health care, and employment sectors.
"The addition of InfoLink greatly enhances our West Coast client base and sales channels. It is an outstanding company with expert management and first-rate staff who share Kroll’s commitment to quality customer service," said A. Michael Rosen, president of Kroll’s Background Screening division. "We are delighted that the members of the management team will continue in their current roles and lead InfoLink’s integration with Kroll."
"This union with Kroll is an exciting opportunity for our customers and employees alike," said InfoLink’s Barry Nadell. "Clients will be able to benefit from Kroll’s broad range of complementary risk mitigation services, while continuing to receive the same competitive pricing and level of customer support that has distinguished our business. InfoLink employees can look forward to the many benefits and opportunities presented by being part of a much larger, global organization."
About Kroll:
Kroll Inc., the world's leading risk consulting company, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE: MMC), the global professional services firm. Headquartered in New York, Kroll provides a wide range of investigative, intelligence, financial, security and technology services through offices in more than 65 cities in over 25 countries. Kroll’s Background Screening division is comprised of Kroll Background America, Inc., based in Nashville, Tenn., and other Kroll subsidiaries in Canada, the United Kingdom, Poland, India and South Africa. In the United States, the Background Screening division provides employee and vendor background investigations and identity theft services. It serves a wide range of corporate, government and non-profit clientele, most notably those in financial services and highly regulated industries such as health care and transportation. For more information, visit www.kroll.com.
About InfoLink Screening Services:
InfoLink Screening Services is a leading provider of employment background checks, drug testing, physical exams and Form I-9 eSolutions. Thousands of companies nationwide rely on InfoLink before they finalize their hiring decisions. InfoLink's exceptional service, fast turnaround, legal compliance and accuracy enable companies to Hire with Confidence®. For more information, visit http://www.infolinkscreening.com/ or call 800-990-HIRE (4473).
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