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The health information management (HIM) faculty at East Central University will observe the sixth annual Health Information Privacy and Security Week, April 12 through 18.

On Monday, [April 13] at 12 p.m. in Horace Mann room 118, Sandra Dixon, chair of the HIM department, will conduct a presentation: "Medical Identity Theft: It's A Top Priority." The presentation is meant to help raise awareness of the universal responsibility to safeguard personal health information in order to help prevent medical identity theft. A reception for all majors and alumni will follow the presentation from 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Each year the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) strives to address growing issues surrounding privacy and security of health information when it sponsors the Health Information Privacy and Security Week.

The week of awareness focuses on the critical need to educate and inform healthcare professionals, institutions and consumers about actively protecting the privacy, confidentiality and security of health information. To ensure information is protected throughout healthcare's transition to electronic health information management systems, consumers must remain aware of risks by monitoring tools and technologies; including electronic clinical records, personal health records and electronic prescribing. Visit www.myphr.com for detailed consumer health information and consumer privacy rights.

Taking an active role in monitoring your electronic health information is increasingly important since medical identity theft is a fast-growing problem for the healthcare profession and healthcare consumers in the United States. The Department of Justice estimates that personal health insurance has a street value of $25 to $50. Criminals heavily pursue the opportunity to buy and sell health information, and will often enlist employees who work in facilities to steal patient information or physicians to submit claims and create false billing accounts. An MIT Response Checklist developed by AHIMA provides free response guidance for victims of this crime. To access the checklist, visit www.myphr.com, click on the "Keep Your Health Information Safe" button, and scroll down to the "Medical Identity Theft Response Checklist" link.

The health information management (HIM) faculty at East Central University can provide educational assistance for the protection and confidentiality of your personal health information.

About AHIMA

AHIMA is America's leading professional society whose mission is to "improve healthcare by advancing best practices and standards for health information management and [serve as] the trusted source for education, research and professional credentialing." AHIMA represents more than 53,000 specially educated HIM professionals who serve healthcare and the public by managing, analyzing and utilizing data vital for health system management. www.ahima.org

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