At Konica Minolta, we continue to carefully monitor the COVID-19 situation with two primary goals in mind: the safety of our employees and the public, and the continued service to our valued clients.
We want to thank everyone on the front lines of this pandemic across the nation. The selflessness of all healthcare workers in a time of crisis, caring for the most vulnerable, offers reassurance and comfort. Our hearts go out to those impacted by COVID-19, and we wish those who have contracted the virus a safe recovery.
The global COVID-19 pandemic is forcing more and more employees to work from home every day. With healthcare being one of the most targeted sectors by cybercriminals, they are taking advantage of the global pandemic and are out with a vengeance. Scammers are leveraging the pandemic to steal your money, your personal information, or both. So, there are things you and your organization need to keep in mind to stay secure.
Protect yourself and do your research before clicking on links purporting to:
And, look out for and avoid phishing emails which include:
Here are some additional tips:
Most importantly, make sure to keep electronic protected health information (ePHI) safe and follow the HIPAA policies and procedures of your organization. Think twice before downloading any protected health information (PHI) on your computer or other personal devices, especially if you are using your home computer.
Strengthen your cybersecurity measures further with our security awareness training program. Help increase security knowledge and awareness amongst your staff and implement key measures to keep your data secure and HIPAA compliant.
New vulnerabilities in systems and gaps in workflows are another heightened means for exploitation by cybercriminals. Infrastructure and electronic health records (EHR) systems are being put to a major test right now. And in an effort to aid health systems and organizations increasingly affected by COVID-19 and help them focus more on the surge of new cases, Konica Minolta’s All Covered Health IT division can fill the lack of current IT bandwidth by providing support in IT infrastructure of temporary locations, end-user support and interoperability through our services such as 24X7 Enterprise Helpdesk and Security Operations Center.
Given the relaxation of HIPAA penalties during this nationwide public health emergency, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is allowing the use of certain communication platforms, defined as non-public facing apps, to conduct virtual visits. To help stem the flow of patients to crowded ERs and reduce the spread of the virus, while ensuring people get the care they need, our All Covered Healthcare Practice team can help configure off-the-shelf platforms (Cisco’s UC-One, Zoom Telehealth, Microsoft Teams) and get them quickly implemented to work within your current clinical environments, enabling a more rapid, less-comprehensive telehealth functionality, to address the urgent nature of the crisis. Some of these services can be integrated with the leading EHR systems. Additionally, a more comprehensive virtual care management system can be integrated for a long-term continuity approach.
Many of the COVID-19 coronavirus’s properties are still unknown, but worldwide observations indicate that the highest number of people perishing are older persons age 60 and above, and specifically those combating underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, lung disease, cancers, heart disease, respiratory conditions and other conditions that weaken the immune system.
As the Coronavirus continues to spread and creates increasing risks and challenges globally, we believe our technology can play a part in its containment for healthcare organizations and the patients they serve. The situation evolves every day, but based on what we know, our value-based care platform users can help to prepare for and prevent further infection in their patient populations through assessment of patient risk profiles and improved care coordination. The two steps involved are:
Johns Hopkins ACG® Diagnosis Categories in our value-based care platform’s Cohort Builder can help identify patients within each age group at the highest risk of fatality from COVID-19, based on currently available statistics. By identifying older patients, patients with underlying conditions, patients who smoke, or have respiratory conditions, providers can zero in on those who need immediate outreach.
Once these patients are identified, the platform can be set up automatically to assign a care manager to each cohort, update or design a new care plan in light of COVID-19 and configure their methods and frequency of outreach to keep an eye on them in the coming weeks.
We stand with you in these unprecedented times. If you need any assistance in navigating your current challenges surrounding health IT, remote working, telehealth, security and compliance, reimbursement changes or risk-based contracts, the All Covered Healthcare Practice team is available to guide you in the best way possible.
Your All Covered Healthcare Practice Team Leaders
Navin Balakrishnaraja CPHIMS, CHP
National Practice Director – Healthcare IT Services
Cell: 404-729-7634 Email: navin@allcovered.com
Danielle Morrison, BSN, RN
Healthcare Systems Analyst
Cell: (410) 726-1807 Email: dmorrison@allcovered.com
O’Dell Covington, MSHA, CHPSE, CPCO
Healthcare Compliance Manager
Phone: (770) 308-6079 Email: ocovington@allcovered.com
Vishnu Samlall
Healthcare Solutions Architect
Cell: (470) 631-4290 Email: vsamlall@allcovered.com
Marie A. Cassion-Francois MHA
Revenue Cycle Manager
Cell: (978) 631-5113 Email: MCassionFrancois@Allcovered.com
For more informational resources on COVID-19 symptoms and precautions to take, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. And stay informed on the latest in your community by monitoring your state and local news.
