DOCUMENT SHREDDING Medical Records Shredding in CT
Medical Records Shredding That Comes To Your Medical Office!
You’re busy taking care of patients so we make the shredding of medical records easy. Just make one call to FileShred and we will provide everything you need to have your medical files destroyed as soon as tomorrow.
Federal and state laws require health care providers or they are sometimes referred to as covered entities, to handle patient medical charts also known as Protected Health Information (PHI), in a way that ensures the patient’s privacy. The federal law is known as HIPAA, The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA requires that medical records be protected at all times even when it is time to dispose of them.
FileShred is an expert in the secure shredding and disposal of medical records. Here is what our professionals will do for you;
- We work with you to pick the correct service for your health practice.
- We give you an easy and no-nonsense quote.
- We schedule the shredding of your medical records on the day you want.
- We sign a Business Associate Agreement for HIPAA Compliance.
- We come to your office to shred your PHI
- Our staff will do all the work in your direction.
- You can witness the shredding of your medical records.
- We provide a Certificate of Destruction documenting the secure shredding of your PHI.
Options for The Destruction of Protected Health Information
Healthcare providers come in all sizes from the single doctor’s office to a major medical facility with many locations and thousands of employees. Each one has different needs when it comes to the secure shredding of medical records. FileShred has the options to accommodate any medical organization.
One-time Purges – For the occasional or infrequent need to destroy medical records we offer our one-time shredding service. So if you’re a small medical office and it’s time for your annual purge of patient charts or you’re a hospital that needs to get rid of years of health files at one time then our one-time service is what you’re looking for. Our one-time service is medical record shredding only when you call for it. The frequency is whenever you have the need.
Scheduled Office Shredding – When you are handling and disposing of Protected Health Information on a daily basis you need a program that is secure and makes the disposal of medical documents easy and convenient for your staff. Our scheduled service is the answer. We provide secure containers to be distributed throughout your medical facility so your staff has a convenient and secure place to dispose of patient information until they are destroyed. Our containers come in many sizes to fit just about anywhere from a nurse’s station to a medical file room. Then our well-trained and uniformed staff comes to your medical facility to empty the containers and shred your medical records on a regular schedule. We offer automatic schedules that can be daily, weekly, bi-weekly, every four weeks, or monthly.
Shredding of Medical Records in Connecticut
In the State of Connecticut, medical doctors must retain patient charts for 7 years from the last date of treatment or after the death of the patient for 3 years. Hospitals in Connecticut must preserve protected health information for 10 years after the patient has been discharged from the hospital. Connecticut makes no distinction for minor patients.
Choose NAID AAA Certified to be Compliant
Before you hire a company to shred your medical records you have some work to do or do you? The HIPAA law requires before you hire a business associate to destroy health information you have to perform comprehensive due diligence on the company or hire a company certified by a national trade organization. NAID, The National Association of Information Destruction is the only national trade organization for document shredding companies recognized by the Federal Government. So hire an AAA Certified company and you will be compliant and it a lot easier than going through a due diligence process. FileShred is a NAID AAA Certified Company.
HIPAA Requires Employee Training
Medical providers or covered entities must ensure that their workforce members receive training on and follow the disposal policies and procedures of the covered entity as it relates to medical records and takes all necessary and appropriate steps to train each workforce member. Therefore, any employee involved in disposing of PHI, or who supervises others who dispose of PHI, must receive training and refresher training on medical record disposal. This rule also applies to volunteers. FileShred can assist you with the development and implementation of the training of your employees.
What is a Covered Entity?
Covered entities are defined in the HIPAA rules as health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers. For example, hospitals, academic medical centers, physicians, and other health care providers are considered covered entities. Covered entities can also be institutions, organizations, or individuals.
What is a Business Associate?
A business associate is a person or entity that performs or assists in the performance of a function or activity involving the use or disclosure of PHI for or on behalf of a covered entity. The activities include medical record disposal, data analysis, claims processing, or administration. Business associates are also persons or entities performing legal, actuarial, accounting, consulting, data aggregation, management, administrative, accreditation, or financial services to or for a covered entity.
Call FileShred to discuss your medical shredding needs, get a quote, and schedule the secure destruction of your health care documents.