The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), a nonprofit standards development organization and accrediting body, recently announced the adoption of new program criteria, which includes various enhancements and clarifications including further support of the HIPAA Omnibus Rule. All of these accreditation programs support the latest health care reform legislative mandates for industry stakeholders.
Following the standard, 60-day public comment period, EHNAC has incorporated feedback to finalize and adopt the enhanced criteria versions for the following programs:
“Each year, the Criteria Committee reviews public input and the latest regulations to enhance the criteria in all EHNAC programs to ensure they remain in sync with industry requirements and trends including HIPAA, HITECH, ARRA, the Omnibus Rule, as well as cloud computing specifications,” says EHNAC Executive Director Lee Barrett. “The criteria review process is an essential part of EHNAC’s mission to promote standards-based accreditation, and we appreciate those dedicated industry stakeholders who continue to volunteer their time and expertise.”
EHNAC accreditation recognizes excellence in health information exchange and transactions, and confirms compliance with industry-established standards and health care regulatory reform measures. Organizations that apply for accreditation or reaccreditation on or after January 1, 2014 will comply with enhanced criteria standards. Criteria for all EHNAC programs are posted online at www.ehnac.org/program-criteria/.
*EHNAC is in the process of applying to the DEA to become an approved EPCS certifier. Until finalized, these programs will be administered exclusively by CISA certified auditors.
**OSAP includes nine different accreditation programs tailored for Call Centers, Data Centers, DRP Facilities, Health Information Exchange, Media Storage, Network Administrators, Printing, Product Development, and Scanning.
Source: The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission