FERPA, HIPAA, & LiteracyPro Systems
Guided by Health Information and Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), LiteracyPro Systems simplifies the transfer of information meant to support and assist clients as they progress from one agency to another.
Let’s start with HIPAA
Passed in 1996, HIPAA is a sweeping piece of legislation that ensures continued healthcare coverage for millions of Americans if they lose their job or change their job (This is the “portability” part of the name).
One of the largest impacts HIPAA of rests in the requirement to protect and keep confidential personally-identifiable health information (dhcs.ca.gov). In other words, it sets strict guidelines and regulations as to what information may be legally shared, with whom, and at what times. HIPAA allows your doctor to share your information with a specialist if necessary, which means that you don’t need to “start over” with your medical history with another doctor.
CommunityPro Suite is architected — but not implemented — to manage the sharing of HIPAA-protected data. First, a participant must sign a directive to authorize the release of their medical data to a specific agency for a specific purpose. Second, CommunityPro Suite’s “role based” security limits the access to the participant’s data on a very fine-grain basis. The role who receives such health data must be authorized by the data governance council, based on their need of the data to do their job. Third, all data is encrypted with the strongest keys possible while it is in flight and at rest. CommunityPro Suite’s cloud-based hosting facility maintains certificates of compliance with HIPAA, and therefore is highly trusted by many insurance and medical service companies. For LiteracyPro and the agencies who employ it, following HIPPA standards ensures we are always in compliance with the law, and it gives peace of mind to our clients knowing that the data is not only as secure as it can possibly be but is protected and regulated by the law.
So, what about FERPA?
Passed in 1974, FERPA protects the privacy of student educational records. Only those who are authorized to view the records may do so. This includes, specifically, parents of the student (if they are under 18 years of age) or the “eligible student” if they are 18 years or older. Additionally, authorized organizations are also allowed access to these records without specific permission from the parent or student.
CommunityPro Suite clients are all vetted and qualify as these “authorized organizations.” Take, for example, a student who has gotten into some trouble and has found himself in the juvenile detention system. The state authorities may request access to this student’s educational history. This information assists the authorities while the student is in juvenile detention so that he may continue his education. Moreover, when he is released, allowing various community organizations access to this information can prove valuable in getting him back on the right track. For instance, if this student happened to excel in a specific discipline, this could help the employment agency find a suitable placement for him upon his release. CommunityPro Suite can be an exceptionally effective bridge for returning citizens to keep on track to obtaining a post-secondary degree or certificate–an important bulwark against recidivism.
CommunityPro Suite is akin to the way in which doctors share patient information with one another. If a primary care physician recommends a patient see a specialist, the referring doctor can share the patient’s medical history, including test results, with the new specialist. This doctor-to-doctor collaboration assists in continuation of care for the patient, which benefits the patient and their overall health. Like the doctors, CommunityPro Suite allows professionals, if they have permission, to make referrals and share the necessary information, including assessment scores and educational history, on a client in order to ensure the most productive path for the client.
LiteracyPro leads the field in data security and sets the standard when it comes to remaining in compliance with federal laws such as HIPAA and FERPA.
