It’s standard practice to remind your patients to schedule an annual checkup. As a healthcare provider, you should do the same for your business. Don’t worry or feel overwhelmed at the thought of it! Many of the questions will be the same: what’s working, what isn’t, and what would you do better in the new year?
Where to Start
Start with your employees. No one knows the business better than your team. If there are only a few employees, it might be an option to sit down and discuss things with them. If you have a larger team, look into a survey option that can provide feedback. Of course, this should be anonymous and allow individuals to speak freely. And having an open and honest conversation will allow you to address their concerns. You can also determine what they need to stay on board and contribute to the success of the business. Honest conversation without repercussions is a key component of establishing a healthy business. Your employees may be frustrated with something that is a simple fix or a problem that you were unaware of. It can also provide you with the opportunity to explain circumstances that they might not have full insight into.
Cybersecurity
Request that your IT team or MSP conduct an annual audit of the systems. Be sure to make note of all changes. Have you added or removed new software or hardware? Is there an inventory of equipment and software programs that you use? Is there an individual that is identified on both your team and the IT team who is overseeing it? Are all software programs running on the latest versions, and if not, how long will they be supported?
If you haven’t instituted a cybersecurity training requirement, now is the time do to it. Identify deadlines for the training to be completed. If you don’t have a program, HIPAA Secure Now can help. Be sure to include this as part of your onboarding program for any new team members that join as the year progresses. Healthcare businesses continue to be targeted by cybercriminals, and humans are the easiest entry point for them. Empower your workforce to be human firewalls!
HIPAA Compliance
As a covered entity, your HIPAA program is critical to your business. Are all of the pieces in place for you to be compliant with the rules and regulations that are set forth by the HHS? Keeping up with changes to laws that are local, state, or federal can be overwhelming, but with a partner like HIPAA Secure Now, you’re not alone! Being proactive is much easier than being reactive should a breach occur. The costs that you may face both financially and reputationally can destroy your business if you aren’t best prepared.
Patients have their annual checkups to go over all of the vitals that keep them healthy. Blood pressure or cholesterol levels aren’t the only indicators of good health. And so it is the same for your business. Many parts contribute to your overall wellness. Employee satisfaction, cybersecurity readiness, and HIPAA compliance are all pieces of the bigger picture – but they aren’t the only contributing factors!
Once you’ve taken the time to look at the business wholly, you can discuss with each respective party how you’re going to move forward through the rest of the year accomplishing the goals and remediation that is necessary to get everyone to where they need to be. It won’t get done in a day or even a month, but after you perform an annual checkup once, each year it will get easier.
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