Issuu

The New UAB Medical West Hospital

By SteVe SPenCer

In 1962, John Lanier, the Mayor of Bessemer, received a $1,000,000 grant for the funding of a hospital. The 115 bed facility, owned by the city of Bessemer, was completed in 1964 and named Memorial Hospital. The facility changed hands in the 1970s, renamed Bessemer Carraway Medical Center, before joining UAB in 2002 as UAB Medical West.

Additions to the hospital were built over the years, which created some inefficiencies with some similar services in different buildings, and less than ideal patient flow, as well as electronic capabilities unsuited to the digital age.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3)

Jeﬀerson County Department of Health Implements Adaptive Strategic Plan for Improved Outcomes

By Marti WeBB Slay

The Jefferson County Department of Health released a new strategic plan last year that differed from the plans of the past, and Health Officer David Hicks, DO, MPH, FAAFP, believes it includes an approach that can be applied to all medical practices for improved health outcomes.

“This plan governs the work of our health department for the next few

years,” he said. “The difference between this plan and plans we’ve used in the past is that this is an adaptive strategic plan. Traditional strategic plans will list outcomes or tactics you want to address, such as reducing diabetes, and the plan will list tactics to address and measure that. Our new plan is constructed to plug in any emerging public health issue, with a framework of how we are going to move the needle on those strategic initiatives. It will allow us to adapt to what is happening presently, as opposed to specifying a JCDH Health Oﬃcer David Hicks, DO, MPH

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)

LOCAL ROOTS. NATIONAL REACH.

With the nation’s largest healthcare law practice according to Modern Healthcare, Holland & Knight has more than 400 experienced attorneys covering virtually every segment of the healthcare industry, from transactional matters, regulatory compliance and real estate to litigation, government enforcement and public policy issues.

Our dedicated healthcare attorneys and professionals – in Birmingham and throughout the country – have the insight, experience, depth and resources to help promote and protect your interests.

The New UAB Medical West Hospital,

All that has been remedied with the brand-new, state-of-the-art facility that opens in August on a 46-acre site. The 200-bed hospital boasts a greatly expanded capacity at 400,000 square feet which is double the old facility’s 200,000 footprint. In addition, the medical office building is 150,000 square feet. The new hospital has 30 exam rooms in the Emergency Department, including two trauma rooms, compared with just 22 exam rooms at the original facility.

“Critical care diversion has been a problem at times in Birmingham,” said Keith Pennington. “We will be able to alleviate some of the issues with that with

our increased in ICU beds, going from 21 at the old hospital to 38 here.”

The new hospital has 12 fullyequipped OR suites, along with two cath labs and three endoscopy suites. It continues all the services that the old hospital had, including geriatric psych, inpatient and outpatient rehab, and women’s services.

“We’ve tried to create a calming environment,” Pennington said. “We have wooded area with walking trails around it and a lake so visitors and employees can go outside to relax. We tried to bring nature inside as well. We have rock walls and wood walls, and fireplaces with rock-

ing chairs. Each floor is represented by a flower native to Alabama, and the higher the plant or flower grows, the higher the floor. The colors in the floor are based on the color of that plant along with paintings of the plant by Alabama artists. For example, the women’s floor is represented by pink azaleas, and along with the paintings, the floor is highlighted in pink. The first floor is the lily pad floor so you see a lot of whites and greens.”

UAB Medical West will move into the new facility on a Saturday in early August. “We plan on doing it all in a day,” Pennington said. “We’ve been working with all the ambulance provid-

ers and with UAB, with the county, the fire department, and critical Care transport. We’ll have about 20 ambulances lined up. We’ve had a number of meetings, and we’re doing a mock move in July. We hope to have it all done in about four hours.

“We don’t know how many patients we’ll have on the day of the move. This week we’re running between 130 and 140 patients. There will be less on a Saturday because people won’t be doing elective procedures that day.

“Everybody is thrilled because it goes above and beyond what you think a hospital is going to look like.”

Alabama Pain Physicians is celebrating our fourteenth anniversary of providing the best comprehensive pain management care to the greater Birmingham area. We’ve worked hard to become the practice we are today. Thank you to our staff, patients, and referring physicians for your support over the past fourteen years!

Alabama Pain Physicians is celebrating our 15th anniversary of providing the best comprehensive pain management care to the greater Birmingham area. We’ve worked hard to become the practice we are today. Thank you to our staff, patients, and referring physicians for your support over the past 15 years!

Alabama Pain Physicians is celebrating our fourteenth anniversary of providing the

comprehensive pain management care to the greater Birmingham area. We’ve worked hard to become the practice we are today. Thank you to our staff, patients, and referring physicians for your support over the past fourteen years!

The first ﬂoor lobby.

Keith Pennington in the lobby.

Job Board

Jeﬀerson County Department of Health Implements Adaptive Strategic Plan for Improved Outcomest,

continued from page 1 particular healthcare issue.”

The plan outlines four strategic directions:

•Collaborate with community partners to positively influence the determinants of health

•Focus on health system transformation

The place for Alabama healthcare jobs

•Foster a thriving, equitable workplace

•Serve as a trusted source of public health data and information

The goal of the Department of Health is a healthier Jefferson County for all, and that requires an emphasis on health equity. “We apply an equity lens and hope to get to some of the underlying drivers of poor health outcomes in our community,” Hicks said. “Working with partners is key to achieving better outcomes. We want to be at the nexus between underlying policies and structural factors that influence the social determinants of health on one side and how health is experienced on the other side.

“First, we have to educate our community and our partners about our challenges. People are used to hearing about health data, like when we report high levels of cancer and heart disease and diabetes. Now we have to get to what is driving

it, and what we are going to do about it. We have to look deeper and understand why someone may have higher blood pressure than someone else. We can have a greater impact on the community longterm if we understand the root causes.”

The traditional approach to high blood pressure, for instance, would be to recommend a change in diet, exercise, and medicine. But if there are no healthy food options in a patient’s neighborhood, no safe and affordable place to exercise, and gainful employment is scarce, traditional advice will have limited results.

Engaging with partners will eliminate some of the barriers and put patients in a place to make better choices. Having access to safe places to exercise is important, for instance. “Our health department has been a leader in this for the past several years,” Hicks said. “We’ve worked to address the environment for building out the trail system, supporting parks and other amenities.”

Ultimately, Hicks wants to see doctors ask the deeper questions that allow them to link patients to the resources that will lead to better health outcomes. He admits this is not as easy as it sounds. “It can be intimidating to have to ask every patient about safety or transportation because you might not have an answer if they tell you there’s a need.

“I’m trained as a family medicine doctor. I understand that it can be overwhelming to ask a medical provider to add one more thing to all they’re currently doing. Our job is to figure out how to message this so providers know it’s in their patients’ best interest to go down this line of inquiry. Ultimately, it can help you achieve improved health outcomes. It can be frustrating as providers to offer the information and prescriptions, and then we question why our patients aren’t having the results.”

It doesn’t always have to be the doctor asking the questions, however. It can be a questionnaire on paper or online that the patient fills out even before they come to the clinic, or a staff member can sit down and talk to the patient. In this way, it doesn’t have to detract from a provider’s limited time.

“Sometimes we mislabel the patient as noncompliant,” Hicks said. “But it may be that they have significant barriers to doing what the provider is asking them to do. In the past, we haven’t had a mechanism to assess those barriers. We can actually help improve patients’ lives by taking the time to understand the social determinants.”

When physicians, scientists and researchers with extraordinary talent and passion are given the technology, the facilities, and the support, they achieve great things. The discoveries, innovations and clinical trials happening today will help shape the future of treatments and lead to cures.

AI in Healthcare

By Jane ehrhardt

“That’s one of the things that most people don’t recognize—AI is nothing more than a prediction machine,” says Donald Monistere, CEO of General Informatics, who created his own AI personal assistant.

The foundation of AI lies in its algorithms, which are basically rules or instructions for solving a very specific problem or a very specific task. When joined together along with certain systems, artificial intelligence expands into decision-making, problem-solving, and natural language processing. “Algorithms can be very complex,” Monistere said. “But they’re built for something specific, whereas AI can adapt and evolve based on the data that you’re putting in it.”

Smart algorithms currently enable AIs to analyze diagnostic videos and images for abnormalities, including X-rays and MRI scans. “There is already information suggesting skin cancer can be recognized by taking a picture on your phone and having an artificial intelligence model look at it. They’re saying it’s starting to get as good, if not better, than your dermatologist,” Monistere said.

That high level of precision has led

some radiologists to allow AI to perform every initial scan. If their results find nothing abnormal, it never sees human eyes. The rest are passed on to a radiologist for review. “Because we have a radiologist shortage, imagine if we can let artificial intelligence rule out the known negatives, or for that matter known positives,” Monistere said.

The remote access to AI and its faster diagnoses would make a notable change in patient care, especially in rural areas. “You’re going to see those areas have access to specialists that they may have not otherwise had, because AI is taking over the busy work,” Monistere said.

With the right algorithms, artificial intelligence moves beyond diagnosis to identifying risk factors, predicting an illness’ progression, and presenting tailored treatment plans based on sizable pool of patient data, lab results, and clinical outcomes.

That versatility and rapid assessment of vast data makes it all the more alluring to healthcare. A Stanford study found 18 percent of healthcare providers say they already use open source AI for education and learning about specific ailments or diseases. Almost 80 percent reported using AI for patient care.

“And that’s a little scary to me,” Monistere said. “Even using the latest large language models such as ChatGPT 4.0, I would estimate a 20 percent chance of the information being inaccurate or not sourced appropriately. And there are no standards in healthcare today for using AI in patient care. Nobody’s training the doctors or nurses on how to fact check the information that they might be getting out of LLM.”

The good news about Open AI is

that it can show its source, allowing providers to verify the origin of the information. “I’ve seen the 3.0 version ChatGPT reference a source that didn’t exist,” Monistere said. “Fortunately, 4.0 does that a lot less.

“While ChatGPT and other large language models are prediction machines, pulling together and then presenting information, they are close to reasoning. Right now, it’s taking all of the information that it has and presumes to know what answer you want as opposed to necessarily what the answer is.”

Providers should check the source of any data from AI, and then verify it. “Does the article exist, who wrote it, and are they reputable in that field?” Monistere said. “A lot of people are checking multiple large language models. Ask the same question of several LLMs, like ChatGPT and Llama, and if the answers are consistent among all of them, then the chances of that data being complete are good.”

Monistere also finds searching the source online, and if that ties back to the topic, then the data should be sound. “I’m very careful to know what the source’s expertise is,” he said. “Because you don’t have to be qualified to write a blog.”

Donald Monistere

Change Healthcare Cyberattack Results in Reimbursement Delays

By Marti WeBB Slay

In February of this year, Change Healthcare was hacked, and local hospitals and practices are still feeling the results of the cyberattack.

UnitedHealth Group website, which owns Change Healthcare responded with a statement: “Once we became aware of the outside threat, in the interest of protecting our partners and patients, we took immediate action to disconnect Change Healthcare’s systems to prevent further impact. Our security team, along with law enforcement and independent experts, began working to address the matter.”

“Most people don’t realize how huge these healthcare technology companies are,” said Bailey Porter, healthcare advisor with Carr, Riggs & Ingram. “Change Healthcare is a really large part of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) gateways. Practices are sending their claims to clearinghouses that are then being sent through EDI gateways, before they get to the payers. The payers contract with the gateways. So you can have a clearinghouse that isn’t Change Healthcare, but

they are using a Change Healthcare EDI gateway, which is how so many people, including one in three patients, were affected. There are a ton of clearinghouses, but very few gateways to get the information from the clearinghouse to the payer.”

Some practices were more affected than others. If a payer used Change Healthcare as their clearinghouse and their gateway, they had more delays and issues than those who only used the Change gateway, because many clearinghouses were able to adapt. Porter saw that variety of problems in her own local clients. “Some practices couldn’t send out claims at all,” she said. “Some clearinghouses provided workarounds. A lot of practices started using their payer portals and submitting claims through that, which was time consuming. Each practice was affected differently, depending on how involved they were with Change Healthcare. We had everything from submitting paper claims to switching clearinghouses. It depended on the practice, and everyone was a little different.

“The business side of practices were most affected. The physicians and nurses

were able to still provide care, but with the delay in submitting claims and getting a response from claims, there were a few physicians, especially smaller practices, that were starting to dip into their own savings to make up for delayed revenue. UnitedHealth was offering advance payments for those practices that were really affected and not receiving any payments.

“Although the situation has improved and I think things will be back to normal in a few months, my clients are still having delays getting reimbursed.”

As for the data breach, UnitedHealth has this statement:

“A review of the data is underway by a leading forensics expert. At this time, we know that the data had some quantity of personal health information and personally identifiable information. We are working to determine the quantity of impacted data, and we are committed to providing notifications to impacted individuals when determinations are made — and will work with the Office for Civil Rights and our customers in doing so.

“This is taking time because Change Healthcare’s own systems were impacted

by the event and difficult to access, so it was not safe to immediately pull data directly from the Change systems. We recently obtained a dataset that is safe for us to access and analyze. Because of the mounting and decompression procedures needed as a first step, we have only recently reached a position to begin analyzing the data.

“Rather than waiting to complete this review, we are providing free credit monitoring and identity theft protections for two years, along with a dedicated call center staffed by clinicians to provide support services. Anyone concerned their data may have been impacted should visit

Moving Birmingham Forward.

Bailey Porter

Email Masquerades and Authenticators

By Jane ehrhardt

“An entire national hospital network had to go back to operating on paper, and they say it all came back to someone clicking on a link in a phishing email,” said Preston Brown, director of IT services at Simplified Medical Management.

That national group was Ascension Healthcare, the parent organization of Birmingham’s two St. Vincent’s hospitals. On May 8, they were hit with ransom malware. It took over a month to restore access to their electronic health records (EHR) to all of their facilities across 15 states, all because of the old-school hacking method of email phishing.

“It just takes one click and, boom, you get access to 10 million identities,” Brown said. “That’s a good days work.” That outcome is what keeps phishing a viable effort for hackers. Of the 739 data breaches in healthcare reported last year to U.S. Health and Human Services, 18 percent originated from emails, making it the second most utilized route for infiltrating healthcare entities.

Phishing starts with a link or attach-

ment in a valid-looking email. Clicking on that installs the virus that opens a way in for the hackers. “If the phishing link sends you to a login box, what you enter is really going to the hacker, and they start using those credentials to penetrate your network,” Brown said.

At this point, any healthcare entities with multifactor authentication (MFA) are already safer. MFA requires additional pieces of information from the user beyond a password before allowing access, which could include a fingerprint, facial recognition, or a code sent to a different device, such as a fob or a smart phone.

A texted code used to be considered one of the safest options. The code creates a unique token of information to authenticate the user which then allows them entry, and only the user would have access to the texts. But hackers have become more savvy about intercepting texts.

“Microsoft doesn’t even allow text messaging to get that code anymore,” Brown said. “You have to download their authenticator app, and the code comes

from that app.”

Instead of a text, the user receives a push notification from the authenticator, generally asking to click “yes” if it’s the user, which allows them entry. Or they may need to scan a QR code. What the app then produces is a time-based, onetime password to allow entry that has a very short time of viability, usually around ten to thirty seconds, making it much harder for hackers to grab that token than the much longer-lived tokens generated via texted codes, which might stay viable for the life of the user’s password.

More and more applications now require the use of their own authenticator apps now as part of their MFA protocol. And MFA itself is becoming mandatory. Microsoft no longer allow users to opt out of multifactor authentication.

Cloud storage, online banking, password managers all utilize authenticators now. “Some EHRs still allow text as part of their MFA, but more than half have swapped over to an authentication app,” Brown said. “The hit on Ascension St. Vincent’s has jolted area healthcare entities to rethink their own security choices.

Customers who were on fence about activating their MFA because of the extra steps involved, saw St. Vincent’s come to a screeching halt. Now they’re telling us that they want to get the MFA turned on.”

But thwarting email phishing attacks requires vigilance more than software. Looking for a few signs of deception in the email itself can unveil many malicious attempts, including poor grammar or odd phrasings, especially from a familiar sender.

“If you’re in doubt about a request, a link, or attachment, reach out to them to verify,” Brown said. “But first, look at every email address. It can be blatantly

Preston Brown

Protect Against Cyber Attacks

By Jane ehrhardt

In 2023, 41 percent of small businesses were victims of cyberattack, according to a report from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center’s report. “Statistically we would suspect at least that same percentage in healthcare,” said Ron Shoe, president of SIP Oasis.

Especially with patient data proving to be a lucrative commodity, whether ransomed or sold. “Medical records are worth a lot of money. On the dark web, you can buy a credit card for about $35 or so,” Shoe said. “A legitimate medical record costs $1,000.”

Healthcare system giants, like Change Healthcare and Ascension have already headlined the news this spring with massive breaches. “My fear is that the big breaches in the news feed the complacency of the small guys, because they think it’s not going to happen to them,” said Shoe, who recently released a book, From Exposed to Secure: The Cost of Cybersecurity and Compliance Inaction and the Best Way to Keep Your Company Safe

“The small providers are getting screwed too,” he said. “They need to be compliant with HIPAA, not only to protect themselves from what can be exten-

sive HIPAA fines and costs for protocols post-breach, but also from potential postbreach, class-action lawsuits.”

Ascension was facing two classaction lawsuits within a week after the cyberattack hit their 140-hospital system. One claim points to negligence in encrypting patient data, which has left patients at a greater risk of identity theft well into the future. Change’s six suits at last count even include pharmacies and providers suing for restitution from the lagging revenue in slowed insurance claim processing, even though the attack originated from third-party technology and other vendors.

Smaller practices have also proven to be targets for lawsuits. Norwood Clinic, now part of Complete Health, faced a class action lawsuit after their breach in 2022, claiming that it failed to protect patient information because they could have prevented the breach with reasonable cybersecurity measures. The clinic had 25 physicians on staff. They settled that lawsuit for $2.3 million.

This year, an even smaller practice is facing the same situation. The June 13 breach at Heart South Cardiovascular Group had lawyers circling within days, seeking clients whose information may

have been breached. The practice, with offices in Alabaster and Clanton, employs 11 cardiologists. The source of the breach has yet to be divulged.

Practices aren’t the only targets for HIPAA breach suits. “They have one against an insurance company,” Shoe says. “Because HIPAA doesn’t apply to the entity, it applies to the data. The insurance company had medical records in their possession, which puts HIPAA into play. They had to report it, and as soon as it’s reported, the class-action lawyers are on it.

“This is where HIPAA becomes an ally. HIPAA really is a protective dome that goes over a medical practice and shields them both from the hackers, as well as from fines and class actions. Because nowhere does it say you’re not allowed to get breached.”

Compliance is not defined by the outcome—breach or not. Compliance requires that you be follow the process of assessing and identifying gaps and the remediation needed for those gaps, including some security measures and training.

The documentation of that compliance forms the armor. “If you’re doing it right, you’re building a paper trail of all the things you’re doing to protect your information,” Shoe said. “Even if you’re

You can’t overdo your health.

Indulge in the seemingly improbable

starting right now, just the fact that you’re going through the effort affords you some safe harbor from fines and lawsuits.”

HIPAA is about providing the documentation that proves the entity assesses risks, runs what it can when it can, and is planning to do more as resources allow. If something does happen, those reams of reports to give the auditors of assessments, remediations, training logs, and attestations, show an active and aware involvement toward protecting the data.

“Because the fine is not based on getting breached,” Shoe said. “The fine is based on being negligent to the process. And the thing that chases away auditors is the same thing that chases away lawyers. It’s papers.

“A couple of years ago there was honor among thieves, and hackers were hands-off with healthcare, but it’s not like that anymore. In fact, they are specifically going after healthcare more than any other industry.”

Ron Shoe

What You Can Learn From Recent Fraud and Abuse Settlements

By angie CaMeron SMith & rhianna helMerS

It’s no secret that fraud and abuse actions have seen a significant uptick in recent years with the government reporting that for fiscal year 2023, settlements and judgments under the False Claims Act alone were the highest they had been in a single year, exceeding $2.68 billion. Because of increasing focus and scrutiny in the healthcare industry, it is crucial to understand fraud and abuse laws, how they apply to your healthcare organization and educating staff and responsible team leaders on ways to spot issues that can result in potential violations.

The primary healthcare fraud and abuse laws include the False Claims Act [31 USC §§ 3729-3733], the Anti-Kickback Statute [42 USC §§ 1320a-7b(b)], the Physician Self-Referral Law (Stark Law) [42 USC § 1395nn], the Exclusion Statute [42 USC § 1320a-7] and the Civil Monetary Penalties Law [42 USC § 1320a-7a]. The importance of compliance with these laws stems most obviously from striving to operate ethically and efficiently, but violations of these laws can lead to criminal penalties, fines, and even loss of Medicare certification or medical licenses. Additionally, certain areas of healthcare receive heightened scrutiny from the government because they are seen as high risk for fraud and abuse, as highlighted in the summaries below. Therefore, it is important to regularly evaluate your practice for conformity with all applicable laws and rules.

Telehealth

In a recent telehealth matter, the government alleged that psychiatric

providers submitted improper and false claims for “telehealth originating site fa cility fees.” A telehealth visit involves an exchange between a patient at an origi nating site (e.g. a nursing home) and a physician, or other qualified healthcare professional, at a distant site. cable billing rules and guidance allows payment for a “telehealth originating site facility fee” in addition to the profes sional fee for the underlying service being provided. However, as in this case, the codes can only be billed by the originat ing site when the facility provides admin istrative and clinical support for a patient receiving services via telehealth. government alleged that the psychiat ric providers submitted, or caused to be submitted, improper and false claims for “telehealth originating site facility fees,” which should only have been billed by the nursing homes. The government settled with the psychiatric providers for $4,595,739.

Takeaway: Ensure proper billing and coding of claims and perform audits to ensure compliance.

Medically Necessary Services

Another prominent area of risk is medically necessary services. In a settle ment for $14,902,000, the government settled with a physician group in a matter alleging that the group knowingly submitted claims for certain Evaluation and Management (E&M) codes for services related to the management of chronic care patients in assisted living and other care facilities that were not provided in conformity with applicable federal requirements. The settlement resolved allegations that the physician group

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 15)

Change Healthcare Cyberattack Results in Reimbursement Delays,

continued from page 6

changecybersupport.com for more information. We are committed to providing appropriate support to people whose data is found to have been compromised.”

“This situation shows how fragile our healthcare infrastructure is” Porter said, “And even if you are a large conglomerate in the healthcare space, you can still be affected. Because of the size of this, I don’t know that there is anything any one practice could do to protect themselves against another similar event, except investing in your own security and making sure your employees and providers are

obvious. The display name may be right, may even be someone you know, but the email address is a string of random letters. Verify that the actual email address matches the sender’s name and the sender’s company. Almost all the phishing emails we get are from Gmail addresses.”

Calling the phone number gathered from the company’s name in the email may not confirm authenticity, if the phone number only leads to the hacker who also set up the website. “Google the business and call the main number on that site,” Brown said. “If the first six

SPECIALTIES

Elbow

trained in what to look out for. Make sure you are changing your passwords and that you have firewalls and encrypted emails. Make sure you aren’t sending patient information over unsecure networks. Stay up to date with regulations. With Congress getting involved, we’re likely to see more regulations to prevent this from happening again. But the hackers are only going to get more efficient and be able to get into systems more easily. Make sure your systems are updated and upgraded to protect your practice.”

Email Masquerades and Authenticators,

continued from page 7

numbers of the phone number on the website do not match what’s in the email, take note of that.

“Beware of a sense of urgency to any email, as well. Or those using the name of someone in authority within the company as a way to add hesitancy to question their request. And before clicking on any link, even from someone known, hover over the link and the real URL will show up. If it doesn’t make sense or is a shortened URL, send the email to your IT department to review. They will thank you.”

Protect Against Cyber Attacks,

continued from page 8

Cyberattacks shot up 128 percent against the U.S. healthcare sector in 2023, according to the Cyberthreat Intelligence Information Center. Shoe’s company, SIP Oasis, blocks on average 50,000 login and email phishing attempts per month per client with an average client size of 15 to

200 computers. Meaning smaller practices are actively targeted. “If we’re blocking 50,000 breach attempts a month, and if you’re not blocking, you’re throwing the dice on every attempt,” Shoe said. ”And they’re going to get it right.”

Christopher S. Carter,MD Emily BellCasey,MD

Monte Ketchum, DO

Ortega,MD

Benton A. Emblom,MD

A. Flanagan,Jr., MD WayneMcGough, Jr.,MD

McKeon,MD K.

Healthcare organizations need access to external resources to support their strategic vision. Our team of professional healthcare advisors have extensive experience and specialized education to serve a broad spectrum of needs in the healthcare community. As your advisor, we focus on learning your values and goals and work with your team to develop an effective strategy specific to your organization.

Patient care generates a large amount of data that must remain accessible 24/7/365 to keep your doors open. Our team takes that seriously. Our engineers work around the clock to ensure your network is consistently monitored and downtime is minimized. And should concerns arise, our Healthcare IT is just a phone call away—any time, every day.

Protecting The Brain From Cardio Clots Left Atrial

Appendage Closure

By laura FreeMan

There have been big advances in electrophysiology since Chad Colon, MD, FACE, first became fascinated with the subject as a child while hanging out in his cardiologist father’s office and listening as his dad and the partners traded stories between patients.

“They were doing such interesting things, especially the electrophysiologists who seem to always be getting exciting new tools that allowed them to do more to help patient,” Colon said. “It was amazing. They could save lives and improve quality of life and send patients home the same day. They didn’t have to open up a chest or do a procedure that would take a long time to recover. With the right tools and skills, they could fix things like tachycardia and fibrillation in an outpatient procedure. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I always wanted to be an electrophysiologist. I wanted to get my hands on those tools and learn how to use them to help people.”

Pursuing that dream took 12 years of preparation, medical school and advanced training. Now Colon has just completed his UAB fellowship in electrophysiology and in July he is moving into his own office at Cardiovascular Associates, joining the same practice where his cardiologist father has been working through much of his career.

“I’ll be taking on a complete range of electrophysiology cases, from younger patients who may be dealing with supraventricular tachycardia to rhythm disturbances that tend to be associated with aging or other heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, Colon said.

He is launching his private practice as an electrophysiologist at an exciting time when a whole new generation of electrophysiology tools, devices and treatment options have become available.

Colon had a front row seat during his fellowship as UAB electrophysiologists helped to design, test and launch the new pulsed field ablation technology that has just become more widely available beyond the research university setting.

“Particularly in atrial fibrillation cases, pulsed field technology is a big step forward,” Colon said. “It improves effectiveness while reducing risks. We’ve also seen major advances in devices like pacemakers. Instead of patients having to live with a big bulge under their skin, modern implants are about the size of a c battery. We can put them where patients hardly notice them. And the batteries are made to last much longer.

“Another area where there have been

big improvements is in atrial appendage closure devices. In atrial fibrillation cases, there is a double challenge. First, we have a rhythm problem. We have to stop the fibrillation and establish a steady, reliable blood flow. This we address with ablation, where we find the areas that are triggering the nerve impulses that cause the fibrillation, then we use the ablation capabilities to eliminate them. However, since this part of the heart is a direct route to the brain and other key organs, we also have to protect against the potentially deadly complication of clots that can cause strokes and other damage.

“Some patients are at higher risk than others from clots that actually form in the heart, usually coming from the atrial appendage when blood becomes backed up in the area when an abnormal rhythm isn’t allowing it to flow freely.

“As a precaution, most of these patients are on blood thinners to reduce the risk of clotting, but sometimes it isn’t enough. Some patients can’t tolerate the blood thinners. They may have a condition that puts them at risk of excessive bleeding, or they may have health issues that can only be treated with medications that can’t be given with a blood thinner. That’s when an atrial appendage closure device can be particularly helpful.”

In the anatomy of the heart, the atrial appendage is the area on the upper side that protrudes bit, giving the heart its distinctive shape. It doesn’t contribute a lot to the working action of the heart, and if it can be blocked off, blood won’t be able to back up into it to form a clot.

“The first generation of these devices tended to be stiff and difficult to fit,” Colon said. “The Watchman device, which is one of the most commonly used, now has its third generation design available and it is much more flexible. Fitting it into place is usually simple. Using a catheter, an electrophysiologist can guide the device into place, deploy it and make sure it is properly seated. With time, the body often covers it with a skin-like tissue that makes it almost like a natural part

Chad Colon MD

At the heart of one of the most highly regulated industries in the nation, health care facilities and providers face challenges that draw attention and resources away from their mission to provide quality patient care.

Burr & Forman’s health care team works alongside you to address and anticipate your needs by providing preventative guidance and pragmatic solutions, enabling you to focus on providing care and achieving healthy outcomes.

Birmingham | Mobile | Montgomery

Jessie Bekker

Howard Bogard

Richard Brockman

Kelli Carpenter Fleming

Jim Hoover

Catherine “Cat” Kirkland

Angie Cameron Smith

Douglas J. Minnich, MD

Board-certiﬁed, fellowship-trained Thoracic Surgeon

With a focus on developing minimally invasive technologies in the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic disease, Dr. Minnich performed the rst electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB) and the rst robotic bronchoscopy in the state of Alabama. As a result, he has developed one of the largest surgeon experiences with these technologies in the world, which includes offering the most effective treatment for hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) --- endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy.

Visit alabamathoracicsurgery.com for the extensive list of our services and procedures

X-RAY & IMAGING

Adjuvax LLC Explores Alternatives To QS21 Vaccine Adjuvant

By laura FreeMan

After seeing the lethal potential of a worldwide pandemic and the promise of immune therapy in the fight against relentless killers like cancer, the value of adjuvants that can help the immune system work better are a highly valued addition to the medical toolbox.

Unfortunately, the go-to adjuvant used in current vaccine and immune system research, QS21, is derived from the bark of a tree that is in short supply. It is found only in a limited area of Chile, harvesting the bark kills the adult trees now available, and even with an effort to farm plantations of new saplings, the simple truth is that trees can’t grow fast enough.

There wouldn’t be enough of the precious natural ingredients to boost a dose of vaccine to save everyone if another major epidemic occurs in the next few years. Even coming up with enough of the rare, expensive adjuvant to test new immune therapies against cancer and develop new vaccines could be a challenge.

Fortunately, here in Birmingham, in the lab of UAB chemistry professor Pengfei Wang, PhD a naturally occurring molecule derived from an abundant, inexpensive source has been identified.

Pengfei Wang, PhD

saponins tend to be good candidates for study of their potential for developing into adjuvants.

“We formed the company Adjuvax LLC as a way to make saponin-based adjuvants that show high potential available to research teams developing novel vaccines and immunotherapy drugs,” Wang said. “We won a grant from Innovate Alabama, moved into lab facilities at the Southern Research biotech incubator, Station 41, and received a contract from the NIH to develop the saponin-based adjuvant.

“In addition to being effective in increasing the response of the immune system to vaccines, the molecule we are working with is also more stable and less likely to have toxicity issues. In fact, the plant is derived from an Asian vegetable people have been eating for centuries. The seeds it comes from are so plentiful that when we ordered a supply online, we found it available by the pound through Wal-mart or at lower bulk prices from several sources,” Wang said.

Known by gardeners and Asian vegetable farmers by the common name of bitter gourd, the plant with the helpful molecules in known by scientists by its Latin name, momordica cochinchinensis. As a food, it’s an acquired taste due to the extreme bitterness, but it is known as a good source of several nutrients and it has been used as a folk remedy by several cultures. What attracted Wang’s interest was the fact that it contained saponin molecules.

A saponin is a plant like soapwart that can be used like a soap to clean or break up oils. While the exact mechanisms of how adjuvants work to strengthen immune response is yet to be made fully clear, Wang has found that plants with

“I continue to work as a full time chemistry professor at UAB, but I’ve been putting all my free moments into serving as Chief Scientific Officer at Adjuvax. Our goal is to continue identifying and developing potential adjuvants so we can can offer novel vaccine and immunotherapy developers a source they can turn to for a variety of adjuvants that can be tested in different combinations to identify the most effective custom adjuvant for the particular vaccine or therapy they are working to make available.”

Effective, safe and plentiful adjuvants can make a tremendous difference in protecting public health and helping people recover from immune-related diseases. They could potentially reduce the amount of antigen required in a dose, reduce or eliminate the need for follow-up doses, and possibly foster immunity that lasts over a longer period. Eventually, insights gained from adjuvant research may provide the keys that unlock a better understanding of immune system-related conditions, from cancer to arthritis to allergies.

Most of all, anything with the potential to improve protection of a world’s population against another pandemic will be welcome—not just a defense against something like COVID, but also like the flu pandemic of 1918 that would be likely

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 15)

What You Can Learn From Fraud and Abuse Settlements,

knowingly submitted claims that did not support the level of service provided.

Takeaway: Ensure services rendered meet the requirements for the level of service billed. “Upcoding” is a high-risk focus area. Again, periodic auditing of claims could identify potential issues.

Kickbacks

A hospice company in Georgia, along with its owners and managers, agreed to pay $1.4 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by entering into kickback arrangements with medical directors in exchange for referrals of hospice patients. A former employee of Tapestry filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that the hospice paid kickbacks to medical directors to induce them to refer patients to the hospice company. According to the government, these alleged kickbacks included monthly stipends and a signing bonus paid to the medical directors, and the compensation allegedly increased when the medical director referred more patients and decreased when the medical director failed to make referrals.

Takeaway: Closely evaluate when accepting goods and services or when entering into compensation arrangements to ensure commercial reasonableness and fair market value.

Final Takeaway – Compliance Programs

As mid-year approaches, now is a good time to evaluate your practice policies and procedures to avoid running afoul of fraud and abuse laws. Perhaps the most beneficial advice to help avoid fraud and abuse is to establish and strictly follow a compliance program. A good compliance program has several facets and there are numerous resources to assist providers in developing effective programs. As an initial matter, internal auditing to identify key risk areas is

continued from page 9

important for developing measures for a compliance program geared toward your particular area of healthcare. When implementing standards, designating a compliance officer to coordinate and oversee the program and to provide appropriate education for other employees is vital. With education on compliance, employees should be encouraged to have more open lines of communication and be well-versed on disciplinary standards if compliance is not upheld.

Even with knowledge on compliance programs, you may still be asking yourself, “What do I do if I find there’s a problem regarding fraud or abuse within my organization?” First, stop the potential activity that could be in violation of the law. Next, seek legal counsel from attorneys that are well-versed in your healthcare field. Seeking out legal help can aid you in determining whether a violation has occurred, whether corrective action is needed, such as whether an overpayment has been made, and potentially reporting the issue to the proper entities. Taking proactive steps can also improve the organization’s position and potentially mitigate any enforcement.

Finally, there are a number of resources available to assist in developing compliance programs. The Office of Inspector General is a good place to start, and it recently issued general compliance guidance for health care providers (https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/general-compliance-program-guidance/).

Angie Smith is a partner in the Healthcare Practice Group at Burr & Forman. Her practice is focused on the defense of healthcare providers in medical malpractice as well as false claims litigation. She regularly counsels healthcare providers on compliance with federal and state regulations. Angie may be reached by phone at 205-458-5209 or by email at acsmith@burr.com.

Rhianna Helmers is a senior at Auburn University working towards a Bachelor in Science in Health Services Administration. She plans to attend law school in the future and spent her summer as a pre-law intern with Burr & Forman.

Protecting The Brain,

of the heart. It’s there, passively guarding against the formation of most of the clots that form in the heart and threaten the brain so the risks for a deadly stroke are reduced.”

Exciting advances in technology may have been what originally drew Colon to electrophysiology, but he says it’s the inter-

continued from page 12

action with patients that is most fulfilling.

“I like taking the time to talk with my patients so they understand their condition, what we hope to achieve and how the technology works to solve the problem,” he said. “It’s really satisfying to be able to help improve their quality of life and often give them more years to enjoy life.”

Adjuvax LLC Explores Alternatives,

continued from page 14

to kill far more with modern transportation to carry it far and wide.

Fears of an Avian flu outbreak continue to be the topic of concern for public health authorities with many stating it’s

not a matter of if, but when, with more frequent animal to human cases reported. Before it makes the jump from human to human, we can wish vaccine and adjuvant researchers all success possible.

HIPAA Breach Notice Can Be Delegated to Change Healthcare

By Beth neal PitMan, eddie WilliaMS iii and Shannon Britton hartSField holland & Knight

After months of uncertainty and multiple letters from industry associations advocating on behalf of the healthcare industry with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR), covered entities with protected health information affected by the February 2024 cyberattack on Change Healthcare now have some clarity regarding Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) breach notice obligations.

OCR announced on May 31, 2024, that its Change Healthcare FAQs have been updated to indicate that all affected covered entities may delegate HIPAA notice obligations to Change Healthcare. Despite OCR’s updated FAQs establishing UnitedHealth Group’s (UHG) notice obligations and a renewed push by Congress on June 7, 2024, for UHG to acknowledge and assume notification responsibility, as of the third week in June, UHG continued to maintain on its website that it would not announce “an official breach notification at this time” but offered “to make notifications and undertake related administrative requirements on behalf of any provider or customer.” (UHG acquired Change Healthcare in 2022.)

FAQ Highlights

OCR provided a summary of key FAQ updates:

• Covered entities affected by the Change Healthcare breach may delegate to Change Healthcare the tasks of providing the required HIPAA breach notifications on their behalf.

• Only one entity – which could be the covered entity itself or Change Healthcare – needs to complete breach notifications to affected individuals, HHS and, where applicable, the media.

• If covered entities work with Change Healthcare to perform the required breach notifications in a manner consistent with the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) and HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, they would not have additional HIPAA breach notification obligations.

Although the OCR’s position alleviates covered entities’ obligations and costs associated with providing HIPAA breach notice, including notice to OCR, it does not remove all obligations. As noted in the FAQs, covered entities remain obligated to assure that notices issued by Change Healthcare comply with the Breach Notification Rule (45 C.F.R. 164.404 and 408) obligations with regard to timing, content and form. There had been some debate in the industry regarding when the “clock starts ticking” on the 60-day notice deadline. OCR has cleared up that question by stating in its FAQ, in bold, that “OCR will not consider the 60-calendar day period from discovery of a breach by a covered entity to start until affected covered entities have received the information needed from Change Healthcare or UHG.”

Business associates, such as electronic

MediSYS is excited to welcome Diana Campbell, our new VP of Sales.

Diana is an exceptional professional who comes to MediSYS with a wealth of experience in Revenue Cycle Management ( RCM ) and healthcare technology.

• Diana has owned her own medical billing company •15 years experience selling practice management and EHR software solutions.

• As a revenue cycle strategist, Diana brings specialized expertise in maximizing RCM.

Contact Diana today to explore a partnership of experience and trust! 678-736-1493

medical record vendors and other companies that contract with Change Healthcare for services that are then provided to a covered entity, also benefit from this OCR FAQ update. OCR has made it clear that only one entity is required to provide notice and that Change Healthcare’s notice, to the extent delegated by covered entities, is sufficient.

What Now?

Covered entities and business associates affected by the Change Healthcare cyberattack should take the steps below following the publication of the updated FAQs:

• HIPAA-regulated entities that have relationships with Change Healthcare should contact their account administrators or other contacts to request information from Change Healthcare regarding notices.

• Covered entities should assess whether business associates serving the covered entity contracted with Change Healthcare for those services and, if so, contact those business associates to coordinate any breach response.

• Business associates that contract with Change Healthcare as HIPAA subcontractors should work with Change Healthcare to help ensure that Change Healthcare is providing any required notices.

• Covered entities should determine the dates by which Change Healthcare is required to provide notice beginning on the date that Change Healthcare (or a business associate contracting with Change Healthcare) provides notice of the breach to the covered entity.

• Covered entities should request copies of all notice drafts in order to review the timing, content and form, including Change Healthcare’s mailed notice, OCR notice, media notice and substitute notice.

• State laws are NOT addressed in the OCR notice. Therefore, all affected organizations, both covered entities and business associates, should work with Change Healthcare to delegate state notice obligations, as applicable and permitted by state laws.

• Review business associate agreements with Change Healthcare and other suppliers to assess if amendment is warranted to assure that future breach notice and other obligations are clear.

• Privacy officers may consider registering for OCR’s list-serv for email updates.

Beth Neal Pitman is a partner in Holland & Knight’s Birmingham, Alabama, office. Eddie Williams III and Shannon Britton Hartsfield are partners in the firm’s Tallahassee, Florida, office.

Beth Neal Pitman

Eddie Williams III

Shannon Britton Hartsfield

80 Groups Issue Letter Urging Governor Ivey to Close Alabama’s Health Coverage Gap

More than 80 organizations sent a joint letter to Governor Kay Ivey in May urging action to close Alabama's health coverage gap. The groups are partners in Cover Alabama, a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to ensuring quality, affordable health coverage for all Alabamians.

“We are asking you to close Alabama’s health coverage gap immediately,” the letter said. “Alabama faces a challenge in ensuring access to affordable health care for all its residents. Our state continues to maintain a substantial gap in coverage, leaving nearly 300,000 Alabamians without access to the care they need.”

The groups’ call to action came after a recent joint hearing of the Senate and House health committees. During the hearing, Republican lawmakers

McKinney Elected to Alabama Hospital Association Board

Daniel McKinney, CEO at Grandview Medical Center, has been elected to the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA) Board of Trustees as one of three Birmingham Regional Council Representatives.

"The AlaHA Board of Trustees represents the state's 124 hospitals and their diverse populations, spanning urban and rural areas, acute care, and specialty services," said Donald Williamson, MD, President of AlaHA.

McKinney has led several major Grandview market development initiatives, including the Freestanding Emergency Department in Trussville and the Outpatient Surgery Department in Grandview Physicians Plaza II. Before being named CEO of Grandview, he was the CEO of South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in Foley, Alabama.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in health administration from UAB.

from Arkansas and North Carolina testified about their respective approaches to expanding health care access.

“Alabama is one of only 10 states that have not closed the coverage gap,” said Debbie Smith, Alabama Arise’s Cover Alabama campaign director. “Our lawmakers heard two successful options to expand health care, and there are many more positive examples across the country.”

The hearing demonstrated two potential approaches Alabama could emulate to close the coverage gap — traditional Medicaid expansion, like North Carolina, or a public-private option, like Arkansas.

“I live in a very rural and very conservative area,” North Carolina state Senator Jim Burgin said. “I have not had one person come up to me and say that

I shouldn’t have done that. But I’ve had hundreds of people thank me because their loved one is now getting help.”

arolina expanded Medicaid in 2023. In 2014, Arkansas leveraged a publicprivate option to expand health care access.

“At the end of the day, looking at those health care providers, what they were facing, we’re going to pay for these folks one way or the other,” Arkansas state Senator Missy Irvin said. “So you might as well legalize a structure where you can get premium tax to help pay for a program, and you get higher reimbursement rates.”

Cover Alabama’s letter to Ivey implores her to recognize the urgency of closing the coverage gap and to take swift action to ensure Alabamians have access to health care. The letter high-

lights the economic benefits of expanding health care access, citing improvements in workforce participation, economic growth and productivity. The letter also outlines key recommendations for an Alabama solution, emphasizing the importance of covering adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, supporting rural access to health care and maximizing federal funds to reduce state costs.

The Alabama Legislature’s 2024 regular session ended last week without any legislation passed to close the coverage gap. But the governor can answer the call for health care expansion with executive action at any time.

“Alabama shouldn’t be left behind any longer,” Smith said. “Governor Ivey should take immediate action to close the coverage gap now.”

Daniel McKinney

UAB Hospital-Highlands Expands

Services

to Include Prenatal Care

The UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine is partnering with the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology to provide prenatal services at UAB Hospital-Highlands.

The maternal death rate in the United States is higher than in any developed country in the world, and Alabama ranks third in the US. Among the causes for maternal mortality are inadequate access to pregnancy prevention and pre-conception care, lack of timely prenatal care, and under-addressed cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as patients not living near a provider.

Patients can make an appointment with a provider by calling 205-934-9700.

Cullman Regional Establishes Level II Nursery

Cullman Regional is expanding obstetric and nursery services with the addition of a fourth OB-GYN physician, six neonatologists and four neonatal nurse practitioners to its medical staff. The new neonatology providers will offer 24/7 care to newborns.

Alabama Bone & Joint is committed to medical excellence and pledges the highest quality of orthopedic care available. Our physicians and support staff provide all of our patients with professional orthopedic care delivered efﬁciently and on a personal level.

Having this higher level of care available will enable the hospital to transition its nursery from a Level I Well Baby Nursery to a Level II Special Care Nursery. The Alabama Department of Public Health defines a Level II nursery as a specialty nursery that includes equipment and staff that can support slightly underdeveloped or somewhat sick babies who are expected to get well quickly.

Hannah Hightower, MD, who is board certified in Pediatrics and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, will serve as medical director of the Cullman Regional nursery. Renovations of the hospital’s nursery were recently completed.

Tapscott Joins Varicosity Vein

William Tapscott, MD has joined Varicosity Vein Center. Tapscott received his undergraduate degree from Birmingham-Southern College and his medical degree from University of Alabama School of Medicine. He completed his surgical residency at Baptist Health System of Alabama. He is a board-certified surgeon and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons with over 25 years’ experience as a surgeon.

He will see patients at Varicosity offices in Birmingham, Madison, and Cullman.

Loy Vaughan, M.D.

S. Evan Carstensen M.D Daryl Dykes, M.D. Michael C. Gerhardt, M.D.

Lloyd Johnson Ill, M.D.

Winston Capel, M.D.

Hannah Hightower, MD

William Tapscott, MD

Steve

VICE

Jason Irvin

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Katy Barrett-Alley

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jane Ehrhardt, Ashley Franco, Laura Freeman, Lynne Jeter, Marti Slay

Birmingham Medical News

270 Doug Baker Boulevard, Suite 700-400, 35242 205.215.7110

AD SALES: Jason Irvin, 205.249.7244

All editorial submissions should be e-mailed to: editor@birminghammedicalnews.com

UAB Launches its First Tele-ICU Expanded Hospital in the State

UAB has partnered with Whitfield Regional Hospital to launch the first UAB Tele-Intensive Care Unit expanded hospital. With this collaboration, Whitfield now has access to 24-hour Tele-ICU support, including a team of experienced ICU nurses and tele-intensivists stationed at UAB. The TeleICU allows patients to receive vital care closer to home.

Whitfield’s eight-bed ICU is monitored remotely 24/7 by the UAB TeleICU team to help support the bedside staff. Each room is equipped with highdefinition cameras, microphones and speakers. The Tele-ICU uses computer intelligence systems that allow UAB nurses to monitor a patient’s condition around the clock and alert the patient’s bedside team to any changes that may require additional care.

“Working with UAB through conventional tele-health at the bedside over the last few years has allowed us to treat more patients,” said Doug Brewer, CEO of Whitfield Regional Hospital. “The the expansion of that

program allows us to raise the level of our care with 24/7 monitoring of our ICU patients.”

In addition to 24/7 monitoring, the staff will also conduct virtual rounds on the patients each shift. The Tele-ICU nurses will review the patient’s chart, any changes to their condition and medication orders, among other tasks. The Tele-ICU also provides an opportunity for patients to receive specialized care from a UAB specialist that may not be immediately available in-house.

UAB Breaks Ground on New Building

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has broken ground on a $190 million facility for the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine and the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Biomedical Research and Psychology Building will house research faculty from the Heersink School of Medicine and the Department of Psychology.

The eight-story, 228,735-squarefoot facility will include wet and dry research laboratories and research support spaces, which will provide the flexibility necessary for investigators from

various disciplines to utilize the space. The venture received $152 million in federal funding.

Culverhouse Joins Veritas as the Firm Expands to the Gulf Coast

Veritas Medical Real Estate Advisors is expanding operations into the Gulf Coast market, and Brian Culverhouse has joined Veritas to lead the effort. He joins Veritas with after 26 years of practice management experience.

Culverhouse, who earned his MBA at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, spent eight years as Practice Administrator for Sparks & Favor, a five OB/ GYN practice. He followed that with a stint as

Executive Director of Clinic Network for Affinity Physician Services before spending the past nine years as Practice Manager of Complete Women's Care of Alabama. This wealth of experience will be invaluable in his new role where he will be assisting in the real estate needs of existing Veritas clients, establishing new client relationships, and expanding the firm’s market presence.

Based in Birmingham, Veritas assists client across the southeast in all aspects of evaluating commercial real estate for their practice.

birminghammedicalnews.com

Brian Culverhouse

UAB Tele-ICU team monitors Whitfield ICU 24/7.

A MANIFESTO

OUR HERO (IS THIS YOU?):

Our HERO is the ambitious Practice Manager whose life is wrapped up in the success of the business – income, mortgage, retirement, even the kids’ college. They have a sense of humor but are constantly thinking about ways to improve their business, maximize productivity, and MANAGE RISK. They’re passionate about their business and take it personally when a competitor, hacker, or employee threatens their mission to improve the world.

A MANIFESTO

OUR ENEMY:

A MANIFESTO

OUR HERO (IS THIS YOU?):

OUR ENEMY:

Apathetic or complacent US businesses who are willing to accept UNLIMITED RISK by ignoring today’s threats. Business owners who think, “it won’t ever happen to me.” Foreign Governments seeking footholds in the US or leverage. Cybercriminals who believe that all Americans are rich and therefore justified targets. Global crime syndicates who employ thousands in an Enterprise organizational structure. IT and Cybersecurity companies who take advantage of unwitting customers with Projects and Hourly Billing. The Cybersecurity industry as a whole, which has bored and confused the entire US public into a state of wanton vulnerability, while the hackers get better every day.

WHO/WHAT ARE WE FOR:

OUR HERO (IS THIS YOU?):

OUR ENEMY:

WHO/WHAT ARE WE FOR:

WHO/WHAT ARE WE AGAINST:

Practice Managers who are mature enough to understand that THEY OWN ALL THEIR COMPANY’S RISK, and who are willing to have routine, honest, and candid discussions about CYBER RISK MANAGEMENT and CYBERSECURITY / REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. They understand that by getting buttoned up and taking RISK seriously, they can maximize productivity, retire earlier, and send the kids to college debt-free. We are for HAVING FUN while making clients SAFER FROM CYBERCRIME. You know, CybertechnoLOLogy!

WHO/WHAT ARE WE FOR:

The solo “IT Guy” who doesn’t have the time, desire, or skills to keep up with ever-changing threats and subsequent countermeasures. Technology companies that baffle their customers into spending money on things they don’t need. MIND-NUMBING CYBERSECURITY TRAINING AND CONTENT that BORES AND CONFUSES NORMAL PEOPLE INTO NEVER GETTING ANY SAFER FROM CYBERCRIME. ANTIcybertechnoLOLogy.

Our HERO is the ambitious Practice Manager business – income, mortgage, retirement, but are constantly thinking about ways to MANAGE RISK. They’re passionate about their competitor, hacker, or employee threatens

OUR ENEMY:

WHO/WHAT ARE WE AGAINST:

Shoe

CybertechnoLOLogist www.sipoasis.com

Apathetic or complacent US businesses today’s threats. Business owners who think, Governments seeking footholds in the US Americans are rich and therefore justified thousands in an Enterprise organizational take advantage of unwitting customers with industry as a whole, which has bored and wanton vulnerability, while the hackers get

WHO/WHAT ARE WE FOR:

WHO/WHAT ARE WE AGAINST:

Practice Managers who are mature enough OWN ALL THEIR COMPANY’S RISK, and who and candid discussions about CYBER RISK REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. They understand taking RISK seriously, they can maximize the kids to college debt-free. We are for HAVING SAFER FROM CYBERCRIME. You know, CybertechnoLOLogy!

WHO/WHAT ARE WE

www.sipoasis.com

AGAINST:

The solo “IT Guy” who doesn’t have the time, with ever-changing threats and subsequent companies that baffle their customers into don’t need. MIND-NUMBING CYBERSECURITY BORES AND CONFUSES NORMAL PEOPLE INTO CYBERCRIME. ANTIcybertechnoLOLogy.