Iowa Health Information Management Association - IaHIMA

09/12/2026

🚨 SOMETHING FOR HIM PROFESSIONALS TO THINK ABOUT…

We talk a lot about how AI can help healthcare — but what happens when cybercriminals use it too? 🤖🔐

A recent Journal of AHIMA article discusses how AI agents are changing ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations.

AI can potentially help attackers automate parts of an attack, operate faster, and make threats more difficult for organizations to respond to.

💡 Why should HIM care?

Protecting health information isn't only an IT responsibility. HIM professionals are often directly involved when a security incident affects PHI — from determining what information was involved to assisting with breach assessment, documentation, notification, and response.

It’s another reminder that as healthcare's use of AI evolves, our privacy and security practices have to evolve with it.

👇 QUESTION FOR OUR MEMBERS:
Has your organization started discussing how AI changes cybersecurity or ransomware risk?

09/11/2026

New on the IaHIMA Job Board: Health Information Supervisor. Get all the details and apply at https://champ.ly/-PkRRau2.

09/11/2026

09/10/2026

📂 **THROWBACK THURSDAY | HIPAA RIGHT OF ACCESS**

Some HIM responsibilities never go out of style!

For years, HIM professionals have been responsible for making sure patients can access their medical records and a recent OCR settlement is a good reminder that **timeliness still matters.**

**RECENT HIPAA ENFORCEMENT ALERT**

On August 27, 2026, HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced its **55th HIPAA Right of Access enforcement action.**

The case involved a patient who requested her records in January 2023 but did not receive them until January 2025, nearly two years later and after OCR became involved.

The provider agreed to:
• Pay $50,000
• Implement a corrective action plan
• Review and revise Right of Access policies and procedures
• Track access requests and completion dates
• Provide workforce training

*HIM REMINDER*

Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, organizations generally must act on an individual's request for access to PHI within 30 days. HIPAA permits one additional 30-day extension when requirements for the extension are met.

**TAKEAWAY:**
Don't just track whether a request was completed—track when it was received, its due date, and when it was completed.

A request sitting in a work queue can become a compliance issue.

How does your organization monitor aging ROI/Right of Access requests?



HHS’ Office for Civil Rights Settles HIPAA Right of Access Investigation with Azul Vision, Inc. | HHS.gov

https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-ocr-settles-hipaa-investigation-with-azul-vision.html.

09/09/2026

💡 **WISDOM WEDNESDAY | CLINIC ROI**

📋 **NEW PROVIDER = SIGNED RELEASE REQUIRED?**

A patient says:

🗣️ “I’m changing doctors. Please send my records to my new provider.”

Does the clinic always need a signed HIPAA authorization first?

👉 **NO — not necessarily.**

Under HIPAA, a healthcare provider generally may disclose PHI to another healthcare provider **for treatment purposes without a signed patient authorization.**

For example:

🏥 New provider requests records needed to continue care
➡️ **HIPAA generally permits the disclosure for treatment.**

💡 **HIM TIP**

Don’t automatically ask:

❌ “Do we have a signed release?”

First ask:

✅ **“What is the purpose of the disclosure?”**

Treatment, patient access, legal requests and other disclosures can have **different requirements**.

⚠️ Remember: Other federal or state confidentiality laws may provide additional protections for certain information. Always follow applicable requirements and your organization’s policies.

💬 **CLINIC STAFF:** Have you ever been told, “We can’t send records without a signed release”?

09/07/2026

HAPPY LABOR DAY FROM IaHIMA!

Today we celebrate the people whose hard work keeps our communities moving — including the many professionals working behind the scenes in healthcare. 💙

To our HIM professionals, coders, CDI specialists, privacy and compliance professionals, ROI staff, registrars, billers, educators, students and everyone who helps make health information accurate, accessible and secure:

THANK YOU for what you do! 💙

And a special thank-you to those working today because healthcare never takes a holiday. 🏥

Whether you're working or enjoying a well-deserved day off, we hope you have a safe and relaxing Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day from IaHIMA! 🌽💙

09/05/2026

💙 SATURDAY CHECK-IN FROM IaHIMA!

The workweek is over…hopefully! 😄

What does your Saturday look like?

☕ A. Coffee & relaxing

🧹 B. Catching up at home

🛍️ C. Shopping & errands

🏈 D. Sports &/or family time

📚 E. Studying for an HIM credential

💻 F. Working — because healthcare never stops!

😴 G. Absolutely NOTHING…and proud of it!

👇 Drop your letter in the comments!

Whatever your Saturday looks like, we hope you find a little time to recharge. 💙

09/04/2026

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉 Diane Kearns, Shari Johnson Good, Mindy Hartman