Prior to HIPAA, there was no generally accepted set of security standards or general requirements for protecting health information in the health care industry. At the same time, new technologies were evolving and the health care industry began to move away from paper processes to rely more heavily on the use of computers to pay claims, answer eligibility questions, provide health information, and conduct a host of other administrative and clinically based functions. As the country moves towards its goal of a National Health Information Infrastructure (NHII) and the use of electronic health records becomes an industry standard, it is more critical than ever to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of EPHI. AWS Assessment Benefits Include: • HIPAA Policy and Procedure Implementation • Heightened Access Control Technical Policies and Procedures • Heightened Protection of Sensitive Data, particularly EHR and associated applications • Recognized Device and Media Controls • Enhanced Security Management Process and Procedures\Superior Security Incident Policies and Procedures • Elevated Security Awareness and Training • Take full advantage of Business Associate Contracts and other arrangements • Contingency Planning Policies and Procedures to address security incidents