PUEBLO, Colo. (April 10, 2009)--- Parkview Medical Center is joining the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) to celebrate Health Information Privacy and Security Week (HIPS), April 12-18, a nationwide effort to increase the awareness of patient privacy and security. This year’s theme, “Protecting Information – It’s a Top Priority” recognizes health institutions and professionals working diligently throughout the year to ensure patient health records are protected and secure.

As part of President Obama’s economic stimulus plan, over $19 billion will be allocated to cultivate a United States nationwide health information network by 2014. Parkview has already taken a leadership role on this issue, implementing several measures to protect patient health records.

Patient privacy and security is a top priority at Parkview Medical Center. Data encryption of patient health information, encryption software on mobile laptops, software to audit e-mails coming in and going out of Parkview, virus scanning software, internet filtering and blocking, password protection for systems using patient health information and secure recycling are just a few examples of what Parkview does to ensure the privacy and security of patients’ medical records.

“The time previously spent manually auditing paper logs now is spent educating employees and investigating suspected violations,” said Paula Oreskovich, Parkview Director of Information Technology. “Additionally, instead of only reviewing random patient records, the hospital performs its analysis on all patient records.”

Founded in 1923, Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, Colorado, offers general acute healthcare and behavioral health specialty services. As a private, non-profit organization, Parkview is licensed for 305 beds and provides a full range of healthcare services including the region’s most experienced, certified Level II Trauma Center and the region’s first certified Stroke Center. Parkview Medical Center is the leader in cardiac, women’s, emergency, and neurological services as well as behavioral health programs. As a vital healthcare source, Parkview’s service area includes Pueblo County and 14 surrounding counties, which together represent 350,000 total lives.

Parkview Medical Center is the largest non-government, nonprofit, private sector employer in Pueblo County with more than 2,000 employees and provides a skilled medical staff of over 300 physicians. The impact of our workforce triggers a strong impact on the community as Parkview’s annual payroll contributes $78 million to the economy.

For more details, please visit www.parkviewmc.org.