HIPAA Training

In 1996, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The HIPAA privacy regulations present standards to protect the privacy and security of individual health information and require health care organizations to create policies and procedures to implement the HIPAA regulations.

Required HIPAA training:

In the Academic Health Center (AHC), students, faculty, and staff are required to complete the HIPAA training.

Pharmacy students must complete the training before they can participate in the required EPhECT and mentor programs (beginning first semester of the first year in the PharmD program, i.e., before classes start in September).

For an overview of HIPAA privacy and security, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/privacy/hipaa.

How to complete the training:

Go to “myU” at http://www.myu.umn.edu and sign in with your internet ID (x.500) and password. Click on “my Toolkit.”

 There are two courses to complete:

• Introduction to HIPAA Privacy and Security Video
• Privacy and Confidentiality in the Clinical Setting

 Make sure you read through each page of each course before completing the exam. The system tracks whether you’ve read each page or just skipped to the exam. If you skip to the exam, the system will continue to report that you have not completed the course.

 If you choose to quit the training in the middle of a course that is in WebCT, you can log into the portal and go back into the course you would like to continue. Select the "Resume Course" button in the upper navigation to get back to the page you were on.

Please remember that you will need proof of completion of HIPAA training when you begin rotations. Also, for internships and jobs, many employers require proof that you have completed the training. You will receive an email confirming your completion of each course. It is important that you save these electronic confirmations for your records. When you are asked for proof, simply print out a copy of your confirmation to give to your preceptor, employer, etc.

Privacy coordinator:

Privacy coordinators have been designated to help facilitate training, implement relevant policies and procedures, and answer any questions regarding HIPAA. The privacy coordinator for the College of Pharmacy (Duluth and Twin Cities) is Becky Lentz, 612-624-7654, lentz012@umn.edu. In Duluth, Ruth Leathers (315B Kirby Plaza, rleather@umn.edu, 218-726-6003) has access to student HIPAA training records as well. Contact Ruth or Becky if you have questions.