Posts in Professional Liability
Practice Agreement Requirements for Virginia Nurse Practitioners
Practice Agreement Requirements for Virginia Nurse Practitioners

In Virginia (and in many other states), NPs who do not have an autonomous practice must practice under the direct supervision of a physician as part of a patient care team, pursuant to what is called a “Practice Agreement,” or, “Collaborative Practice Agreement.” A Practice Agreement is an agreement between an NP and the NP’s supervising physician that describes the relationship between the parties, including the procedures to be followed and acts to be performed by the NP in the course of providing care to patients.

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Healthcare Reform, Physicians, Professional Liability, RegulationsKaitlyn O'ConnorVirginia, legislation, Physicians, supervision, Nurse Practitioner, physician employment agreement, corporate practice of medicine, Healthcare corporate and transactional
PRESS RELEASE: Ostendio Announces Partnership with Nixon Law Group
PRESS RELEASE: Ostendio Announces Partnership with Nixon Law Group

Ostendio, a leading provider of cybersecurity and risk management solutions, today announced that they have partnered with Nixon Law Group, a boutique healthcare law firm headquartered in Virginia, to make it easier for organizations to comply with the ever-changing healthcare privacy regulatory requirements. This partnership brings together a leading-edge software platform with top-tier healthcare attorneys to help organizations better navigate the highly regulated healthcare industry.

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Firm News, Health IT, Professional Liability, Telehealth, RegulationsRebecca GwiltTelehealth, Health IT, compliance, regulations
OCR ramping up HIPAA Enforcement for "Small" Breaches
OCR ramping up HIPAA Enforcement for "Small" Breaches

We often advise our clients that one of the criteria separating a “high risk” breach from a “low risk” breach is whether the breach affects more or fewer than 500 individuals. This is because the HHS Office of Civil Rights (which is the HIPAA enforcement arm of HHS) has historically prioritized investigation of and corrective action following breaches affecting in excess of 500 individuals—OCR’s Regional Offices investigate all reported breaches involving the PHI of 500 or more individuals. However, OCR recently announced that it would be teaming up with its regional office staff to more widely investigate HIPAA breaches affecting fewer than 500 individuals—sending a strong signal to covered entities and business associates that no one is “safe” from repercussions emanating from a HIPAA breach.

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HIPAA, Privacy, Professional LiabilityRebecca GwiltHIPAA, OCR
Buying Professional Liability (Malpractice) Insurance
Buying Professional Liability (Malpractice) Insurance

One of the key elements of any healthcare provider’s risk management plan is securing professional liability (also known as “medical malpractice”) insurance coverage. But, all professional liability policies are not created equal. When considering which policy to purchase, physicians and other healthcare providers should thoroughly examine and understand who the policy covers, how coverage is triggered, and the types of patient claims that are eligible for coverage. . . .

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Professional LiabilityRebecca Gwiltmedmal, professional liability insurance, policy, coverage, medical malpractice, physician coverage, buying malpractice coverage, insurer, healthcare provider