Presenter: Sophia Di Maria , Cell Biology & Genetics, Global Public Health Scholars
For my practicum project, I volunteered at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD over winter break. The majority of my volunteering hours were spent in the gift shop of the hospital where I interacted with patients, doctors, hospital staff and visitors. Through these interactions I was able to learn more about the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) laws set in place for the safety of the patients and whether these laws actually protect the patients, along with the developing issue of confidentiality in the modern age of social media and confidential data accessible and stored online. This issue has become increasingly challenging as the use of social media and culture of needing to share and post everything about yourself, leading to anyone being able to find excessive amount of information about a person within a few quick google searches.
The graphics used on the poster make it very engaging to the audience! What was your favorite part about volunteering in the gift shop and what was a challenge? Did it surprise you how many issues and concerns can arise from the HIPAA laws?
HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act (HIPAA) with two As rather than 2 Ps. In fact, it would be good to spell out HIPAA since it is in your title and you talk about what it exists to protect. Graphics are very engaging and I like that you point out that hospital operations go far beyond what we might all think of. What are your career goals and how will the work you did here provide insights for that future plan?
What was your greatest challenge when complying with the HIPAA laws?