Delaware Health Information Network Seeks Gold Standard of Data Security

Certified Assessor BluePrint Healthcare IT to Support HITRUST CSF Certification Process

Dover, DE and Cranbury, NJ  ̶  August 23, 2016 ̶  Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) and BluePrint Healthcare IT jointly announced they will partner to achieve HITRUST (Health Information Trust Alliance) Certification for DHIN in accordance with the HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF).

As the nation’s first operational statewide health information exchange (HIE), DHIN provides an electronic network through which hospitals, physicians, laboratories and other clinical entities quickly and securely exchange clinical results and reports. The organization joins a growing number of HIEs pursuing HITRUST certification to meet the highest standards of security, privacy and compliance.

With cyber threats and organized targeting of healthcare data on the rise, the HITRUST CSF has become the “gold standard” for measuring and certifying security management programs. Created by healthcare, technology, information security, privacy and compliance leaders, the CSF combines requirements from both existing federal and third-party standards and regulations.

“The sensitive nature of the information being shared makes its security paramount,” says Mark Jacobs, DHIN’s chief information officer. “Completing HITRUST Certification will give practitioners, payers and consumers added assurance that DHIN takes every precaution to protect the clinical information that flows through the exchange.”

In 2011, HITRUST released the first version of the CSF and BluePrint became the first 100% healthcare focused Certified Assessor. “We believed back then, as we do to this day, that a framework was needed in healthcare to establish a solid and clear foundation for a security management program,” said BluePrint President and CEO, Vikas Khosla. With a sole focus on the security programs of healthcare organizations, BluePrint provides practical, real-world, implementable solutions for the expanding number of HIEs, Business Associates and Health Systems pursuing HITRUST certification.

“Through our partnership with DHIN and other HIEs across the country, we see a great opportunity to form a collaborative of HIEs to share best practices, focused tools and lessons learned to collectively accelerate and streamline the certification process for all,” states Mark Ferrari, Chief Information Security Officer for BluePrint.

In ongoing efforts to provide added value, the Delaware Health Information Network and HIEs nationwide look to support solutions not only for healthcare providers but also payers. With most national payers now requiring a HITRUST certification to contract with business associates, ensuring the highest level of protection for HIE data is critical. And it provides patients and healthcare consumers with peace-of-mind that HITRUST certified organizations have made a significant commitment to ensuring privacy and security of their health records

DHIN expects to pass the rigorous HITRUST Certification by June 2017.