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National Imaging Associates Awarded URAC Privacy Accreditation
Accreditation Validates NIA’s Dedication to Safeguarding Health Information and Raises the Quality Bar
HACKENSACK, NJ (August 19, 2003) – National Imaging Associates, Inc. (NIA), the nation’s leading provider of radiology benefits management services, has been awarded URAC’s HIPAA Privacy Accreditation. NIA is already URAC-accredited for utilization management; now the firm is the only radiology management organization to have received accreditation for the privacy of all health information it receives in the course of its operations.
The URAC program is the nation’s first independent HIPAA privacy accreditation program for covered entities and business associates. With a strong emphasis on the fundamentals of ongoing risk management, URAC’s HIPAA Privacy Accreditation program enables health care organizations such as NIA to validate their security compliance programs and demonstrate to their customers and business partners that they have taken the necessary steps to safeguard Protected Health Information (PHI) in accordance with the HIPAA Privacy Rules.
“A vital factor in assuring quality health care is embracing, applying, and continuously enhancing information privacy standards,” says John Donahue, NIA’s president and chief executive officer. He adds that, “As leaders in radiology management, we have made a commitment to health care customers and are continuously developing and implementing programs for quality improvement. URAC accreditation solidifies this effort, and shows customers our commitment to superior utilization management that meets the highest quality standards for health information privacy.”
"Achieving URAC HIPAA Privacy Accreditation is a great accomplishment for these companies and speaks to the quality of their HIPAA compliance programs," said Garry Carneal, URAC president and CEO. "URAC is pleased to have launched a third-party evaluation program that helps health care organizations validate their HIPAA compliance efforts internally and to external stakeholders such as the government, professional liability insurers, consumers and other interested parties."
For NIA, accreditation has meant tighter quality review of the utilization management processes and has encouraged evaluation of all areas of the organization.
URAC HIPPA Privacy Accreditation is awarded for a two year period, at the end of which an accredited organization must submit a reaccredidation application for URAC’s review before accreditation is granted for additional two year periods. For more information, contact Eamon Bobowski of URAC’s Information and Technology Accreditation Department at 202-216-9010 x 8835 or by sending an email to ita@urac.org.
About National Imaging Associates, Inc.
National Imaging Associates, Inc. is a radiology benefit management company offering services that cover more than 11 million health plan enrollees, and provides managed care clients with clinically-sound, information technology-based utilization management. As part of its offering, NIA also assesses the current imaging network of a health care organization and through a rigorous network development process identifies opportunities to establish the highest quality network that operates in the most cost effective manner.
About URAC
URAC, a charitable, nonprofit organization, is a leader in promoting health care quality through accreditation and certification programs. URAC's standards keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a mark of distinction for health care organizations to demonstrate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in setting meaningful standards for the health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.
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