Amateur radio operators often provide and invaluable service to healthcare organizations when traditional communications systems fail due to natural disasters, equipment failures, accidents, or intentional events.

Amateur radio operators often have many more means of communicating available in a disaster than other communications systems because their skills and equipment are not dependent entirely on one mode, frequency, type of antenna system, or organization.

Amateur radio operators can use Morse code, the latest low-bandwidth digital communications, VHF / UHF FM voice systems, digital packet radio, and HF voice systems, extending communications anywhere from miles to thousands of miles efficiently and effectively.

With over 650,000 FCC-licensed amateur radio operators (not including "Novice" licensees) in the United States, all of whom have had to pass exams on radio communications regulations and electronics, many Homeland Security bodies and healthcare organizations are installing amateur radio stations in their emergency operations centers and credentialing licensed  volunteers from the community to operate as healthcare communicators.

The Rozovsky Group can assist healthcare organizations develop a plan for including amateur radio in disaster management plans and ensuring that the use of ham radio complies with regulations including HIPAA and FCC Part 97, which otherwise preclude the use of amateur radio communications for business purposes, or its use by facility employees.

As healthcare becomes increasingly dependent on telecommunications and information systems (IS or IT) in the march towards more patient-centered, efficient care - and the mandate to adopt electronic record-keeping, new challenges are arising.

Privacy concerns, security of networks, and vulnerability of complex systems to natural or man-made events such as power interruptions or surges are just some of the concerns.

Joshua Rozovsky, a consultant with The Rozovsky Group has written on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in healthcare, including in Healthcare Organizations Risk Management:  Forms, Checklists and Guidelines, Third Edition (ASPEN 2009) and the Enterprise Risk Management Handbook for Healthcare Entities (AHLA 2009). He holds a Masters in National Security and Public Safety with a concentration in Information Protection, and RFID+ certification.  Joshua holds additional certifications for A+, Network+ and FCC licenses for Amateur Radio (Extra-class) and commercial telecommmunications systems (GMDSS Operator / Maintainer with ship radar endorsement).

He has also attended training on lightning protection systems and their certification from Underwriters' Laboratories.

Information security does not just mean keeping prying eyes away from confidential records, or ensuring that the HIPAA Security Rule is implemented.

Information security includes:

• Confidentiality - ensuring the secrecy of data
• Integrity - Is the information accurate? Has it been corrupted intentionally or by glitch?
• Availability - Patient safety and facility operations depend on patient records and other information being accessible when needed

The Rozovsky Group offers education and consulting services to management, information services specialists, legal counsel, and insurers on information security technologies and strategies guided towards facilities along the continuum of care.

As part of an enterprise risk management(ERM) approach, healthcare organizations and physicians practices need to develop practical approaches for using electronic information.  With a national impetus for the adoption of electronic medical records (EMR), electronic health records (EHR) and personal health records (PHR), it is important to define the scope of what constitutes a legal health record.  What information should be maintained?  How will informaiton be archived?  What is the plan for responding to requests under federal and state  "e-Discovery" requirements? Does the plan contemplate data generated by embedded devices and smart pumps? Using an ERM approach, The Rozovsky Group works with clients to develop and implement plans, policies, procedures, and training needed to addressing these issues.