iTM Healthcare's Leadership Allows Pacific Medical = Centers to Become the First Civilian Healthcare Company to Achieve DoD = DITSCAP Security Accreditation

iTM Healthcare, a leading provider of HIPAA Security = planning=20 and consulting has achieved the coveted DITSCAP = accreditation for=20 Pacific Medical Centers. The DITSCAP requirements are = rightfully=20 referred to as "HIPAA Security on Steroids."

(PRWEB) March 4, 2005 -- Pacific Medical Centers (PMC) is = one of=20 a handful of healthcare companies around the United States = providing=20 healthcare coverage through the U.S. Family Health Plan = sponsored by=20 the Department of Defense (DoD) for retired military and = their=20 dependents. In response to the increased awareness of = terrorism in=20 the United States and the theft of more than 500,000 = personal health=20 records from TriWest in 2003, the DoD is requiring all USFHP = payers=20 to pass an extensive physical, administrative, and = information=20 systems audit in order to retain their authority to operate = (ATO).=20 This required that no later than November 10, 2004, PMC meet = and=20 exceed by a huge margin the HIPAA Security rules effective = on April=20 21, 2005!

Due to the impending DoD imposed deadline, = iTM=20 Managing Director Wayne Mackert assembled a team of Sr. = Network=20 Specialists, Windows 2000 Server Specialists, PC/LAN = Technicians,=20 Active Directory and Exchange Server Administrators, = Documentation=20 Specialists, and HIPAA Security Project Managers to = accomplish a=20 total upgrade and migration to compliant technology of more = than=20 1000 computer and networking devices. This would normally = take 9-12=20 months of planning and execution; however PMC only had 12 = weeks to=20 achieve the DoD certification or lose their authority to = operate=97a=20 major blow to the company.

In addition, the everyday = business=20 of PMC treating patients and adjudicating claims without = impact was=20 essential. As the project progressed, the iTM team worked = around the=20 clock to completely overhaul and remediate the = vulnerabilities in=20 the clinical facilities, administrative policies and = procedures, as=20 well as eliminate 58,000 information technology = vulnerabilities=20 identified in the initial DoD security assessment. At the = end of the=20 twelve week period the validation assessment by the iTM and = DoD=20 security teams identified only 10 remaining = vulnerabilities=97all low=20 risk and fully mitigated and approved by the Department of = Defense.=20 The added bonus for PMC is that they achieved the government = mandated HIPAA Security compliance more than 7 months early = as the=20 DITSCAP security requirements based upon the National = Security=20 Agency security guidelines were far more stringent than the = HIPAA=20 rules.

About Pacific Medical Centers: Pacific Medical = Centers=20 offers an integrated, comprehensive network of more than 140 = primary=20 and specialty care healthcare providers at six locations = throughout=20 Puget Sound in association with the Virginia Mason Hospital. = Pacific=20 Medical Centers is also a US Family Health Plan payer for = the Dept.=20 of Defense providing healthcare coverage for thousands of = DoD=20 retirees and their dependents throughout the northwest. More = information about Pacific Medical Centers is available at http://www.pacmed.org/.

About iTM = Healthcare: iTM Healthcare, a dedicated healthcare = management=20 consulting practice within iTech Management, LLC, provides = C-level=20 executive management consulting to payer and provider = information=20 technology organizations. iTM Healthcare is a results = oriented,=20 been-there/done-that consulting group which hires only = healthcare IT=20 executives with a minimum of 10 years management consulting = AND 10=20 years of healthcare corporate Director /VP /CIO/ CTO = experience. iTM=20 Healthcare and iTech Management, LLC deliver results to = their=20 clients, not documents. As a member of the Mentorship Group, = iTech=20 Management, LLC maintains Strategic Alliances with local and = nationally based technology, security and management = consulting=20 firms such as TripleNet Technologies, Inc., The Watson = Group,=20 Borgard Consulting, and Qualys, a leading security = vulnerability=20 appliance vendor. iTM Healthcare is a QualysGuard Security=20 Consultant vendor.

For more information please = contact Wayne=20 Mackert at (425) 891-2128. More information is available at = http://www.itechmanagement.com/.

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iTM Healthcare's Leadership Allows = Pacific=20 Medical Centers to Become the First Civilian Healthcare = Company to=20 Achieve DoD DITSCAP Security Accreditation