Cheryl S. Willis

Cheryl S. Willis, Director of Health Information Management said "Patty's experience in healthcare will add to the quality staffing at St. Mary's."

Cheryl Willis, director of health information and privacy officer at St. Mary,s Medical Center, said HIPAA may occasionally create headaches for media reporters and others seeing patient information, and that the biggest misunderstanding with HIPAA is that many people don,t understand it,s there for the patients, protection.

"The purpose of HIPAA is to protect patients, rights of privacy as far as medical records -- and to inform them of their rights," she said.
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"They have different levels of privacy when they come into a medical center," Willis said."When they want no publicity, nobody will know they,re here -- that,s spouse, kids, everyone."

If the patient allows publicity, that means that when someone calls asks if he or she is at the hospital, medical personnel can say whether the patient is in good, fair or critical condition.

"If they want loved ones or friends to know more about them, they,re given an access number, and the patient can choose to give that number to whomever they want," Willis said."Then that person can call and get more in-depth information.

"Some people are very private about their health care," Willis added."We have to honor the wishes of the patient."

HIPAA also allows patients to review their medical records and receive copies of their medical records for free if it,s for continuum of care.If they want them for other purposes, there is a charge regulated by the state.It,s 40 cents a page in West Virginia, Willis said.

Patients also have a right to inspect their medical records, and they have a right to request an amendment to their medical records if they think something that has been documented is incorrect.

"They also have a right to know who has received copies of medical records, and they can request restrictions on their medical records," Willis said.

"Health information management is dedicated to the effective management of patient information and healthcare data needed to deliver quality treatment and care to the public," stated Cheryl S. Willis, director of health information management at St. Mary's Medical Center.
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"HI&T Week is a great opportunity to learn more about the roles these professionals play in our healthcare system, and to recognize and celebrate their contributions to patient care," Willis said.

HI&T Week is sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA).