IAPP 2007 Privacy Summit Coverage Continues
The April 2007 issue of Employer's Guide to HIPAA Privacy Requirements included coverage of a breakout session at the IAPP's 2007 Privacy Summit in Washington, D.C. in March. IAPP board member Kirk Nahra, CIPP, Partner, Wiley Rein LLP, moderated the session, which included presentations on HIPAA privacy and enforcement from North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jim Poolman and Senior Attorney Marilou King of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights.

The article focused on the increasing number of state enforcement actions against health plans for privacy and security breaches as federal enforcement lags. Nahra provided his perspective from the private sector while Poolman and King offered the view from the state- and federal-regulator angles.

According to the article, Nahra remarked at the conference that the lack of civil penalties "has not caused a major drop in HIPAA-covered entities' compliance efforts" but that organizations that "were very conservative in April 2003 are now somewhat less conservative." Nahra said that given the increasing state role, as well as impending scrutiny of possible HIPAA gaps by the new Democratic-controlled Congress, health plans and other covered entities should guard against erosion of their privacy practices. He cautioned attendees, saying, "Keeping a focus of attention is, in fact, important given the potential legal and public relations impacts of a privacy or security breach."

Poolman and King addressed the issue from the state and federal perspective, with Poolman offering advice on how insurers can work with regulators when a breach occurs, and King discussing how federal regulations are enforced.

The IAPP Announces New Practical Privacy Series in NYC   
The Practical Privacy Series, which will be held June 27-28 at the City University of New York in Manhattan, will launch this year with experts who will provide in-depth analysis and instruction on three topics: Data Breach, Pharma/Healthcare and Financial Services. SAI Global is the Platinum Sponsor of the Practical Privacy Series.

Privacy professionals have come to rely on the IAPP for educational programming that will help them tackle the responsibilities and challenges within their companies," said IAPP President Kirk M. Herath, CIPP/G, Associate Vice President, Chief Privacy Officer, Associate General Counsel, Nationwide Insurance Companies. "This new IAPP educational resource will send privacy professionals home with practical tips and tools they can use in their own organizations."

The Practical Privacy Series will kick-off June 27 with a Data Breach event. Sessions are designed to provide attendees with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to proactively identify and manage risks while effectively planning for the worst. Topics of discussion will include: case studies; updates on state and federal breach notification laws; and how to investigate and respond after an incident, deal with the legal ramifications and rebuild trust with customers and business partners.

On June 28, attendees may choose between two different events, one on Pharma/ Healthcare and the other on Financial Services. The Pharma/Healthcare event will give attendees the chance to focus in-depth on the implications of electronic medical records and the impact of state laws on the pharmaceutical industry. Two other sessions offer a global focus on the transborder issues related to clinical trial data and transfer of patient information.

The Financial Services event will give attendees the opportunity to delve into various issues related to vendor management, including negotiating a contract and interaction with vendors serving the financial services industry. In the afternoon, the sessions will focus on authentication and the impact of customer trust on an organization's

Alan Chapell Joins Board of Acuity Mobile
Acuity Mobile, a provider of targeted mobile content delivery technology, recently announced the addition of Alan Chapell, CIPP, as a new board member and executive advisor. Chapell will advise Acuity Mobile on the latest issues surrounding the  Chapell is widely recognized as an industry leader on issues of privacy in mobile ecosystems and interactive media. Currently serving as Chairman of the Legislative and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee of the DMA's Interactive Marketing Advisory Board, he is also Chairman of the IAPP's New York City KnowledgeNet, Chairman of the Mobile Marketing Association's (MMA) Privacy and Preferences Committee, and a member of the MMA's Consumer Best Practices Committee. He previously founded the privacy program at Jupiter Research and also directed Jupiter's marketing, sales and compliance operations.