Melissa Soliz Discusses Information Blocking in SHIEC Webinar Series

Melissa Soliz Breaks Down How Privacy Laws Prevent Effective Substance Use Treatment in Journal of Health Care Compliance

The opioid epidemic is a national crisis that kills approximately 130 people per day, according to the CDC. In an article for the Journal of Health Care Compliance, Melissa Soliz shared that while treatment for opioid addiction is expanding, outdated privacy laws are stymying treatment efforts.  Melissa provided an overview of 42 C.F.R. Part 2 (the federal Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Record regulations, known as Part 2), which was promulgated in the 1970s to protect the information of people seeking substance use disorder treatment. She explains the barriers Part 2 creates when health care providers need to access or share substance use disorder information protected by Part 2 for treatment, payment, public health activities, and ordinary health care operations. She also proposed solutions to fix the problem.  Melissa’s legal practice...

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Melissa Soliz Discusses Information Blocking in SHIEC Webinar Series

Melissa Soliz Provides Guidance on HIPAA Compliance Training in Healthcare Risk Management Article

Even well-prepared health care organizations can experience HIPAA breaches. In an article for Healthcare Risk Management, Melissa Soliz shared tips on how organizations can effectively communicate HIPAA compliance requirements to employees, providing real-life examples of do’s and don’ts.  Melissa focuses on HIPAA and 42 C.F.R. Part 2 compliance, compliance with opioid treatment laws and regulations, health information exchange (including compliance with new information blocking rules), data breaches and OCR investigations, as well as clinical research compliance and contracting. Read the full article here. ...

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Melissa Soliz Discusses Information Blocking in SHIEC Webinar Series

Melissa Soliz Contributes to American Health Lawyers Association’s Opioid Crisis and Prescribing Survey

The opioid epidemic has been declared a public health emergency. Attorney Melissa Soliz contributed to the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)’s recent “State Response to Opioid Crisis and Opioid Prescribing Requirements: A 50 State Survey,” a resource guide providing an overview and references regarding the opioid epidemic on a state-by-state basis.  Melissa and co-authors Benjamin Runkle of Gammage & Burnham and D’Arcy Downs-Vollbracht of Concierge Legal Group, PLLC, highlighted the results of efforts to combat the opioid epidemic in Arizona, such as the Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act of 2018, opioid prescribing and treatment regulations, pain management clinic regulations, and opioid-poisoning related reporting regulations.  Melissa focuses on HIPAA and 42 C.F.R. Part 2 compliance, compliance with opioid treatment laws and regulations, health information exchange (including compliance with new information blocking rules),...

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Melissa Soliz and Erin Dunlap Discuss Healthcare Records Access During State Bar of Arizona’s Workers’ Compensation Program

Melissa Soliz and Erin Dunlap Discuss Healthcare Records Access During State Bar of Arizona’s Workers’ Compensation Program

Melissa Soliz and Erin Dunlap recently shared their expertise in health care data privacy in a presentation to fellow lawyers at the State Bar of Arizona’s annual Workers’ Compensation Program in Prescott.  The presentation began with an overview of HIPAA, breaking down relevant HIPAA exceptions related to workers’ compensation cases. Mel and Erin then provided historical background on 42 C.F.R. Part 2, which regulates substance use disorder records, explaining how to determine if Part 2 applies to workers’ compensation issues. They also touched on considerations related to state privacy laws and shared case examples to illustrate how a real workers’ compensation situation could play out. The presentation triggered interesting dialogue among the attendees, highlighting the importance of this topic in the worker’s compensation context.    Melissa focuses her practice on...

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Melissa Soliz Discusses Information Blocking in SHIEC Webinar Series

Melissa Soliz Discusses Impact of Data Privacy Laws on Opioid Epidemic with KTAR

Regulatory health care attorney Melissa Soliz explained how data privacy laws can impede effective treatment for opioid addiction in an interview with KTAR News Radio.  Melissa explained that 42 C.F.R. Part 2, the federal Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Record regulations, limits how doctors and treatment centers can exchange information for treatment purposes. In many cases, the Part 2 regulations prevent providers from learning of a patient’s opioid addiction, and they may prescribe an opioid by mistake, triggering a relapse or overdose. An act of Congress is needed to remove Part 2’s barriers to effective treatment.  Melissa focuses her practice on HIPAA and 42 C.F.R. Part 2 compliance, data breaches and OCR investigations, electronic health records and health information exchanges, compliance with opioid treatment laws and...

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Melissa Soliz Discusses Information Blocking in SHIEC Webinar Series

Melissa Soliz Appointed to Arizona Department of Health Services’ Human Subjects Review Board

Regulatory health care attorney Melissa Soliz has been appointed to the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Human Subjects Review Board, which protects people involved in biomedical and behavioral research. As a member of the board, Melissa helps assess the risks and benefits of research proposals and ensures informed consent, which is an ethical requirement for research with human subjects. The board also reviews research proposals to ensure the privacy and confidential information of human subjects remains protected. Melissa focuses her practice on HIPAA and 42 C.F.R. Part 2 compliance (the federal Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Record regulations), data breaches and OCR investigations, electronic health records and health information exchanges, compliance with opioid treatment laws and regulations, data sharing for research and clinical integration, and clinical...

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