By Rob Brown
This morning, from the 20th floor of the five-star Aria Resort, I watched the sun rise over Las Vegas. It was my introduction to the 20th HCCA Compliance Institute. The view was spectacular, and so is the Compliance Institute for that matter.
Over 3200 of my compliance colleagues from around the nation have descended upon this desert city for five days of compliance fun. Don’t think that “compliance fun” is an oxymoron–au contraire, mes amis, compliance is more fun than you can imagine. The speakers are skilled and entertaining, and the offerings are vast and encyclopedic. In short, it is a great conference to attend to learn cutting edge topics.
Now, about that sunset…
As a healthcare compliance officer, I will like to highlight on an inevitable but devastating and rather subtle category of illnesses increasingly plaguing the majority of the world’s population. . This category of illness or disease is known as PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES, unlike pathogenic diseases which are caused by microbes such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa etc. PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES are often triggered by psychological or emotional disturbances that induces the body’s endocrinal cells or endocrine system to secrete hormones in response thus extending their impacts or effects into the SOMATIC ( cellular) aspects of the body.. Examples of such diseases include DEPRESSION, PARANOIA, CHRONIC FEAR OR PANIC, INSOMNIA, ANOREXIA NERVOSA( under eating disorder), ANOREXIA BULLIMIA ( over eating disorder) etc. Even though these forms of illnesses attracts less attention and urgency as compared to pathogenic diseases such as HIV/AIDS , TUBERCULOSIS, MALARIA etc. they can be equally or even more devastating due to the fact that in the case of pathogenic diseases , cures could be provided by administering specific treatments , drugs, or remedies once the causative organism ie virus or bacteria is determined through laboratory testing but that is not the case for PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES because they are caused by a combination of several factors stemming from the harsh realities of life such as ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, UNEMPLOYMENTS, WAR, POVERTY, SOCIO- POLITICAL TURMOIL, TERRORISM, XENOPHOBIC AND RACIAL ATTACKS , CLIMATE CHANGE THREATS SUCH AS FLOOD, EARTHQUAKE, FIRE, TSUNAMI etc.. which leads to the development of these diseases thus making them very difficult to tackle or cured by a specific treatment or drug for as long as those conditions persists and continuously progresses and evolves into more life threatening conditions such as HYPERTENSION/ HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE , HEART ATTACK and sudden deaths, or NERVOUS BREAKDOWN AND SUICIDE. . These category of illness seem more likely to be on the ascendancy considering the fact b that the underlying conditions of their occurrence or trigger factors are always and rapidly increasing on daily basis around the world..
Contributions of boot camp staff members towards the growth and expansion of IT businesses are obvious and therefore will like to know from business partners if new camps or hubs should be created for nearby and neighboring communities in form of low cost guest houses or cheaper hotels where such individuals could be occasionally camped for their pools of human resources to be tapped into and groomed to be employed on a permanent base in the near future. Understandably younger talents should be considered as well but with parental consent. . Relevant advice, suggestions, and support from business partners and stakeholders to enable me play my roles and responsibilities in a safe, secure and smooth manner in the near and long term future will be greatly appreciated and welcomed.
The proliferation and the surge in the use of digital technology comes with the creation of databases for the storage of individual , corporate, national and international data , which also requires that the developers , vendors and users of these technologies abide and comply with stipulated rules and regulations governing the development, deployment and use of such technologies. Some of these regulations and rules are international in scope and covers wide geographical areas and therefore valid in several countries, , examples are the INFORMATION SECURITY AND MANAGEMENT ACT ( ISO 27001) set by the international standards organization and the HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT ( HIPAA) by the healthcare compliance association., to govern the acquisition, storage and use of data or digital information. .Some of the rules or regulations are however more specific and limited to individual countries for example in Ghana , there is the ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION ACT 2008, (ACT 775), and the DATA PROTECTION ACT, 2012 ( ACT 843), that regulates the processing of information and provide the process to obtain, hold, use and disclose data or information. However, under each or both set of rules violations or non compliance could attract punitive measures ranging from payment of heavy fines, restrictions on services and operations or in more serious cases outright revocation of operational licenses of developers or vendors.., In light of this a facility such as the recently established secretariat of the African continental free trade area in Accra, Ghana, will be required to comply with both international and national laws or regulations in it’s acquisition, storage, processing, use and disclosure of data and information to avoid having to face punitive measures from the appropriate regulatory or compliance authorities.
Comments are closed.