Consequences for HIPAA violations can often be quite harsh. If someone has breached the HIPAA privacy regulations – even without any malicious intent, civil penalties are applicable: $100 per violation for unawareness, a minimum of $1,000 for reasonable cause, a minimum of $10,000 if willful neglect is present and then rectified, and finally, a minimum of $50,000 for individuals who act with willful neglect and ignore the issue.
| Digital ExclusiveNorthwestern Raises Funds for Hurricane Victims
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Northwestern Health Sciences University, home to the Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, recently held a fundraising drive for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The drive, held Sep. 6-9, ended up raising more than $9,000, which will be donated to the American Red Cross.
"I'm very impressed with the students, faculty, and staff of Northwestern," said Jeff King, Northwestern's recruiter and chair of the university's community services committee, which was responsible for collecting funds during the event.
Students, faculty and staff from Northwestern all participated in the fundraiser, which generated a total of $4,624.09 in donations. The funds were then matched by Foot Levelers, Inc., a Virginia-based orthotics supplier, bringing the total raised to $9,248.18.
According to a Northwestern press release, the $4,600 in funds is the most the university has ever raised for a single cause. Previously, faculty, staff and students contributed $987 plus more than 800 hours of paid time off to the family of Marlene Nassen, the university's custodial services manager, following her death in February 2005.