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certain posts some months ago essentially about the same subject content as now.  If Jay truly owes previous employees and current employees clearly it would behoove him to do so as it certainly doesn't look very good when his indiscretions are plastered all over MT sites.

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REMEMBER WHEN THIS STORY BROKE? Finally, somebody is dealing with the issue. Check this out!

http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/41035-1.html

VA IT security gaps extend to contractors
06/14/06 -- 04:15 PM
By Mary Mosquera,

Rep. Buyer: Department CIO needs IT security enforcement authority
 
[b]The Veterans Affairs Department said today that it has been investigating allegations that an offshore medical transcription subcontractor last year threatened to expose 30,000 veterans’ electronic health records on the Internet in a payment dispute with a VA contractor. [/b]
The VA assistant inspector general referred to the investigation during questioning in a congressional hearing on VA’s data security environment in the wake of the theft of sensitive data of 26.5 million veterans, active duty military and reserves officers.

The medical transcription incident highlights how gaps in information security also extend to contractors, said Michael Staley, VA’s assistant inspector general for auditing. Some VA medical transcription contractors have used offshore subcontractors in India and Pakistan without VA’s approval and without adequate controls to ensure veterans’ health information was secure under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, according to an audit released today.

“Contracts do not specify criteria for how to protect information,” Staley told the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

Staley enumerated audits of information management security under the Federal Information Security Management Act, the Consolidated Financial Statement and Combined Assessment Program that revealed significant vulnerabilities. These include VA not controlling and monitoring employee access, not restricting users to only the data they need and not terminating accounts of departing employees in a timely manner.

In last year’s FISMA review, the IG provided 16 recommendations, including addressing security vulnerabilities of unauthorized access and misuse of sensitive information and data throughout VA demonstrated during its field testing. All 16 recommendations remain open, he said.

Audits also found instances where out-based employees send veterans’ medical information to the VA regional office through unencrypted e-mail; monitoring remote network access and usage does not routinely occur; and off-duty users’ access to VA computer systems and sensitive information is not restricted.

“VA has implemented some recommendations for specific locations identified but has not made corrections VA-wide,” he said.

From fiscal years 2000 to 2005, the IG identified IT and security deficiencies in 141, or 78 percent, of 181 Veterans Health Administration facilities reviewed, and 37, or 67 percent, of the 55 Veterans Benefits Administration facilities reviewed.

“We recommended that VA pursue a more centralized approach, apply appropriate resources and establish a clear chain of command and accountability structure to implement and enforce IT internal controls,” Staley said.

The underlying situation is the VA’s department CIO does not have authority to enforce compliance with data security and information management and recommendations from GAO, said Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.).

Buyer traced problems in security enforcement to a memo dated April 2004 from the general counsel that said the department CIO did not have enforcement authority.

The CIO, undersecretaries who lead VA’s benefits, health and burial administrations, and the VA secretary share responsibility for enforcement, said Gregory Wilshusen, director of information security issues for the Government Accountability Office.

“Information security is a governmentwide problem, and we have talked with OMB about that,” said Linda Koontz, director of GAO’s information management issues.

Buyer expressed frustration that there are no consequences for “recalcitrant” agencies that do not correct problems that GAO has repeatedly highlighted. He cited the Privacy Act, which has been strengthened with consequences.

“If you have a bureaucracy so strong in the department that the secretary or political bodies are unable to act, don’t you think the president or vice president or OMB needs to know that because there are monetary consequences behind that inaction? I’m bothered that GAO doesn’t have the higher authority to which they can turn,” Buyer said after the hearing.

After several more hearings this month, Buyer and his committee will make recommendations or craft legislation. He suggested that Congress consider looking at strengthening FISMA.

“We can even come up with that in our language, but we’re not going to have jurisdiction over that. We’ll have to work with Mr. Davis [House Government Reform Committee chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.)] and his committee. I’d be more than happy to do that,” he said.

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You should censor what other people watch? I don't mean -you- but I mean that it's up to people what they turn the channel to.

To some people, Jesus Christ was not the Son of God. That's how they believe. To them, he was a fictitious or a historical character and there's no blasphemy involved.

If you do cringe (I haven't seen the ads for it) then not watching it is the right decision for you, but not everybody feels that way. :)

Christmas. We had those years several times. But don't hock your wedding band. I know you were just kidding, right? Don't lose your priorities. If you have to, just TELL them. Really.

I wanted to post because I have had a very eerie feeling lately and wanted to see if anyone has been experiencing a similar thing... I was a home MT working directly for a hospital for many years and a high producer.  Then, the hospital cut our incentive and many of us ended up with a MTSO after that.  Well, after being with the same job for many years, I spent over 2 years with the MTSO and found out that my line counts were very low because the platform was not counting my lines in a well honest (to me) way.  I thought I was losing my talent, but after finding out about this for sure by looking at the minutes versus the lines over a couple of weeks and checking with other MTs (finally) I found out it was not me.  I since have been working for a very reputable MTSO (no hospital jobs around directly that I could find by me) and something is happening. I am struggling to get my line counts again, and I did a study with the minutes and though not as bad as the other MTSO, the same thing is happening AGAIN! (dont mean to yell, just emphasizing).  It is so hard to look for yet another job...My question is this: Is it my imagination, am I just losing my talent and my mind, or are most jobs now counting the lines differently than before say 3 years ago when I left the hospital job. And, if I can't produce that much anymore because they count lines differently now, how does one find at least a job which is moderately easier to get more than minimum? Look, I used to make over 50K a year and now I am eeking out perhaps 27 a year and feeling like I am losing my talent.  Any advice would be appreciated here. I don't want to go through job after job, stress after stress.  BTW: My husband will be able to provide benefits in a couple of months, but until recently I have been the one to have to provide health coverage and this has figured heavily into where I work.  Thanks in advance for your opinions.  I don't want my hand held, just a little reality check.  Thanks in advance.

I've had it up to HERE with doctors who have thick foreign accents and dictate past the speed of sound, expecting that we are to know everything they're saying.

I've had it up to HERE with dictations received that were made on cassette tapes and then fished through onto digital recorders that contain tons of background noise and static, drowning out the dictation on them or making it sound like the doc is dictating from an underground tunnel. 

I'm sending ALL these transcripts back as quickly as they're dictated - looking like swiss cheese, filled with holes and blanks - because it's NOT my fault I can't understand these docs. They don't seem to care and guess what?  Neither do I!  Garbage in - garbage out!  Think they'll get the message?

Now, just let the OM call me about this - after sending her notes after notes on this subject, I'm ready to and WILL bite off her empty head!!

Thanks for letting me vent!

I can not believe how rude you all are...  I make a simple statement and everyone jumps all over me?  If you all lived in our neighborhood and saw house after house with tree down, where you can see the roots are barely in the ground because they were planted so shallow, with no room to grow because the curb and the sidewalk are on each side, and you talked to all of my other neighbors who all feel the same way, then maybe you wouldn't be so quick to pass judgement.  I think it's ironic that everyone else I've talked to in person finds it surprising that trees as big as these were, that have been there a decent amount of time (2+ years) did this.  I have six trees in my backyard that were only planted 2 months ago, but were planted the right way and are fine...  I am not an expert on Arizona weather, having only lived here 2 years, but it doesn't take a genius to look at the way these trees roots are so shallow to know there is a problem.  The other tree snapping in two is not something I blame on the landscapers, it was obvious that it has a very thin trunk and was never very strong. 

God forbid anyone make a passing comment on what is obviously "your board".  And no need to respond anymore, you've made it very clear that newcomers are not welcome.

what the heck is going on with the main board?  people asking about companies etc?