Miami medical offices • HIPAA technical safeguards HIPAA IT compliance for
Miami healthcare practices
A data breach at your practice isn’t just a technology problem — it’s a federal violation, a patient trust crisis, and a fine that can reach seven figures. We configure, audit, and maintain the IT infrastructure that keeps your practice HIPAA-compliant.
$100
Minimum fine per HIPAA violation
$1.9M
Average cost of a healthcare data breach (2025)
68%
Of healthcare breaches caused by IT misconfigurations
Free
SKALS HIPAA IT assessment for Miami practices
HIPAA requirements
What HIPAA actually requires from your IT
HIPAA’s Security Rule covers three categories of safeguards. Most practices focus on the paperwork — we handle the technical infrastructure that the rule actually mandates.
Technical safeguards What we configure & manage
- Access controls & unique user IDs
- Automatic logoff on inactive workstations
- Encryption of PHI at rest and in transit
- Audit logs for all PHI access
- Email encryption for patient communications
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Secure remote access (VPN)
This is our primary area — these are IT configurations, and they require an IT company to set up correctly.
Administrative safeguards Where we support your compliance team
- Risk analysis documentation support
- Staff cybersecurity awareness training
- Incident response plan (technical components)
- Business Associate Agreements for vendors
- Access management policies & procedures
- Workforce training on secure device use
Physical safeguards Facility & device security
- Workstation use policies & screen positioning
- Device & media controls (mobile devices)
- Security camera installation for server areas
- Secure disposal of old hardware & drives
- Server room access control setup
- Laptop encryption for portable devices
Our HIPAA IT services
Everything we handle for your practice
From initial assessment to ongoing management — we cover the full technical side of HIPAA compliance so your staff can focus on patients, not IT.
HIPAA IT compliance assessment & written report
EHR / EMR system support & integration
Encrypted email setup for patient communications
Multi-factor authentication rollout for all staff
Workstation encryption (BitLocker / FileVault)
Secure Wi-Fi segmentation (clinical vs. guest)
Automatic screen lock & session timeout setup
Audit log configuration & monitoring
Encrypted offsite backup with tested recovery
Mobile device management (MDM) for phones & tablets
Secure remote access & VPN for off-site staff
Staff cybersecurity training & phishing simulations
Security camera installation for server & records areas
Ongoing managed IT with HIPAA-aware support team
Self-audit
Is your practice currently HIPAA IT compliant?
Work through this checklist. If you can’t check every item, your practice has a compliance gap. Contact us for a free assessment — we’ll identify every gap and give you a written remediation plan.
HIPAA technical safeguards checklist — Miami medical practices
Print or share with your practice manager Access controls
Unique user IDs for every staff member — No shared logins. Every person who accesses patient data has their own account with their own password.
Automatic workstation logoff — All workstations lock automatically after 5–15 minutes of inactivity. Staff must re-authenticate to resume access.
Role-based access controls — Staff can only access the PHI they need for their job. Billing staff can’t access clinical notes; front desk can’t access financial records.
Multi-factor authentication on all systems — MFA is enabled for EHR, email, and any cloud service that stores or accesses patient data.
Encryption & transmission security
PHI encrypted at rest — All workstations, laptops, and servers storing patient data have full-disk encryption enabled (BitLocker on Windows, FileVault on Mac).
Encrypted email for patient communications — When sending PHI via email, your system uses an encrypted method — not standard Gmail or Outlook without additional encryption.
Secure patient Wi-Fi network — Your patient/guest Wi-Fi is completely separate from the clinical network that accesses EHR and patient data.
Audit controls & monitoring
Audit logs enabled and retained — Your systems log all access to patient data, and those logs are retained for a minimum of 6 years and reviewed periodically.
Security incident monitoring — You have a system or process in place to detect unauthorized access attempts, malware infections, and other security events.
Backup & disaster recovery
Daily encrypted backup of all PHI — Patient records are backed up daily to an encrypted offsite or cloud location outside your physical office.
Tested recovery procedure — You have actually tested restoring from backup within the past 12 months and documented the result. An untested backup is not a backup.
Disaster recovery plan documented — You have a written plan for restoring operations if your primary system is unavailable — including who is responsible and how long recovery should take.
Device & mobile security
Mobile device management (MDM) deployed — Any phone or tablet that accesses patient data is enrolled in MDM so it can be remotely wiped if lost or stolen.
Secure disposal procedure for old hardware — When retiring computers or drives, PHI is securely wiped or hardware is physically destroyed before disposal.
Business Associate Agreements signed — Every vendor that handles PHI on your behalf — including your cloud backup provider, email service, and IT company — has signed a BAA.
Missing items from this checklist?
We offer a free HIPAA IT assessment for Miami medical practices — including a written gap report and remediation plan at no charge. Request free assessment We sign Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)
Under HIPAA, any vendor that accesses, stores, or transmits Protected Health Information (PHI) on your behalf is a Business Associate — and must sign a BAA with your practice before beginning work.
SKALS IT will sign a BAA with your practice. We understand our obligations as a Business Associate, handle all PHI with the required safeguards, and maintain the documentation your compliance records require. Many general IT companies won’t sign a BAA — we do.
“Sergio was incredibly professional, punctual, attentive to detail, and worked very well with my EMR provider to ensure the system functioned properly. I appreciated his mild manner and not making me feel inept when I used non-technical terms. Without reservation, I highly recommend his services.”
Dr. Yolanda Bogarin — Medical office client, Miami Who we serve
Medical practices we support across South Florida
Primary care Pediatrics Dental offices Chiropractic Physical therapy Mental health & counseling Dermatology Cardiology Urgent care Specialty clinics Medical spas Home health agencies
Not sure if your practice qualifies as a Covered Entity under HIPAA? If you collect, store, or transmit any patient health information in the course of providing care — you do. Call us and we’ll confirm your obligations at no charge.
Start with a free HIPAA IT assessment
We audit your practice’s technology against all HIPAA technical safeguard requirements and deliver a written gap report — at no cost, with no obligation to hire us.
