PORTLAND, Ore., March 17, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- VisionSite, the preeminent provider of professional, interactive website design and hosting services, today announced the launch of the subsidiary VASTS, Inc. VASTS (www.vasts.com) was created at the encouragement of VisionSite physician clients who requested guidance and potential solutions related to the staff training mandates of the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) Privacy Rules which go into effect April 14, 2003.
"We are responding to requests for help from our current clients to address their HIPAA compliance needs," said Mark Hutchinson, CEO of VisionSite and VASTS, Inc. "Healthcare organizations are struggling to meet the requirements of HIPAA and the need to train their staff on handling of patient records and other privacy concerns. We quickly determined VisionSite's existing technology could become the foundation of a solid training solution, and VASTS was born."
The HIPAA privacy and security rules call for mandatory training of all healthcare providers and staff members, and that records of this training be verifiable and retained. The VASTS HIPAA staff training system provides a unique set of manageable training modules and allows an administrator to assign and track modules required for specific roles within the organization. Each module includes in-line testing to ensure successful retention of key concepts and a completion certificate is stored by VASTS for the State-mandated time period. The system gives clients the ability to comply with HIPAA requirements for both the training of staff members and the retention of proof of that training.
Nationally known HIPAA expert, university professor and attorney Richard Busby, JD, CCNA, developed the content for the VASTS HIPAA training system, which consists of more than twenty modules. The basic staff training will include six to eight modules, depending on the needs of the organization.
Kit Carmiencke, OD, Integrated Eyecare of Bend, Oregon: "I felt that a straightforward and affordable solution for the staff training requirement was a critical need that spanned all healthcare segments. Since I've worked with Mark Hutchinson and VisionSite for several years, I approached him with the idea that a convenient online staff training system could be effectively used to satisfy the HIPAA rules. I'm very excited about the solution that Mark's team is delivering and I expect that VASTS will help a large number of providers reach HIPAA compliance."
VASTS' online HIPAA staff training will be distributed by a direct, inside sales team and partner organizations. Inquiries welcome.
About VASTS, Inc.
VASTS (VisionSite Advanced Staff Training Services, www.vasts.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of VisionSite, a Portland, Oregon company dedicated to developing professional websites with unique interactive services. VASTS was created using VisionSite's technology to provide robust, economical, and modular online training to the staff of healthcare organizations covered by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) regulations.