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Majors & Degrees

DSU and MetaStar partnership secure ePHI

September 22, 2014

Dakota State University in Madison, S.D., and MetaStar in Madison, Wis., announced today a new partnership to perform network penetration testing for healthcare providers in the Midwest and via virtual service nationwide.

This agreement allows healthcare organizations who have benefited from MetaStar’s health IT services through its WHITEC Services Group division the ability to access healthcare specific network penetration testing with industry experts. Dakota State University has been offering penetration testing services to healthcare facilities since 2012. The services are performed by staff at HealthPOINT Security Services at Dakota State University.

Network penetration testing gives providers a clear picture of how susceptible their systems are to attacks by hackers. This service also provides recommendations on how to fix problems.

“Protecting patient data is a critical aspect of implementing Electronic Health Records,” said Dan Friedrich, HealthPOINT Executive Director. “Patients need to know healthcare providers are doing everything possible to protect their information.”

“DSU’s proven expertise in penetration testing will provide our clients with an option to go above and beyond to ensure the protection of electronic protected health information (ePHI),” said Greg Simmons, MetaStar CEO.

HealthPOINT has been operating since April 2010 as one of 62 Regional Extension Centers (REC) for Health Information Technology. The common goal of the RECs is to help primary care providers adopt electronic health records.

MetaStar has served as Wisconsin’s REC since 2010, providing expertise for effective use of data and technology in practice redesign to improve quality and reduce cost for health care organizations in the Midwest.  MetaStar’s WHITEC Services Group division provides meaningful use consulting services and security services, with virtual services performed in more than 34 states nationwide.

The mission of HealthPOINT is to serve healthcare providers as a Trusted Advisor. In addition to the support HealthPOINT at DSU offers to healthcare providers, the university offers a variety of degrees in Health Information Management, Information Assurance, Analytics and Computer Science. For more information, visit http://healthpoint.dsu.edu/.

MetaStar, Inc. is a nonprofit organization with a vision of optimal health for all. MetaStar collaborates with health care payers and providers to effect positive change in the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care. Learn more at www.metastar.com.