[February 20, 2013]

Online Tech's HIPAA Compliant Cloud Provides Secure Hosting for EvalPlace

When psychologist James Pann and his team set out to create EvalPlace, he wanted to differentiate the web-based performance management system for the health and human services fields by making it HIPAA compliant.

That is why he chose to host the survey-building, data-collecting, performance-tracking website with Online Tech, the leader in secure and HIPAA compliant cloud hosting.

Dr. Pann, who also works as a university professor, developed EvalPlace as a customizable platform after developing many different computer programs that collect and track patient and client data for health and human services agencies. EvalPlace allows users to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of their program or practice.

Organizations can customize the demographic variables that it tracks and a dashboard facilitates the creation and administration of surveys to be used with participants. Previously created surveys can also be found in the site's Survey MarketPlace.

Knowing that many of his potential clients in the health and human services fields would be collecting electronic personal health information (ePHI), Pann and his team built in the necessary safeguards to ensure EvalPlace met HIPAA compliance.

That meant also finding a HIPAA compliant hosting option. Pann discovered Online Tech after finding the company's HIPAA Compliant Hosting White Paper while searching online for a suitable partner. EvalPlace is now hosted on Online Tech's secure and fully managed cloud server.

In 2012, Online Tech became the first data center operator independently audited against the U.S. Office for Civil Rights HIPAA Audit Program Protocol. One year earlier, the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based company was the first data center operator to be independently audited for HIPAA compliance.

"Many organizations have ePHI, but don't even realize that means they need to use sites that are HIPAA compliant," Pann said. "As I was working on this project and saw what was already out there, a big part of what distinguishes EvalPlace is HIPAA compliance and affordability."

tate and local governments and private organizations do not have the human and financial resources to effectively manage the data collection, the research and evaluation. Organizations can use the EvalPlace website for free for up to 25 participants. Above that the organization is charged a monthly fee, with no setup costs and the ability to terminate the service at any time.

HIMSS13

Join Online Tech's Healthcare IT Experts at HIMSS13 in New Orleans March 4-7, 2013, hosted at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Our experts will be available at Booth #1369 to consult one-on-one and answer health IT questions:

• Legal implications of the final HIPAA omnibus rule
• Healthcare business continuity/disaster recovery
• Mobile health applications
• HIPAA compliant cloud computing
• Health IT business development

The Healthcare IT Experts include: Brian Balow, Attorney, Dickinson Wright, Christopher Heuman CHP, CHSS, CSCS, CISSP, Practice Leader, RISC Management & Consulting, Dave Bennett, National Sales Director, Healthcare, Peggy McShane, Managing Director, Segue Health and April Sage, CPHIMS, Director Healthcare Vertical, Online Tech. Sign up here to reserve your spot.

About Online Tech

Online Tech, Michigan's largest managed data center is becoming the largest in the Midwest, expanding into at least four new markets. The "Fort Knox'' for data is known for complete redundancy - "backups for everything" - from multiple back-up generators and backup systems to locations straddling two power grids and even two CEOs.

Online Tech leads in secure, compliant hosting services including cloud hosting, managed dedicated servers, Michigan colocation and disaster recovery. Online Tech's Midwest data centers assure mission critical applications are always available, comply with government & industry regulations, and continue operating after a disaster. Backed by independent HIPAA, PCI, SSAE 16, and SOC 2, Online Tech delivers the security, privacy, and availability expected from world class data center operators. For more information, call (877)740-5028, email contactus@onlinetech.com or visit www.onlinetech.com.

About EvalPlace

At EvalPlace we understand the need for a customizable process and outcome data collection system that is intuitive, powerful, and meets HIPAA requirements. Using our combined experience in research and evaluation, mental health and human services, and application development we've built EvalPlace, an easy-to-use, comprehensive platform for the collection, management, and tracking of data related to the services that you provide.

We have experience evaluating federal, state, and local government grants as well as working with private foundations. Our staff has been involved with initiatives funded by several agencies including: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Labor, The Children's Trust (Miami-Dade County), and the Health Foundation of South Florida. www.evalplace.com

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