Healthcare Technology Featured Article

November 13, 2013

Pacific Medical Centers Adopts HIPAA-Compliant Texting Solution


Pacific Medical Centers (PacMed) healthcare network announced that the organization is adopting a secure texting solution to enable physicians and medical clinicians to communicate with each other via smartphone messages and images.

The organization plans to adopt the Doc Halo secure texting app, which enables medical professionals to conform to Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules about data security confidentially when texting.

“At PacMed, our goal is to help our patients live healthier lives by focusing on prevention and health instead of focusing on illness,” said Alexander Park, MD, of Pacific Medical Centers. “We are always looking for ways to better coordinate care for our patients, and the Doc Halo service helps our physicians communicate with each other more easily while ensuring patient information remains secure.”

The healthcare industry is rapidly expanding it use of texting technology because it simplifies the pager and callback communication system traditionally used in the industry.

However, standard SMS messaging does not comply with HIPAA regulations because the messages are unencrypted, have no expiration date, cannot be authenticated, and can be read or forwarded by anyone. Hence, the growing need for HIPAA-complaint text messaging system.

“Doc Halo provides an efficient, real-time, private technology to an industry entrusted with the health and well-being of patients,” said Jose Barreau, MD, cofounder and CEO of Doc Halo. “The medical industry has seen an exponential increase in the use of smartphones by professionals to communicate with staff, with medical peers and with other physicians and technicians within a network. With the general increase in practice of BYOD (bring your own device) in hospital and medical settings throughout the industry, there has come an imminent need to secure patient data that is being stored and sent across mobile devices.”

Pacific Medical Centers is a private, not-for-profit healthcare network with nine locations and 150 primary and specialty care providers. Located in the Puget Sound area of Washington, the organization has offices in Beacon Hill, Canyon Park, Federal Way, First Hill, Lynnwood, Northgate, Puyallup, Renton and Totem Lake.




Edited by Ryan Sartor
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