What is HIPAA and Why It Matters

Medical HIPAA laws are a huge focus in medical facilities, and understandably so. HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was put in place in 1996 and aids in protecting sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge. With all of the aspects to take into consideration, one that is commonly brought up are nurse and patient whiteboards.

Since nurses stations aren’t always in a restricted or private location, it’s a possibility that visitors could see the information written down. The question this situation sparks is whether or not this is a violation of some sort. And while it isn’t necessarily a violation, this doesn’t mean that it is not important to keep information private and secure. While there are many ways to do this, keeping your board clean is arguably one of the most important. 

Keeping 

Whiteboards for hospitals have one main purpose, and that is to streamline communication so as to improve patient care. This means that nurses will write down any quick and necessary information which includes (but is not limited to) diagnoses, room number, a patient’s name, vitals, assigned staff, etc. 

All this to say, with so much sensitive information being jotted down day in and day out on your whiteboards, two factors are important to consider:

1. 1. Investing in a quality whiteboard.
2. 2. Understanding proper whiteboard cleaning and care.
   
   

Because our products are designed for the healthcare industry, Ghent Healthcare crafts each board with this in mind and each one is manufactured to be easily cleaned and disinfected. Our surfaces, which are BIFMA certified for peak performance, stay looking as good as the day you got them under heavy usage of typical hospital-grade disinfectants and cleaners. Our ‘Cleaning and Disinfecting’ resource page on our website educates on proper cleaning and care for our boards, which can also be applied to other whiteboards, too. 

What makes our boards so easy to clean? It’s because every board is resistant to ghosting and staining. What is ghosting? Essentially it is when dry erase markers leave behind pesky residue, making it easy to see the information that was written down even after it's been cleaned. Ghent Healthcare whiteboards have been designed specifically to resist ink absorption so that they do not ghost or stain and our durable porcelain surface aids in reducing scratches and dents, even in the most high-traffic areas.

Easily added to a plethora of healthcare spaces, our boards bridge the communication gap, ensuring that patient care leaves nothing to be desired and functions for you and your team. With each need varying so much in any given medical field, our board Builder gives you the option to customize and configure your board to your exact space – from sizing, to logos and graphics, frames, and other personalization options. 

Each and every board carries a lifetime surface warranty, and that gives you not only peace of mind, but also a high-quality product that makes communicating safe, simple and streamlined.