NLU PA Program — Didactic Year Handbook
This PA Program policy supplements NLU’s University-wide requirements. Student privacy rights are generally governed by FERPA, and the Student Guidebook and University Catalog remain the primary sources for University-wide policy. NLU also maintains a process for authorization to release protected health information and identifies HIPAA and FERPA as applicable privacy frameworks. NLU PA students are required to comply with both University requirements and PA Program-specific confidentiality requirements.
4. Definition of Confidential and Protected Information
For purposes of this policy, confidential or protected information includes, but is not limited to, the following categories. Patient information: name, date of birth, address, telephone number, medical record number, Social Security number, diagnosis, medical history, medication information, laboratory results, imaging, treatment information, procedures, photographs, videos, voice recordings, genetic information, insurance and billing information, and any information that could reasonably identify a patient. Student information: grades, academic records, remediation information, progression decisions, disability or health information, personal identifying information, student conduct matters, advising information, clinical evaluations, personal communications, and other information protected by FERPA or University policy. Clinical and institutional information: clinical-site proprietary information, preceptor information, staff information, internal communications, passwords, security credentials, facility procedures, non-public operational information, and any information designated confidential by NLU or a clinical affiliate.
5. HIPAA Compliance
The NLU PA Program incorporates the following requirement from its clinical affiliation agreements: students shall comply with the applicable provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and shall take all measures necessary to ensure the confidentiality of any and all information regarding the patients/clients cared for at the affiliated facility pursuant to the applicable affiliation agreement. Students shall comply with applicable HIPAA requirements and clinical-affiliate privacy policies whenever they have access to protected health information (PHI). Students may access PHI only when authorized and only to the extent necessary to perform their assigned educational or clinical responsibilities , and shall not access patient records merely because they have the technical ability to do so.
6. Affiliation Agreement Notification Requirement
The parties to a clinical affiliation agreement will notify one another of any known breaches of confidentiality. Accordingly, a student who becomes aware of an actual or suspected breach involving patient, student, University, or clinical-affiliate confidential information must immediately notify the appropriate Program and/or clinical-site authority, and must not attempt to independently investigate, conceal, delete, alter, or destroy evidence related to a suspected breach. The Program will coordinate
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