If Your Organization Was Reviewed Tomorrow, What Could You Produce?
Readiness means keeping evidence of compliance current all year. It does not mean assembling documents after a request arrives.
Ten Areas to Keep Current
ยง 164.316(b): retain six years- HIPAA privacy and security policies
- Security risk analysis documentation
- Risk management and remediation records
- Workforce training documentation
- Business Associate Agreements
- Incident and investigation records
- Corrective action records
- Access-control procedures and reviews
- Vendor documentation
- Contingency and recovery procedures
What "Audit Ready" Means
Current documents
Policies and assessments reflect how the organization operates today.
Organized records
Evidence is in one place and can be produced quickly.
Responsible owners
Each area has a named person accountable for it.
Policies match practice
What the policy says is what staff actually do.
Documented risk management
Identified risks have a recorded decision and plan.
Issues closed out
Fixes are recorded, with dates, not just carried out.
Common Readiness Problems
| Problem | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Documents exist but are stale | An outdated risk analysis may not reflect current systems or risks |
| Policies do not match operations | A policy that is not followed can be worse than none |
| Risk assessments are incomplete | Systems, locations, or vendors left out of scope |
| Training records cannot be found | Training that cannot be shown is hard to prove |
| BAAs scattered or missing | No clear record of which vendors are covered |
| Vendors not centrally tracked | New vendors start handling PHI without review |
| Fixed issues never documented | Remediation work leaves no evidence |
| Compliance ownership unclear | Tasks fall between administrators, IT, and leadership |
Our Audit Readiness Review
A focused engagement that leaves you with a central readiness record and a clear list of what to fix first.
Inventory
Collect the compliance documents you currently have.
Map
Compare expected evidence with what exists.
Identify
Flag missing and stale materials.
Prioritize
Rank gaps and assign an owner to each.
Record
Establish a central readiness record you can maintain.
When a matter calls for legal interpretation or representation, we recommend involving qualified healthcare counsel.
We do not have advance knowledge of regulatory audits or investigations, and a readiness review does not mean your organization has been selected for one. Readiness is about being prepared for any review, whether from a regulator, a payer, a partner, or your own leadership.
Find out where your organization stands.
An audit readiness review shows you what you could produce today, and what is missing.