HIPAA compliance, managed year-round, not just at audit time.

HIPAA compliance services cover the technology side of the Security Rule: a documented security risk assessment, the safeguards it calls for (encryption, multi-factor authentication, monitoring, and backups), written policies and evidence, staff training, vendor Business Associate Agreements, and an annual reassessment. ITSco runs all of it as an ongoing service, not a one-time project.

It is a documented review of every system that stores or moves patient data, the threats to each, and what you are doing about them. HIPAA requires one, and investigators ask for it early. Update it at least once a year and after any major change, such as a new EHR, office, or cloud system.

Yes, if they can access protected health information, and nearly every IT provider can. A Business Associate Agreement makes the provider legally responsible for safeguarding that data. ITSco signs BAAs with healthcare clients and helps you inventory the other vendors that need one, from your EHR to your email and backup services.

Microsoft 365 can support HIPAA compliance, but not out of the box. Microsoft will sign a Business Associate Agreement, and your tenant still needs the right settings: email encryption, multi-factor authentication, data loss prevention, retention, and access controls. Default setups are a common gap. ITSco configures and monitors these settings for healthcare clients.

HHS proposed a major Security Rule update in January 2025, adding stricter requirements for encryption, multi-factor authentication, asset inventories, and annual compliance audits. It is not final; regulators now target 2027, and the current rule stays in force until then. Practices that close those gaps now avoid a rushed project later.

Covered entities, meaning healthcare providers, health plans, and clearinghouses, plus their business associates: any vendor that handles patient data on their behalf, such as billing companies, IT providers, and law firms. Business associates are directly liable for Security Rule violations, so HIPAA reaches well beyond the practice itself.

Most small and mid-size practices can close their highest-risk gaps in about 90 days: the risk assessment first, then the critical safeguards, then documentation and training. Staying compliant is ongoing after that. Our 90-day HIPAA roadmap walks through the sequence step by step.

Yes. Many practices keep an internal IT person for day-to-day support and bring in ITSco for the compliance work: the risk assessment, security monitoring, documentation, and audit preparation. We share the evidence and the remediation plan, so your team always knows what is covered and who owns each task.

As a predictable monthly fee built into your IT services, not a surprise project before an audit. The price depends on your users and locations, the systems that hold patient data, and the safeguards already in place. Our IT Investment Calculator estimates your monthly IT cost in minutes, and a free consultation turns that into a number for your practice.

Yes. ITSco is based in Durham with an office in Raleigh, and we work with healthcare organizations well beyond the Triangle. Most compliance work, from monitoring to documentation, happens remotely, so distance is rarely a barrier. When your organization needs on-site work, we build it into the scope based on your locations and needs.