I must be getting old. I recently decided to spend one of my Friday nights taking an online HIPPA certification course. Fun times.
But if truth be told, a new puppy in the house demanded that I was already in for the night to keep a watchful eye on things. So when it plopped down on my feet with a long, pink-tongued yawn, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere for quite some time. In fact, it’s now a motivational tool I now highly recommend to all our healthcare clients who need a way to nail down their employees to get their certification done – just put a warm, sleeping puppy over their feet. It’s virtually impossible to move.
The online HIPPA Training Course I took was created specifically for business associates of healthcare entities, including marketing agencies. But it’s the same kind of course that physician groups or hospitals would have their answering services or transcriptionists take.
Having worked for decades at some huge ad agencies on some of the world’s largest brands, much of the basic practices, protections and policies were already ingrained in me. However, taking the test and getting certified was a great refresher. It also brought me up on the latest news and laws specifically regarding HIPPA and PHI and was a sobering reminder of the importance to constantly stay compliant.
My training will need to be updated at least every two years and I will be compliant in completing it again down the road. Hopefully, with my companion a little heavier as it rests over my feet.

Peter Griffith is the founder or Mentum and long-time Bears fan. His need to create exceptional work is driven 60% by the college tuitions of his three kids, 9% so he can go scuba diving somewhere he hasn’t been before, 1% to be able to afford a good bowl of ramen and the rest equally divided by both the desire to make people laugh and the fear of being laughed at. If you’re interested, his official resume can be gawked at here.
The artwork here was done by Jeff York, an extraordinary creative director, co-worker friend and mentor of Pete.