HIPAA CLIN-202 Personal Representatives of Patients

A patient’s “Personal Representative” is the person who has the authority, under California law, to make health care decisions on behalf of the patient. Although there are exceptions, in general a person who has the capacity to make his or her
own health care decisions does not have a Personal Representative.

Agreement to Arbitrate Claims

All newly hired or rehired staff employees and existing staff, who voluntarily transfer to new positions (voluntary transfers) or are promoted within the university into posted positions, are required to enter into a written Agreement to Arbitrate Claims (“Agreement”) as a condition of employment, transfer, or promotion.

Missing Student Information

USC supports the health and safety of all students. This policy and procedure has been developed to assist in locating students who reside in on-campus and university-owned housing and who have been determined by USC to be missing.

Injury and Illness Prevention

USC is committed to excellence in environmental health and safety stewardship on our campuses and in the larger USC community. This policy outlines safety responsibilities and requirements placed on all USC personnel (faculty, staff, students, contractors, and volunteers)—to support injury and illness prevention, maintain a safe and healthful workplace, and ensure individual and institutional compliance with relevant environmental health and safety regulations.

Violence-Free Campus and Workplace

The university’s goal is to enhance the safety of all USC campuses, facilities, activities, and events so that students, faculty, staff, patients and visitors can work, learn and receive health care in an environment free from violence and threats.

Weekday Football Game Protocol

These guidelines have been developed for the purpose of establishing the university’s expectations regarding the management of weekday football games.

Conflict of Interest in Research

The purpose of this policy is to promote the highest ethical standards in situations where conflicts of interest may occur in the conduct of research.

Campus Access

The university reserves the right to restrict or prohibit access to university property and to prohibit certain activities on campus.

Biorepositories

USC encourages the creation of repositories (sometimes called biorepositories, registries, banks, or libraries) that provide access, for use in future research, to data and human biospecimens.

Reporting Wrongdoing

USC requires faculty, staff, students, volunteers and others affiliated with the university to report suspicion of wrongdoing promptly to the proper authorities for investigation.

Designating Honorary Alumni

On occasion the university, the Alumni Association, or the dean of an academic unit wishes to acknowledge the extraordinary service or merit of an individual who has neither an earned degree from USC nor qualifies for an honorary degree.

Independent Contractors

The Internal Revenue Service requires the university to properly classify independent contractors. This policy and the accompanying independent contractor website (see below for link) identify the steps, documents and processes necessary to ensure proper classification of and subsequent payment to independent contractors.

Accounting and Auditing Complaint Reporting

In order to adhere to the highest standards of integrity, the university encourages employees to submit complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters or concerns (“Accounting Matters”).

Providing Employment References

The university operates as a single employer and has the right and responsibility to share among university departments accurate employment information concerning the job history and performance of current or former staff employees.

Hiring Foreign Nationals and Immigration Employment Sponsorship

The process of employing foreign nationals (as faculty, staff, or employees claiming student status) involves federal rules and regulations that, if not carefully followed, can result in severe penalties to both employee and employer.

HIPAA CLIN-201 Use of Protected Health Information for Treatment Payment and Health Care Operations

University of Southern California (USC) is permitted to use and disclose an individual’s Protected Health Information for treatment, payment and health care operations, provided: USC gives patients a Notice of Privacy Practices (Notice), which
describes the ways in which USC may use patients’ PHI; USC makes a good faith effort to obtain written acknowledgement of receipt of the Notice; and USC only uses and releases the minimum amount of health information necessary when doing so for payment or healthcare operations purposes.

HIPAA BUS-701 Business Associates

The University of Southern California (USC) ensures that its business associates protect patients’ right to privacy consistent with USC’s obligations under federal and state law and USC’s privacy policies.

HIPAA CLIN-204 Facility Directory

Purpose is to ensure that the maintenance of the facility directory at University of Southern California is in accordance with the HIPAA privacy regulations.

HIPAA CLIN-200 Notice of Privacy Practices

The University of Southern California (USC) is required to give all patients a Notice of Privacy Practices (Notice), which explains i) the ways that USC may use and release their health information; and ii) describes the patients’ rights with respect to their health information.

HIPAA GEN-105 Disclosures of Deidentified

The University of Southern California (USC) may use or disclose de-identified health information without obtaining a patient’s authorization.

HIPAA GEN-103 Public Policy Disclosures

USC may use or disclose PHI for treatment, payment and health care operations without an individual’s authorization in accordance with USC HIPAA Policy CLIN – 201 and USC’s Notice of Privacy Practices, provided the individual has acknowledged receipt of USC’s Notice of Privacy Practices or USC has made good faith efforts to obtain the individual’s acknowledgement of receipt.

HIPAA GEN-102 When to Obtain Authorizations

The University of Southern California (USC) may use and disclose an individual’s Protected Health Information (PHI) only pursuant to a written Authorization of the
patient or the patient’s Personal Representative with the following exceptions.

Recharge Centers

USC schools, academic departments and other university divisions (units) may establish a recharge center (RC) to provide goods and/or services to university activities, programs and organizations.

Facilities and Construction Projects

These work authorization and purchasing guidelines apply to painting and carpeting projects budgeted at $25,000 or less. Projects in excess of $25,000 will be managed by Capital Construction and Development (CCD) and will adhere to guidelines applicable to large projects.

University Signature

This policy identifies who is authorized to enter into Agreements on behalf of the University and how authorized individuals may delegate signature authority. This policy also outlines conditions that must be met before any Agreement on behalf of the University is signed and the use of electronic signatures.

Employee Definitions

There are two classifications of employees: non-exempt and exempt. All employees are classified as non-exempt unless the duties performed meet criteria established under federal and state regulations that would allow the employee to be classified as exempt.

Student Records

The University of Southern California maintains the privacy of student education records and allows students the right to inspect their education records consistent with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

Relationships with Industry

The purpose of this policy is to: Support USC’s standard of maintaining a culture of ethics in its business relations and to minimize conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety in our relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, device and medical equipment manufacturers and other healthcare suppliers (“Industry”).

Institutional Conflict of Interest in Research

The objective of this policy is to promote the highest ethical standards in the conduct of research in situations where institutional conflicts of interest (“ICOI”) may occur, and to determine those instances when an ICOI is unacceptable.

Joint Ventures

The objective of this policy is to protect the university’s tax-exempt status in situations in which the university may enter into a joint venture with one or more parties that are not exempt from federal income taxation.

Affiliated Organizations

Consistent with its tax-exempt purposes, the university may, from time to time, establish affiliates that operate as separate organizations.

Terminations

Employment at the university is with the mutual consent of the staff employee and employer and either party may terminate the relationship at-will, with or without advance notice, and with or without cause.