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Henrietta Lacks

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Henrietta Lacks
After reading the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, what stood out was the root of how Henrietta’s cells went universal. A sample of cervical tissue was taken and a doctor asked David or Day to do an autopsy on Henrietta for the sake of their children. By using Normandale’s College Library course quick start, searching for an article of interest took some time. In Academic Search Premier, I read a few like Our Body, Our Cells; and Returning the Blessings Of an Immortal Life. I then typed HIPAA into the search engine. The first and most recent one was titled HIPAA Fine Is a First by Jessica Zigmond. In this essay, I will relate the article to the book by bringing to surface thoughts you may or may not have critically pondered throughout the reading.
What does HIPAA stand for, what does it mean? And why is it so important? HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This law helps maintain privacy of health information, which prevents improper use of ones medical records. If you work in a hospital or clinic, every employee receives a thick packet on HIPAA. If you’re like me, you might skim through it on a thirty minute break and not pay it any mind. (It’s the truth). Because of not reading that packet, I never understood what it was about or its importance. After absorbing Henrietta’s story, thank goodness this Act was approved when it was, which was1996. The article HIPAA Fine Is First displayed the consequences by not practicing this Act. In Zigmonds article June of this year 2011, Cignet Health Center refused 41 patients of obtaining any medical records, even upon request. HIPAA states records are to be given to a patient no later than 60 days. For not doing so, Health and Human services (HHS) fined the company with 4.3 million dollars. 1.3 million by not following HIPAA and 3 million for not cooperating with HHS. If this Act was approved over fifty years ago, Henrietta would not be known worldwide due to medical classification,

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