Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 7, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 23 By Jason Palitsch Jason Palitsch is the executive director of the 495/MetroWest Partner- ship in Westborough. 7) Focus on shared goals. Different sectors have different goals and agendas. A successful collaboration will focus on an identifiable shared goal, around which your participants can unite. 6) What private sector leaders should understand about public sector leaders. Public employees are subject to many laws and restrictions, which can limit their flexibility. Many of the services they provide are prescribed by law. Their emails are public record. What the public expects of them can far exceed the resources they have at their disposal. 5) What public sector leaders should understand about private sector lead- ers. Private sector leaders are often op- erating well beyond a fixed schedule, and taking a meeting means extending their day. They are under pressure to demon- strate the financial value of their time use. And many, many organizations are asking their business for money. 4) Set an agenda, and respect every- one's time. Collaborations involve people who are empowered to make choices and communicate on behalf of their organiza- tions. Put another way: collaborations oc- cur between busy people. When gathering your participants, have a purpose and a goal in mind. 3) Meetings can be more efficient when virtual, but relationships are built in person. While respecting everyone's time, remember that relationship building is best done in person. Virtual is great for a quick conversation about a specific task or need, but to build trust, get folks around the same table every so often. 2) Respect different collaborations and working styles. You're bringing together people who do different jobs, in different worlds, for different stakeholders. Provide background information to get everyone on the same page. Explain jargon or acro- nyms. Don't assume everyone is coming to the table with the same understanding. 1) Collaborations should add value, not drain resources. Sometimes people and organizations pursue a project together simply because someone thought it would be nice to see them work together. This can descend into efforts that are a time sink rather than a true value-add. Mean- ingful collaborations produce positive out- comes; they shouldn't be mere obligations on your calendar. Updated HIPAA rules aim to bolster healthcare security BY SLOANE M. PERRON Special to WBJ M aking a career change as a mid-level manager or executive can be both exciting and daunting. Aer years of building expertise, leadership skills, and industry connections, stepping into a new role, or even an entirely different field, requires careful strategy. New job opportunities allow leaders to align their careers with their ever-evolving interests and priorities. Conduct an honest self-assessment. You cannot create a plan without first defining your destination. As a result, self-reflection is an important first step to planning a career change. Be honest with yourself and evaluate your skills, goals, strengths, and weaknesses before defining your career objectives. Navigating career transitions with confidence Janelle Drolet is vice president of operations and sales for Towerwall, a cybersecurity consulting firm based in Framingham. BY JANELLE DROLET Special to WBJ T o bolster security for healthcare workers and pa- tients, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser- vices has proposed updates to HIPAA regulations. e proposed adjustments come amid rising wor- ries about the growing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks that have compromised sensitive patient records and disrupted operations. e dra HIPAA Security Rule has been released in the Federal Register for public input. A finalized rule is expected to be issued by year's end. Covered entities will be given a 180- day window to comply. One proposed change is the require- ment for encrypting sensitive medical data. By mandating encryption for both data at rest and in motion, the HHS intends to minimize the risk of data breaches and unauthorized entry to patient data. Encryption is a crucial security measure to help protect pa- tient confidentiality and shield health- care providers from breaches. Proposed changes also call for adopting multi-factor authentication to strengthen access controls and authen- tication procedures. At this point in our digital lives, MFA should be all too familiar and ubiquitous. Consumers should never hesitate to activate MFA in all online accounts. Asking for two forms of verification before accessing any private system is a no-brainer. e proposed changes include the need for integrating more resilient firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and security information and event management soware. e idea is simply to enhance the overall cyberse- curity posture of healthcare entities and level up their game to better thwart security incidents. While cybersecurity experts gener- ally welcome the proposed changes as a positive step, there are worries about the practical execution of these new orders, particularly for smaller health- care clinics. Retrofitting security con- trols from aged healthcare systems is a steep mountain to climb, necessitating substantial investments in technology, training, and trained staff. Another challenge is the need for a cultural shi within healthcare organizations toward prioritizing cy- bersecurity and ingraining it into core operations. is involves fostering a supportive security culture, conduct- ing routine cybersecurity awareness exercises for employees, and estab- lishing policies and procedures for incident response and remediation. By incentivizing cybersecurity mea- sures, such as conducting regular risk assessments, penetration testing, and vulnerability preparedness, health- care entities are likely to take a more responsible stance toward safeguard- ing patient data and mitigating cyber threats. We have found this to be true while observing the October merger of UMass Memorial Health with Milford Regional Medical Center. e proposed changes to the HIPAA security rules represent a big effort by HHS to bolster patient privacy and data defenses. While the changes are a step in the right direction, there are concerns about the feasibility of implementation. Moving forward, it will be crucial for healthcare providers to prioritize cybersecurity, invest in the necessary resources, and nurture a culture of security awareness. 7 THINGS I know about... ... Fostering public- private collaborations "A successful career transition isn't about jumping ship at the first sign of dissatisfaction. Rather, it's a strategic and thoughtful move towards a role that better aligns with your skills, aspirations and personal fulfillment needs," Tim Madden writes in an article for Forbes. Leverage your transferable skills. Aer years of acquiring skills in one sector, it may feel challenging when applying for jobs in other industries. However, focusing on your transferable skills is key to making your experience applicable for any prospective job. During job interviews, showcase these skills using specific examples. "If you're switching to a different industry or taking on a leadership role, you may feel unfit for the opportunity. Conducting frequent assessments of your transferable skills is an excellent way to build your confidence," Ciera Graham- Graves advises in her article for University of Washington's Professional and Continuing Education. Utilize your professional network. Mentors and professional connections are valuable assets when navigating a major career change. ese connections can have multiple benefits such as gauging industry trends, notifying you of job opportunities, and even providing insight on job hunt strategies. Reaching out to people who work in the field you want to transition to can be an excellent learning experience. Joining professional associations, actively engaging on LinkedIn, participating in industry forums, and communicating with mentors are ways that job seekers can strengthen their professional networks and be competitive in the job market, according to New York research firm Ivy Exec. W W W

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