HIPAA Compliance Consulting in Charlotte, NC
Charlotte’s healthcare landscape is dominated by two of the Southeast’s largest health systems — Atrium Health (now Advocate Health) and Novant Health — along with hundreds of independent practices, dental offices, behavioral health providers, and specialty clinics. Petronella Technology Group, Inc. delivers comprehensive HIPAA compliance consulting, risk assessments, security implementation, and audit preparation for Charlotte healthcare organizations — backed by 30+ years of cybersecurity expertise and zero breaches among clients following our program.
BBB Accredited Since 2003 • Founded 2002 • 2,500+ Clients • CMMC Certified Registered Practitioner
Protect Patient Data Across Charlotte’s Healthcare Ecosystem
OCR enforcement is increasing. Charlotte healthcare providers must demonstrate documented, auditable HIPAA compliance programs.
Protect Patient Records
Atrium Health operates Carolinas Medical Center, Levine Cancer Institute, and dozens of facilities across the Charlotte metro. Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center and its network serve thousands of patients daily. Every practice, clinic, and business associate in Charlotte’s healthcare ecosystem generates protected health information that HIPAA requires you to safeguard.
Avoid OCR Penalties
HHS Office for Civil Rights penalties for HIPAA violations range from $100 to $50,000 per violation, with annual maximums reaching $1.5 million per violation category. In 2025, OCR announced increased enforcement focus on risk assessment failures — the most commonly cited deficiency in breach investigations. Charlotte providers must demonstrate a current, documented risk assessment.
Achieve Audit Readiness
Whether triggered by a breach, a patient complaint, or a random OCR audit, your Charlotte practice must produce documented evidence of HIPAA compliance on demand. We maintain your policies, risk assessments, training records, and technical documentation in audit-ready format — so you are prepared for review at any time, not scrambling when the letter arrives.
Manage Business Associates
Charlotte healthcare organizations share PHI with EHR vendors, billing companies, IT providers, cloud services, labs, and dozens of other business associates. HIPAA requires documented agreements and oversight for every entity that touches patient data. We manage your BAA inventory, conduct vendor security assessments, and ensure your supply chain is compliant.
HIPAA Compliance Built for Charlotte’s Healthcare Community
Charlotte’s healthcare sector is one of the largest in the Southeast. Atrium Health — now part of Advocate Health, the nation’s third-largest nonprofit health system — operates Carolinas Medical Center, Levine Children’s Hospital, Levine Cancer Institute, and a network of clinics and urgent care centers across Mecklenburg, Gaston, Union, and Cabarrus counties. Novant Health runs Presbyterian Medical Center, Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center, and a growing network of practices throughout the Charlotte metro. Together, these systems employ tens of thousands of clinical and administrative staff who interact with protected health information daily.
Beyond the major health systems, Charlotte is home to hundreds of independent physician practices, dental offices, behavioral health providers, physical therapy clinics, chiropractic offices, home health agencies, and specialty practices. The Ballantyne, SouthPark, University City, and Lake Norman corridors are particularly dense with healthcare providers. Each of these organizations — regardless of size — must comply with HIPAA’s administrative, physical, and technical safeguard requirements.
Petronella Technology Group, Inc. has implemented HIPAA compliance programs for healthcare organizations across North Carolina since 2002. We understand the unique challenges that Charlotte practices face: integrating with Atrium and Novant referral networks, managing EHR systems like Epic MyChart and athenahealth, securing telehealth platforms, and training staff who split time between clinical duties and administrative responsibilities. Our HIPAA programs are practical, documented, and designed to protect patients while keeping your Charlotte practice operational and efficient.
For Charlotte healthcare organizations also subject to other regulatory requirements — such as practices participating in Medicare’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System, organizations handling substance abuse records under 42 CFR Part 2, or practices exploring AI-assisted clinical tools — we integrate all applicable compliance requirements into a unified program managed through our security and compliance practice.
HIPAA Compliance Services for Charlotte Healthcare
Complete HIPAA program implementation covering all three safeguard categories plus ongoing management and support.
HIPAA Risk Assessment & Gap Analysis
The HIPAA Security Rule requires covered entities and business associates to conduct a thorough risk assessment. OCR has identified risk assessment failures as the most common deficiency found during breach investigations. Our HIPAA risk assessments for Charlotte practices evaluate every aspect of your PHI environment: how data enters your organization, where it is stored, who accesses it, how it is transmitted, and what controls protect it at each stage.
Deliverables: documented risk assessment aligned to NIST 800-66 guidance, risk register with threat-vulnerability pairs, risk ratings, and a prioritized remediation plan with specific action items and timelines for your Charlotte practice.
Administrative Safeguards & Policy Development
Administrative safeguards account for over half of the HIPAA Security Rule requirements. We develop and maintain comprehensive policy and procedure sets customized for your Charlotte practice: security management processes, assigned security responsibility, workforce security procedures, information access management, security awareness training programs, security incident procedures, contingency plans, evaluation procedures, and business associate management.
Every document is written in plain language appropriate for your staff’s roles and responsibilities — not generic templates that gather dust in a binder. We review and update policies annually or whenever significant changes occur in your Charlotte practice’s operations.
Technical Safeguards & Security Implementation
Technical safeguards are where cybersecurity meets HIPAA. We implement access controls with unique user identification, emergency access procedures, automatic logoff, and encryption. Audit controls capture system activity across your EHR, workstations, network devices, and cloud services. Integrity controls ensure ePHI is not improperly altered or destroyed. Transmission security encrypts data in transit across all channels.
For Charlotte practices using Epic MyChart, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, or other EHR platforms, we ensure the underlying IT infrastructure meets every HIPAA technical requirement while maintaining the clinical workflow performance your providers depend on.
Physical Safeguards & Facility Security
Physical safeguards protect the hardware and facilities where ePHI is accessed, stored, and transmitted. We evaluate and document facility access controls, workstation use policies, workstation security measures, and device and media controls for your Charlotte practice locations. This includes server room access, workstation placement in clinical areas, mobile device management, and proper disposal of media containing patient data.
For Charlotte multi-location practices, we develop location-specific physical safeguard documentation that accounts for the unique security characteristics of each site.
Workforce Training & Security Awareness
Human error remains the leading cause of healthcare data breaches. Our HIPAA training programs for Charlotte practices cover phishing recognition, password security, proper PHI handling, social engineering awareness, mobile device security, and incident reporting procedures. Training is role-based — front desk staff receive different content than clinical providers and IT administrators.
Included: annual HIPAA training for all workforce members, new hire onboarding training, quarterly phishing simulations, documented training records with completion tracking, and refresher modules for high-risk scenarios.
Breach Response & OCR Notification Support
When a potential breach occurs at a Charlotte practice, our team guides you through the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule requirements: conducting the four-factor risk assessment to determine whether notification is required, preparing individual patient notifications within the 60-day window, submitting breach reports to OCR, and providing media notification for breaches affecting 500 or more individuals. Craig Petronella’s forensic expertise ensures the breach investigation is thorough and the root cause is identified and remediated.
For practices with cyber insurance, we coordinate with your insurance carrier’s incident response panel and legal counsel to ensure all actions align with your policy requirements.
How We Build HIPAA Compliance for Charlotte Practices
A practical, documented approach that protects patients and satisfies regulators without overwhelming your clinical staff.
HIPAA Risk Assessment
We conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of your Charlotte practice’s PHI environment — evaluating administrative processes, physical security, and technical controls against HIPAA requirements. The assessment identifies gaps, quantifies risk, and produces the documented risk assessment that OCR expects every covered entity to maintain.
Policy Development & Security Implementation
We develop customized HIPAA policies and procedures, implement technical safeguards (encryption, access controls, audit logging, backup), address physical security requirements, and establish your business associate agreement program. All documentation is organized and accessible for immediate retrieval during an audit.
Workforce Training & Awareness
All workforce members at your Charlotte practice receive role-based HIPAA training covering PHI handling, security awareness, phishing prevention, and incident reporting. Training is documented with completion records. Quarterly phishing simulations test and reinforce awareness throughout the year.
Ongoing Compliance Management
HIPAA compliance is not a one-time project. We provide ongoing management including annual risk assessment updates, policy reviews, training refreshers, technical security monitoring, business associate agreement renewals, and incident response support. Your Charlotte practice stays compliant year after year.
Why Charlotte Healthcare Providers Trust Petronella Technology Group, Inc.
Healthcare Cybersecurity Specialists
HIPAA compliance is not a side service for us — it is a core specialty. We understand EHR security, medical device segmentation, telehealth platforms, clinical workflow requirements, and the unique challenge of securing environments where patient care always comes first.
Zero Breach Track Record
Zero breaches among clients following our security program. For Charlotte practices handling thousands of patient records, that track record means your patients’ data is safe, your reputation is protected, and your OCR exposure is minimized.
Forensic Expertise on Call
Craig Petronella is a licensed digital forensic examiner. If a breach occurs, your Charlotte practice has immediate access to forensic investigation capabilities that produce legally defensible findings and support OCR reporting requirements.
Practical, Not Theoretical
Our HIPAA programs are designed for real-world clinical operations — not ivory-tower compliance theory. We write policies your staff will actually follow, implement controls that do not impede patient care, and maintain documentation that auditors want to see.
Frequently Asked Questions About HIPAA Compliance in Charlotte
Does my Charlotte practice really need a formal HIPAA compliance program?
Yes. Every covered entity and business associate is required by federal law to implement a documented HIPAA compliance program. This includes conducting risk assessments, implementing safeguards, training workforce members, and maintaining documentation. The size of your Charlotte practice does not exempt you from these requirements — solo practitioners and large health systems face the same regulatory obligations.
How often must we conduct a HIPAA risk assessment?
HIPAA does not specify a fixed frequency, but OCR guidance and industry best practice call for annual risk assessments. Additionally, you should update your risk assessment whenever significant changes occur — new EHR system, office relocation, new telehealth services, or a security incident. We conduct annual assessments for our Charlotte healthcare clients and interim updates as needed.
What are the penalties for HIPAA violations in North Carolina?
Federal penalties range from $100 to $50,000 per violation, with annual maximums of $1.5 million per violation category. Criminal penalties can include imprisonment. North Carolina also has its own Identity Theft Protection Act requiring breach notification within 60 days. Beyond fines, Charlotte practices face reputational damage, patient loss, and increased insurance premiums following a breach.
Can you help Charlotte dental offices with HIPAA?
Yes. Dental practices are covered entities under HIPAA and must comply with the same Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification rules as medical practices. We tailor HIPAA programs for Charlotte dental offices, accounting for their specific workflows, imaging systems, practice management software, and the common practice of sharing patient data with dental labs and specialists.
Do you provide HIPAA training for Charlotte healthcare staff?
Yes. We provide role-based HIPAA training for all workforce members, including new hire onboarding, annual refresher training, and quarterly phishing simulations. Training is documented with completion tracking — exactly what OCR auditors want to see. Training content is updated annually to address current threats targeting Charlotte healthcare organizations.
How do you handle HIPAA for telehealth practices in Charlotte?
Telehealth expands the HIPAA attack surface significantly. We assess telehealth platform security, ensure BAAs are in place with telehealth vendors, configure encryption for video and messaging, implement access controls for remote clinical sessions, and train Charlotte providers on secure telehealth practices. As federal telehealth enforcement flexibilities evolve, we keep your compliance program current.
What if our Charlotte practice experiences a data breach?
Our incident response team conducts the forensic investigation, performs the four-factor risk assessment to determine notification requirements, prepares patient notification letters, submits the OCR breach report, and coordinates with your legal counsel and insurance carrier. Craig Petronella’s forensic examiner credentials ensure the investigation meets legal evidentiary standards.
How do we get started with HIPAA compliance?
Call 919-348-4912 or schedule a consultation. We begin with a HIPAA risk assessment to evaluate your Charlotte practice’s current compliance posture and identify gaps. From there, we build a prioritized remediation plan and implement your complete HIPAA compliance program. Most programs are fully operational within 60 to 90 days.
Ready to Achieve HIPAA Compliance in Charlotte?
Schedule a HIPAA risk assessment with Craig Petronella to evaluate your Charlotte practice’s compliance posture, identify gaps, and build a program that protects patients and satisfies regulators. We serve practices of every size — from solo practitioners to multi-location groups.
Petronella Technology Group, Inc. • 919-348-4912 • Raleigh, NC 27606 • BBB Accredited Since 2003 • Founded 2002 • 2,500+ Clients