On June 4, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced the appointment of Paula M. Stannard as director of the OCR. In this role, Stannard serves as the department’s chief officer and adviser to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., regarding the implementation, compliance, and enforcement of federal health information privacy, security, and breach notification rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
“Stannard takes the helm at OCR at a time when there is a sizeable backlog of investigations, with the latter fueled by a sharp increase in hacking incidents and ransomware attacks in recent years,” Steve Alder reported for The HIPAA journal on June 5. “OCR has had a sharp decrease in the number of investigators on staff, which has been a key factor in the increase in the investigations backlog, with many positions remaining vacant.”
“I'm proud to welcome Paula back to HHS,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in a statement. “She’s a proven public servant who delivered results during her time at HHS under both President Trump and President George W. Bush.”
Most recently, Stannard served as Chief Legal Counsel of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, where she led the Office of Legal Affairs.
"I look forward to advancing the significant and highly visible priorities of OCR and protecting the civil rights of Americans who participate in the programs or organizations that HHS operates and funds,” Stannard shared in a statement.
