What procedure should a covered entity follow when an employee leaves?

When an employee leaves a covered entity, it is critical to ensure that access to Protected Health Information (PHI) is terminated promptly. This procedure is essential for maintaining the privacy and security of sensitive patient data. If an outgoing employee retains access to PHI, there is a significant risk of unauthorized access, potential data breaches, or misuse of information, which can lead to severe legal and financial repercussions for the entity.

Terminating access swiftly minimizes these risks and is in alignment with both the HIPAA Privacy Rule and the Security Rule, which mandate that covered entities implement appropriate safeguards to protect PHI. Organizations should have established protocols to revoke access immediately upon an employee's departure to uphold these standards.

The other options do not align with the requirements for safeguarding PHI. Granting access to all records or allowing continued access for a month would expose sensitive information unnecessarily, while changing all passwords may not be a practical or effective response unless specifically related to the departing employee's credentials. Therefore, the correct approach is to promptly terminate access to PHI to ensure compliance and protect patient information.