Coalfire announced today the launch of HIPAAcentral, a new compliance exchange that provides a comprehensive suite of services for covered entities and business associates and their subcontractors to manage, maintain and exchange healthcare regulatory compliance data.

HIPAAcentral simplifies compliance management by providing vendor risk management tools, training, templates, and third-party validation services, plus an online compliance registry and knowledge exchange. The service, which is available by subscription to both covered entities (CEs) and business associates (BAs), utilizes standardized criteria for compliance validation and actively monitors vendor compliance via automated notifications, workflow management and expert support.

"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is now actively monitoring and enforcing the HIPAA Omnibus Rule, and too many healthcare firms aren't prepared," said Rick Dakin, CEO and co-founder of Coalfire. "HIPAAcentral is closing that gap by enabling subscribers to securely exchange and verify compliance status."

As of Sept. 23, 2013, all covered entities, business associates and their subcontractors were required to be in compliance with the HIPAA Omnibus Rule, and are now facing increased financial and criminal penalties for non-compliance. A survey conducted by Coalfire in September found that a majority of business associates reported being somewhat or completely unaware of their new responsibilities under the Omnibus Rule, and fewer than half of business associates reported being compliant.