Dear Colleagues-Friends,

As we head into a new academic year with colleagues new to UTHSC, please take a few minutes to read this important reminder about Email Professionalism and Confidentiality.

The document is brief, and a great reminder to us all about the risks we put ourselves in when we are not mindful of the messages we put in writing for others to see. We also have a PowerPoint version that our supervisors can download to present to their teams.

All of us recently completed our HIPAA training, so the topic of confidentiality and protected information should be fresh on our minds. As health care professionals, clinicians, administrators, and support staff, we need to be aware of the liabilities and consequences that come from sharing sensitive patient information.

Internal communications are just as important as external communications, and we must always consider our professionalism, confidentiality of information being shared, and respect toward others. A similar message about confidentiality was sent out in an email about Best Practices, Reminders, and Resources for UTHSC Employee Searches.

Thank you for your continuous attention of the principles in the Email Professionalism and Confidentiality document, including ongoing awareness that all emails may be subject to disclosure under the Tennessee Public Records Act.

Thank you for your assistance,

Peter Buckley, MD

Chancellor