Per 3: Principles of Health - HIPPA

​HIPPA

By Jodie Polan, 2025

SCENARIO​

​You work in a local medical clinic and your manager is hiring a new staff member to work in the front office. They want you to help them decide between two candidates because you will be collaborating directly with them and training them on office procedures. The new staff member’s responsibilities will include interfacing with patients, scheduling appointments using the office software, filing medical records, and organizing employee trainings such as HIPPA compliance. The medical office has a diverse staff and patients. There are people of all ages, races, and cultures. Take notes on the pros and cons for each candidate. After you have reviewed your notes thoroughly, be prepared to share your recommendation for who to hire and why.

Read the scenario and read about interviewees 1 and 2 . Then, indicate the pros and cons of hiring both. Finally, specify which candidate you would recommend to your supervisor and why.

​Instructions:

Annabelle comes to the interview in ripped jeans and a tank top. She has facial piercings, bold makeup, and an arm length tattoo. She sits down and immediately puts her foot on the chair next to her. Annabelle is positive, makes eye contact, and smiles politely throughout the interview. She speaks of her experience working in another medical office and dealing with patient records, HIPPA regulations, and scheduling patients. She is not familiar with scheduling software but states she received the Employee of the Month award for working with nervous patients in the waiting room. She thinks being on time is very important and she speaks Spanish fairly well. Annabelle states she is a “go with the flow” person rather than a planner, but prides herself on her creative problem solving. She says she has great ideas and takes pride in her ability to find solutions and complete projects. She has received training in HIPPA regulations, but has not completed any Diversity, Equity & Inclusion training.

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​Interviewee 1 - Annabelle

Poll

Who would you recommend your supervisor hire and why?

• Annabelle

• Jorge

Jorge enters the office for his interview in dress pants and a button down shirt. He is clean shaven, well groomed, and sits with good posture. He speaks in a serious tone and answers questions without much detail. His arms remain crossed, and he is not comfortable making eye contact. Jorge has not worked in a medical office before but has worked in retail for a few years and is familiar with many types of office software. He has mostly done “behind the scenes'' work without much customer interaction. His former boss provided a glowing recommendation letter which called him “diligent” and “dependable.” Jorge has never led a team and is not interested in doing so, but says is extremely organized and excellent at completing his tasks on time. He speaks Spanish fluently and Mandarin fairly well. He discusses how important an inclusive workplace is to him and wants to make sure everyone feels welcome. When asked about HIPPA, Jorge states he has heard of it, but is not familiar with the details.

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​Interviewee 2 - Jorge