Acknowledgments

My first thanks has to go out to Lisa A. Gallagher, BSEE, CISM, CPHIMS, the vice president of Technology Solutions at HIMSS, for her friendship and support in my involvement with the HIMSS Privacy & Security Committee, its workgroups, and its task forces. For the past five years, I have had the pleasure of being involved with the Privacy & Security Committee, including serving as the chairperson in 2011–2012. Lisa is a guiding force in security and privacy in healthcare and has been a mentor to many.

Next, I would like to acknowledge Kathleen McCormick, my associate, fellow author, and friend, who connected me to McGraw-Hill Professional when she invited me to be part of a large body of subject-matter experts developing a guide for HIT certification. Kathleen's drive as it applies to providing useful education on topics relative to healthcare and workforce improvement was a large reason why I wanted to write this book.

Speaking of McGraw-Hill Professional, I can't continue without mentioning my utmost appreciation for, and undying gratitude to, Meghan Manfre—my editing consultant, acquisition editor, and taskmaster throughout the entire process. Meghan kept me on target throughout the entire process and was one of the reasons I made it through this process. There were many times during the past year or so when it seemed this book would never see the light of day. However, Meghan believed in the project, maybe even more than I did at times. These may be my words in the book, but it is her muscle that got it done. Additionally, a very sincere, special, and related debt of gratitude to the team that edited (and re-edited) this book. Thank you LeeAnn Pickrell and Emily Rader for all of your hard work and for sharing your gift of writing with me.

And although posthumously, I must acknowledge the vision and support of Mr. Lynn McNulty. I will always remember meeting Lynn in a pub and mapping out the need for healthcare-specific information protection measures of workforce competency. Yes, this was on the back of a napkin, not figuratively, literally. He believed in the concept and is the genesis of the healthcare information protection credentialing process at (ISC)² along with Hord Tipton. From their leadership, this book emerges. Lynn believed in the ramblings and passion of this healthcare information security professional when no one else did. He built the bridge between (ISC)² and the concept of credentialing healthcare information security practitioners outside of the normal information security credentialing process, with the goal of beginning to measure workforce competency in healthcare information security and privacy. Without Lynn, this day would never have come. Without him, however, I will continue on in his spirit for building relationships, growing professionalism, and securing sensitive information in healthcare. We all miss you, Lynn.