On Jun 4, 2009, at 12:00 AM, RECMGMT-L automatic digest system wrote:

> From: JFrost <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: June 3, 2009 5:33:43 PM EDT
> Subject: Re: Contract Management (Reboxing)
>
>
> Thank you for your comments related to the re-boxing topic and ARMA's
> involvement.  ARMA International is an association of records and
> information management professionals.  Our purpose is to promote RIM
> education, standards, and best practices in organizations and within
> legislation.

Mr. Frost,

How can you reply that ARMA promotes best practice when something that  
so basically violates good records management such as allowing  
strangers to take control of sorting and viewing private records is  
not addressed?

ARMA stated this same mantra about Hostage Fees! The failure to  
contest this practice led to this situation where service has eroded  
and fees like re-boxing can occur because the threat of changing  
vendors has been destroyed by outrageous out-fees. ARMA needs to  
change their stance or a new organization needs to be created that  
seeks to promote the records management industry and protect the  
membership from unfair trade practices.

To be sure, the vast majority of PRISM members do not engage in this  
practice of using re-boxing as a special income source with no merit.  
Here is one post from a PRISM member that I think speaks for many in  
the industry.

> I cannot tell you how I’d like to add my .02 to this thread. Are you  
> flipping kidding me? Times get a bit tough so they send their  
> warehouse crews out to generate revenue? Too bad ( company name  
> omitted ) has turned so many of the list members against us or there  
> would be more of us responding to the list. I’m impressed by your  
> ability as a vendor to be in their good graces.
>
> I’d talk more on the subject but I’ve got my eye on a lake place up  
> north and need to figure out how many boxes I need to re-pack… ;~)


The last line was him joking.  In fact several of the offsite  
companies responded that they were incredulous that RM's would just  
meekly pay these fees without a fight.

I would suggest that everyone who has been charged a fee for re- 
boxing, that you believe is a breach of ethics, contact PRISM and ask  
that they review this matter.  They have a regulatory committee and  
they should be asked to review this issue. NAID should also asked to  
weigh in on this as they have a Certification procedure.  Good  
Practice should be defined within this issue.  Here is just one  
example of how this open access to your files violates the law:

SECTION: HIPAA
SUBJECT: Confidentiality and the Management of Protected Health  
Information (PHI)

1.1.  Patients’ records are the property of each client and are  
accessed only by the authorized representatives.
1.2.  The privacy, security, and confidentiality of each patient and  
each patient's clinical record is recognized as a priority by all  
personnel.
1.3.  Patients’ records are maintained in a secure environment at the  
record center and control of access is the responsibility of each  
record center OPM and each CSR.
1.4.  All personnel coming in contact with the patient record are  
considered health information trustees as stated in the Fair Health  
Information Practices Act.
1.5.  Information shall be released to others only with proper  
authorization by the client.
__________

If ARMA won't protect you then PRISM will!  They had a session on  
ethics at their last meeting and they take protecting clients records  
seriously.  These companies are well run and most are owner operated  
and they do not like to see their reputation damaged.  They spend  
years of hard work to create a reputation of credibility and they will  
act to maintain the respect of their clients.  Please don't tar  
everyone with the same brush.

Each of you that has experience with this practice send a letter to  
the Executive Director of PRISM and ask that they issue a guideline on  
this.

I am told that a nice two bedroom lake house is approximately 17,000  
re-boxings. :~)

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
[log in to unmask]
(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM


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