Our Team

Michelle Bermea

Risk Analyst

Michelle works hands on with MyHIPAA Guide workshop participants and subscribers. Her human touch helps people build competence in sustaining HIPAA compliance. Michelle received her Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs from Miami University. Following graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked at the Advisory Board Company, a health care research firm; the U.S. Capitol, and the International Monetary Fund. She received her Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law in 2012, with an emphasis in health law.

Patrick DeMico

Consultant

Patrick is leading the launch of an expanded compliance service called Certitude Virtual Compliance, of which MyHIPAA Guide is a partner. His expertise has been invaluable to MyHIPAA Guide, especially in creating a human-centered approach to HIPAA compliance, with an focus on helping those who manage compliance. Having started his career as a Direct Support Professional (DSP), Patrick advanced to COO/CFO of Passavant Memorial Homes in Pennsylvania. He currently serves as Executive Director of The Provider Alliance, which serves Intellectual/Developmental Disability providers in Pennsylvania.

Jason Edwards

Chief of IT / Creative operations

Drawing on experience as Chief Webmaster for Ohio.com, the online news site of the Akron Beacon Journal, Jason leads the ongoing evolution of MyHIPAAGuide.com and implementation of user-friendly solutions to help subscribers. His expertise includes social media applications, development of online communities for sharing information, and HIPAA-compliant communications solutions, including secure email. Jason considers “code” his second language. His talents include photography, graphic design and an amazing understanding of how information flows over the Internet.

Diane Evans

Publisher

As Publisher of MyHIPAA Guide, Diane writes extensively on issues relating to HIPAA compliance. Recent guest viewpoints have appeared in Compliance Today, the peer-reviewed journal of the national Health Care Compliance Association, and The Compliance & Ethics blog.  Diane also contributes to the blog of the Center for Health Journalism, University of Southern California, Annenberg, where she is a member. She has authored accredited online courses on HIPAA compliance, available through Pedagogy Inc., based in Troup, Tx., and CE Exchange Dental, based in Louisville, Ky.  She conducts accredited workshops for healthcare associations around the Midwest. Diane spent the earlier part of her career as a columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal.

Brenna Hughey

Customer Relations

As our Administrative Assistant, Brenna’s experience in customer service and client relations serves her well at MyHIPAA Guide. She instinctively strives for complete customer satisfaction. In addition to these skills, Brenna graduated from Kent State University in 2017 with a degree in Public Health. While at Kent State, Brenna concentrated her degree on Education and Promotion and wrote case studies about Public Health issues.

Cynthia Jerde

Director of Educational Services

Cynthia is our team leader in developing curriculum for MyHIPAA Guide training programs. Having spent the earlier part of her career on the clinical side of nursing, Cynthia turned her focus to staff training in more recent years, including at Alego Health/Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland and University Hospital of Cleveland. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health from Kent State University, with a concentration in health education. She is also a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). Cindy goes on-site to help with MyHIPAA Guide training and consulting services.

Jason Ryan

Graphic Design

Jason’s artistic skills help us present information about HIPAA in a way that lightens what could otherwise be heavy subject matter. His skills include print design, web design, printing production, multimedia editing and design, photography, photo editing and restoration, and illustration techniques. He is adept in Adobe software, including InDesign and Photoshop. Jason is our go-to guy as we create educational materials that help people through the HIPAA-compliance process. His are the hands behind our online resource pages meant to help compliance managers do their jobs better.

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10 Steps to Compliance