Speaking with Steph

Avoiding HIPAA Fines: Key Cybersecurity Changes Coming for Healthcare Providers in 2026

Hi! I'm Stephanie Rodin, host of the Speaking with Steph podcast. In this episode, I want to speak to you about the upcoming HIPAA updates set to take effect in 2026, which will introduce important new cybersecurity requirements for healthcare. In this episode, we discuss: * How HIPAA is being updated in 2026 to address rising cybersecurity risks driven by technology and AI. * How certain cybersecurity language will now shift from recommendations to mandatory requirements for covered entities and their business associates. * How annual compliance audits and enhanced risk management will become required to ensure ongoing alignment with the new rules. * When the updated HIPAA rules are expected to take effect, with implementation beginning in mid-2026 and compliance deadlines extending into late 2026 and early 2027. * Why providers should review their HIPAA policies, business associate agreements, cyber insurance policies, and IT management in order to reduce exposure to fines and breaches. * What technical safeguards will be expected, including multi-factor authentication, encryption, and stronger controls over electronic protected health information. Stephanie Rodin is a partner at Mandelbaum Barrett PC, a full-service law firm that has been serving clients since 1930. With decades of collective experience, the firm takes a collaborative and proactive approach to legal counsel, advocating for clients with care, attention, and dedication. Before joining the firm, Stephanie was the founder and principal of Rodin Legal, P.C., and has been practicing law since 2000. Throughout her career, she has focused extensively on supporting healthcare professionals. Having grown up in a family of medical and dental practitioners, Stephanie was immersed in the healthcare world from an early age. This unique exposure gave her firsthand insight into the legal and operational challenges faced by medical professionals, an experience that continues to inform her legal practice today. Website: https://www.mblawfirm.com/ [https://www.mblawfirm.com/] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/]

What Healthcare Providers Need to Know About Changing Non-Compete Regulations

Hi! I'm Stephanie Rodin, host of the Speaking with Steph podcast. In this episode, I want to speak to you about a significant update impacting healthcare providers and employers across the country: the evolving landscape of non-compete clauses and the latest changes proposed by the FTC and state legislatures. In this episode, we discuss: * How the FTC's ongoing effort to limit non-competes continues to evolve, even after its broader ban was struck down. * What the FTC is targeting now, including healthcare employers and staffing firms, and why those developments may affect smaller practices over time. * Changes to non-competes in several states, including Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana, and Arkansas. * Why New York's pending legislation could matter for workers earning under 500,000 and for all health-related professionals, regardless of compensation. * How New Jersey's pending bill could eliminate non-compete provisions entirely, regardless of industry or pay level. * What employers should do now, including reviewing agreements state by state and confirming that any remaining restrictions are reasonable and legally defensible. Stephanie Rodin is a partner at Mandelbaum Barrett PC, a full-service law firm that has been serving clients since 1930. With decades of collective experience, the firm takes a collaborative and proactive approach to legal counsel, advocating for clients with care, attention, and dedication. Before joining the firm, Stephanie was the founder and principal of Rodin Legal, P.C., and has been practicing law since 2000. Throughout her career, she has focused extensively on supporting healthcare professionals. Having grown up in a family of medical and dental practitioners, Stephanie was immersed in the healthcare world from an early age. This unique exposure gave her firsthand insight into the legal and operational challenges faced by medical professionals, an experience that continues to inform her legal practice today. Website: https://www.mblawfirm.com/ [https://www.mblawfirm.com/] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/]

How to Keep Your Med Spa in Good Standing with New York Law

Hi! I'm Stephanie Rodin, host of the Speaking with Steph podcast. In this episode, I want to speak to you about the booming med spa industry and the important legal considerations that come with operating one, especially in New York. In this episode, we discuss: * How med spa owners can mitigate risk by ensuring proper physician involvement, verifying product integrity, maintaining sanitary conditions, and tightening internal protocols. * What New York law requires for procedures that break the skin barrier, including the need for a licensed physician to perform or supervise services that qualify as medical treatment. * Why New York's Department of State is conducting statewide med spa inspections and what regulators are finding, from unlicensed individuals performing medical procedures to unsanitary conditions. * What types of compliance failures are triggering fines, penalties, license suspensions, and revocations, including expired or suspected counterfeit Botox and other fillers, and improper handling of needles and devices. * Why owners and licensed professionals should proactively consult counsel to review their structures, supervision, and compliance policies before inspections result in enforcement action. Stephanie Rodin is a partner at Mandelbaum Barrett PC, a full-service law firm that has been serving clients since 1930. With decades of collective experience, the firm takes a collaborative and proactive approach to legal counsel, advocating for clients with care, attention, and dedication. Before joining the firm, Stephanie was the founder and principal of Rodin Legal, P.C., and has been practicing law since 2000. Throughout her career, she has focused extensively on supporting healthcare professionals. Having grown up in a family of medical and dental practitioners, Stephanie was immersed in the healthcare world from an early age. This unique exposure gave her firsthand insight into the legal and operational challenges faced by medical professionals that continues to inform her legal practice today. Website: https://www.mblawfirm.com/ [https://www.mblawfirm.com/] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/]

Employer Essentials: What to Update for 2026 Success

Hi! I'm Stephanie Rodin, host of the Speaking with Steph podcast. In this episode, I want to speak to you about some of the most important points employers should keep in mind as we move toward 2026. In this episode, we discuss: * How employers across industries must monitor employee use of AI tools for tasks like resume enhancement, interviews, or service delivery to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local anti‑discrimination laws. * What updates are needed in employee manuals or consent forms to promote transparency on AI usage by staff for rendering services or by management for oversight. * Why an interactive process for accommodations remains essential for remote employees, alongside mechanisms to confirm they can fulfill core position functions remotely. * How pay transparency laws increasingly allow employees to discuss compensation openly, potentially revealing disparities based on experience or other factors. * How employers can mitigate risks of disruption, discrimination claims, or class actions by justifying pay differences and striving for equitable treatment among staff. Stephanie Rodin is a partner at Mandelbaum Barrett PC, a full-service law firm that has been serving clients since 1930. With decades of collective experience, the firm takes a collaborative and proactive approach to legal counsel, advocating for clients with care, attention, and dedication. Before joining the firm, Stephanie was the founder and principal of Rodin Legal, P.C., and has been practicing law since 2000. Throughout her career, she has focused extensively on supporting healthcare professionals. Having grown up in a family of medical and dental practitioners, Stephanie was immersed in the healthcare world from an early age. This unique exposure gave her firsthand insight into the legal and operational challenges faced by medical and dental professionals that continue to form her legal practice today. Website: https://www.mblawfirm.com/ [https://www.mblawfirm.com/] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/]

New Sick Leave Rules for NYC: What Changes on February 22nd

Hi! I'm Stephanie Rodin, host of the Speaking with Steph podcast. In this episode, I want to speak to you about a significant update affecting New York City employers and employees: the expansion of safe and sick leave. In this episode, we discuss: * How New York City's new safe and sick time law expands existing paid sick leave by adding 32 hours of unpaid safe and sick time for eligible employees. * What types of workers are covered by the new requirement, including full‑time and part‑time W‑2 employees, and which categories (such as independent contractors) are excluded. * When employees may use this additional time, including during public disasters that close the place of business or their child's school or childcare provider. * Why the new leave can be critical for employees involved in legal proceedings or actions related to subsistence benefits or housing for themselves, family members, or care recipients. * How the definition of a caregiver is broadened, allowing individuals who provide ongoing care to a minor child or care recipient to use this time solely for caregiving responsibilities. Stephanie Rodin is a partner at Mandelbaum Barrett PC, a full-service law firm that has been serving clients since 1930. With decades of collective experience, the firm takes a collaborative and proactive approach to legal counsel, advocating for clients with care, attention, and dedication. Before joining the firm, Stephanie was the founder and principal of Rodin Legal, P.C., and has been practicing law since 2000. Throughout her career, she has focused extensively on supporting healthcare professionals. Having grown up in a family of medical and dental practitioners, Stephanie was immersed in the healthcare world from an early age. This unique exposure gave her firsthand insight into the legal and operational challenges faced by medical professionals experience that continues to inform her legal practice today. Website: https://www.mblawfirm.com/ [https://www.mblawfirm.com/] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanierodin/]