#recordkeepers

Peridot, shown in her debut episode "Warp Tour," making a log of her trip to Earth and what she saw while she was there.

So, I recently began rewatching Steven Universe, starting at season 1, and I realized even more archival themes than what I had previously concluded, beginning with one of the characters, Peridot. Some readers may remember I wrote about Steven Universe before, at the beginning of this year, noting the presence of VCRs, their preservation, other records within the series, the special library of Buddy Buddwick, and archival records used in defense of Steven at his trial, to name a few aspects.

Reprinted from my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog. Originally published on Dec. 2, 2021.

However, I was mainly relying on memory in writing that post, and its different once you begin watching a series again. As such, this post will be focused on one specific character, Peridot, and whether she is an unintentional archivist, records manager, or something else entirely in the series as a whole. Warning here that this post will give spoilers for part of the show.

In episodes within seasons 1 and 2 of Steven Universe, Peridot often records her progress with Gem experimentation and the cluster on her "finger screens." She is first shown making logs in her debut episode [Warp Tour] and makes another log in the episode "Keeping it Together," before Steven, and his friends, the Crystal Gems, chase her across the Prime Kindergarten. [1] Unfortunately, her screens and limb enhancements are thrown into the water in the episode "Catch and Release" by Amethyst. In the following episode, "When it Rains," she tells Steven she doesn't know anything without her screen and tells him that all her logs up to a certain date are backed up in the Prime Kindergarten. She also tells Steven she read over a few hundred years of reports and displays her records which show many attempts at artificial fusion, prototypes for an artificial fusion that would have destroyed the Earth, the Cluster.

Following this, she gets an audio tape recorder, making logs for her life on Earth, her experiences, her attempts to get along with the Crystal Gems (Amethyst, Garnet, and Pearl), and more. [2] This until the episode "Barn Mates" when Lapis destroys it after Peridot gifts it to her in hopes of becoming friends with her. The audio tape recorder becomes an important part of her character development as she adapts to living on Earth rather than living on Homeworld. In the process, you could say that the recordings that Peridot does are archival records.

As I noted in my previous post about Steven Universe on this blog, Peridot notes that she had backed up her logs before, finding information on  Gem fragments from reports. In the episode "It Could've Been Great" she goes through an old Gem computer system to find information about the cluster, Gem locations, and the planned Earth colony. The question remains, is Peridot an archivist, albeit unintentionally? That is what I want to answer in the rest of this post, divided into two parts. The second part will be published tomorrow.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] Peri is using communication devices in "Friend Ship" as well.

Healthcare organizations are expected to save and maintain lives, but as businesses, they must be HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant. This is required for healthcare businesses in the United States, a legal requirement designed to protect the privacy and security of patient’s personal health information (PHI).

HIPAA compliance creates a framework for safeguarding sensitive health information for a reliable healthcare ecosystem that can only be promoted by trustworthy professionals.

These professionals in businesses like the top bookkeepers play a crucial role in protecting businesses by utilizing their expertise and ethical practices. Here are some ways in which reliable bookkeepers help and support HIPAA-compliant businesses:

Security

To protect financial records and PHI from unauthorized access, theft, or breaches, bookkeepers must implement appropriate security measures.  This includes utilizing secure computer systems, encrypted data storage, and password protection for financial software and databases.

Confidentiality

When handling financial records containing protected health information (PHI), bookkeepers must maintain strict confidentiality. Any individually identifiable health information, such as medical records, payment information, and insurance information, is considered PHI. Bookkeepers should ensure that access to such information is limited to authorized personnel only.

Record Retention and Disposal

Bookkeepers should adhere to HIPAA guidelines for the retention and disposal of financial records that contain PHI.  These guidelines specify the minimum retention period for different types of records and the secure destruction methods for disposing of sensitive information.

Monitoring and Auditing

Bookkeepers may be involved in auditing and monitoring financial transactions to ensure HIPAA compliance. This includes reviewing financial records on a regular basis, identifying any discrepancies or irregularities, and reporting any suspected violations to appropriate personnel.

Training and Awareness

Bookkeepers should receive HIPAA training and be aware of the specific requirements for financial transactions and record-keeping. They must understand the significance of maintaining PHI privacy and security, as well as how to deal with any potential breaches or incidents.

Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)

Under HIPAA regulations, bookkeepers who work with HIPAA-compliant businesses may be considered business associates. Any entity that performs services on behalf of a covered entity (such as a healthcare provider) and has access to PHI is considered a business associate. Bookkeepers should have a signed BAA with the covered entity outlining their responsibilities and obligations in terms of PHI protection.

The Bottomline

Overall compliance with HIPAA is a collaborative effort that involves numerous stakeholders, including healthcare providers, covered entities, and business associates. 

Just like any other industry, efficient bookkeeping in healthcare is an essential component for effortless accounting processes to efficiently run a business. Hence it is a must to entrust a healthcare system’s finances only to trustworthy bookkeepers for long-term success. 

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