Which is NOT a workforce member responsible for protecting patient health information?

The third-party vendor is not considered a workforce member responsible for protecting patient health information in the same way that volunteers, healthcare employees, or students and trainees are. In the context of HIPAA, workforce members are typically individuals who work directly for a covered entity, such as healthcare providers or healthcare facilities, and have an obligation to safeguard patient information as part of their employment or service.

Volunteers, healthcare employees, and students or trainees are often in roles that include direct involvement in patient care or administrative responsibilities that require them to access and handle protected health information (PHI). They receive training on privacy and security protocols to ensure that PHI is managed appropriately.

In contrast, while third-party vendors may handle patient information, they are often governed by specific contracts that outline their responsibilities regarding PHI. This means that while they might have access to sensitive data, their responsibilities and training protocols do not align with those of workforce members. Hence, the third-party vendor does not fit into the category of workforce members who are directly responsible for safeguarding patient health information on an everyday basis.