Clarity in Complex Territory
HIPAA Compliance
for Small Healthcare Practices.
North Privacy Advisors delivers the written HIPAA Risk Analysis your practice is required to have under 45 CFR 164.308. OCR cites risk analysis failures in virtually every enforcement action it takes. We close that gap with documented, audit-ready analysis in three weeks. CIPP/US certified. Houston-based. Serves small practices nationwide.
45 CFR 164.308(a)(1)(ii)(A)
Your Risk Analysis
Is the First Thing
OCR Asks For.
A HIPAA Risk Analysis is a written assessment of every potential risk and vulnerability to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information in your organization. It is required under federal law for every covered entity and every business associate.
45 CFR 164.308(a)(1)(ii)(A) requires every covered entity to conduct an accurate and thorough assessment. OCR's audit protocol evaluates five criteria: defined scope, threat and vulnerability identification, current security measures reviewed, likelihood and impact ratings assigned, and risk levels documented. A software questionnaire does not satisfy this requirement.
In OCR's audit program, fewer than 14 percent of covered entities substantially met the risk analysis requirement. The three most common failures: no risk analysis was ever conducted, the assessment did not cover all systems containing ePHI, or the documentation was never updated. Source: HHS Office for Civil Rights Audit Report.
A written Risk Analysis built against HHS Audit Protocol's five evaluation criteria and the nine elements of HHS Final Guidance. Scored using NIST SP 800-30 methodology. Delivered in three weeks. Flat fee. You receive a document OCR can read, not a software-generated checklist.
See the Service →Why Privacy Matters
The Stakes Have
Never Been Higher.
US data privacy law is no longer a concern for tech giants alone. Businesses of every size now face real legal, financial, and reputational exposure, and most don't know where their gaps are.
Average Healthcare Data Breach Cost
Healthcare has ranked the most expensive industry for data breaches for 14 consecutive years. A single ransomware incident now costs more than many small practices generate annually. Source: IBM Cost of Data Breach Report 2024.
State Privacy Laws Now in Effect
California, Texas, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut and more. Each law has different thresholds, rights, and timelines. Compliance in one state does not mean compliance in another.
Breach Notification Window
Many state laws require you to notify regulators and affected individuals within 72 hours of discovering a breach. Without a plan, that window closes fast.
Collected by OCR in the First 4 Months of 2026
OCR settled six HIPAA cases in the first four months of 2026, collecting over $1.28 million. Four settlements landed on a single day in April. Risk analysis failures were cited in every one. Source: HHS.gov, April 23, 2026.
Of Covered Entities Meeting Risk Analysis Requirements
In OCR's last comprehensive audit, only 14% of covered entities substantially met HIPAA risk analysis requirements. A compliance platform checklist is not the written analysis OCR asks for first.
Most Cited Deficiency in Every OCR Enforcement Year
Failure to conduct an adequate risk analysis is the most frequently cited finding in OCR investigations. It appears in every enforcement initiative OCR has run, including all 19 ransomware investigations completed through April 2026. Source: HHS.gov, HIPAA Journal 2026.
Client Results
Proof, not promises.
Two anonymized engagements: what we found, what we fixed, and the business value it unlocked.
HIPAA Risk Analysis · Premium MedSpa
Five risk findings, three at maximum severity, closed before they reached the OCR Wall of Shame.
Read the case study →TDPSA Gap Analysis · Valet & Hospitality
Compliance work engineered into an RFP asset that won contracts at properties they could not have bid on before.
Read the case study →Our Expertise
Backed by Experience.
Built for Trust.
North Privacy Advisors provides fractional Chief Privacy Officer services to businesses that need expert privacy leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. CIPP/US certified. Practical by design.
The Privacy Landscape
Know the Laws
That Apply to You.
US privacy law is state-by-state, and it's growing fast. The map below shows which states have comprehensive privacy laws in effect, which have legislation pending, and where gaps remain.
20+ state privacy laws now active across the US. View the full interactive map to see which laws apply to your business.
View the Interactive Map →
The Origin
Where We
Come From
North Privacy Advisors was founded on a simple truth: navigating unfamiliar territory requires more than a map. It requires someone who has been there before.
Our founder spent years learning how complex systems work, finding footholds in complicated landscapes, building from nothing, and earning the right to be trusted. That experience shaped everything about how we advise our clients.
Privacy law feels the same way to most businesses, dense, shifting, and hard to act on. We know what it takes to find your bearings, build a program that holds, and move forward with confidence.
What We Do
Expert Guidance.
Right-Sized for You.
You get the strategic depth of a full-time Chief Privacy Officer, without the full-time cost. Every engagement is built around where you are today and where you need to go.
For Small Healthcare Practices
HIPAA Risk Analysis
OCR-ready written documentation in 3 weeks. Required by 45 CFR 164.308. CIPP/US certified. Flat fee.
New · Most Popular Starting Point
$750 Privacy Exposure Review
Know your top 3 privacy risks in 48 hours. Flat fee. No retainer. No commitment.
Fractional CPO
On-demand executive privacy leadership. Strategic direction, program oversight, and board-level counsel, without the full-time hire.
Privacy Assessments
Know exactly where you stand. We audit your data practices, identify gaps, and deliver a clear remediation roadmap with priorities you can act on.
Compliance Roadmaps
CCPA, CPRA, TDPSA, VCDPA, we translate complex state laws into a practical, prioritized action plan your team can actually execute.
Data Mapping
You can't protect what you don't know you have. We map your data flows, classify sensitive data, and document your obligations by law.
Policy & Program Build
Privacy policies, vendor agreements, internal training, and incident response, built to your business, not copied from a template.
Ongoing Advisory
Privacy law moves fast. Monthly advisory retainers keep your program current, your team informed, and your compliance risk low year-round.
How It Works
A Clear Path.
From Day One.
Every engagement starts with understanding where you are. No assumptions. No generic frameworks. Just a structured process that gives you direction and builds something that lasts.
Discover
We start with a free consultation to understand your business, your data practices, and your current exposure. No obligation, just clarity.
Assess
We conduct a structured privacy assessment, reviewing data flows, policies, vendor relationships, and applicable laws, and deliver a gap analysis.
Build
We develop your privacy program, policies, procedures, training, and controls, tailored to your size, industry, and risk profile. Practical, not theoretical.
Sustain
We stay with you through ongoing advisory. As laws change and your business grows, your program evolves with it. You're never navigating alone.
Resources
Tools & Guides
to Navigate Privacy.
Free resources to help you understand your obligations, track the laws that apply to you, and start building a privacy program, even before you engage us.
Privacy Laws Database
A regularly updated database of US state privacy laws, in effect and proposed, with key thresholds, rights, and effective dates.
View the Map →Privacy Readiness Assessment
10 minutes. 20 questions. A clear picture of where your privacy program stands today, and what to fix first.
Take the Assessment →Privacy Roadmap Guide
A plain-language guide to building your first privacy program, what to document, what to implement, and in what order.
Get the Guide →Breach Response Checklist
A step-by-step checklist for the first 72 hours after a data breach, who to notify, what to document, and how to respond under state law.
Get the Checklist →Vendor Risk Template
A ready-to-use template for assessing your vendors' data practices, the questions to ask, the red flags to spot, and the clauses to require.
Get the Template →CIPP/US Law Tracker
A curated, up-to-date reference of all active US state privacy laws with key provisions, updated monthly. The same database that powers our client work.
Explore Database →Know Where You Stand
Not Sure Where
to Start?
Take our free Privacy Readiness Assessment. In 10 minutes, you'll know exactly where your gaps are, and what to prioritize first.
Takes 10 minutes
Answer 20 questions about your current data practices
Get a personalized report
Receive a gap analysis with specific recommendations for your business
Recent Insights
From the
Knowledge Base.
View all insights →
Cyber Insurance Renewal: The HIPAA Attestation Trap for Texas Practices
A "yes" without documentation can now void coverage. What carrier attestations actually ask, why OCR uses the same paper trail, and how Texas double exposure stacks.
Read more →HIPAA Parental Access to Children's Medical Records
OCR's December 2025 Dear Colleague letter made parental access a named enforcement priority. What pediatric and dental practices must change about EHR portal settings.
Read more →HIPAA Compliance for Solo Practitioners in Texas
Solo practitioners comply with both HIPAA and Texas HB 300. The 15-business-day record access window, 90-day training rule, and how AG penalties stack.
Read more →It's Time to Find
Your North.
Let's talk about where you are, and map a clear path forward.
Book a Free Consultation