Since 2020, we’ve had an isolated system for HIPAA Zoom needs. This was initially added to the Virginia Tech ecosystem because this was how the company required us to set up Zoom to have HIPAA-compliant coverage. In 2022 and 2023, the platform evolved and they offered us the opportunity to sign a new “Business Associate Agreement” which would make our main account HIPAA compliant. We completed the agreement in January of 2024. Shutting down this Zoom instance will allow us to be more operationally efficient, while still providing the same end-user coverage for HIPAA needs. Additionally, this will allow a much easier implementation of Zoom Phone (a relatively new service at Virginia Tech, replacing Avaya) for customers that need a phone along with HIPAA-compliant Zoom Meetings. Check out a schedule from the Zoom Phone team.

Accounts for individuals will be removed from the HIPAA instance, which will subsequently be discontinued. These individuals will simply log into https://virginiatech.zoom.us using their normal VT Username (PID) and passphrase from this point forward.

No. This will no longer be necessary. Starting on March 26, 2024, all Virginia Tech affiliates will access Zoom the same way, using their VT Username (PID) and passphrase to log in at https://virginiatech.zoom.us.

Any recurring meetings set up in the HIPAA system will not migrate and will need to be re-established.

By default, you will get a new number for your PMI. If you want to use the same number, please take note of what it is now so that you can customize your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) at https://virginiatech.zoom.us.

The HIPAA-compliant instance of Zoom did not allow meetings to be recorded. With this change, meeting organizers are able to record and store meetings either locally, or as a cloud recording. If your meeting must meet HIPAA requirements, consider whether a recording is truly necessary. If a recording is necessary, you should select the “Record on this computer” option in order to prevent an automatic copy of the meeting from being uploaded to Kaltura. 

This is important, because while Zoom storage is HIPAA compliant, Kaltura (video.vt.edu) is not. Recordings of any meetings subject to HIPAA regulations should be saved locally on your hard drive or other secure location. Any meetings inadvertently saved to the Kaltura platform should be deleted.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law that was ratified in 1996, requiring the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge. For more information on how Zoom meets these requirements, review both the compliance datasheet and the relevant Business Associate Agreement from Zoom directly. Use caution when reviewing web search results that are not provided by Zoom, as some information found online may not be accurate.