Unfortuntely, just by emailing a HIPPA constrained fax is also possibly ‘non-compliant’ you must prove it was sufficiently encrypted and sent over a secure channel to a similarly protected recipient , I know, it’s total BS, and nobody does it but it’s all there ;-), ( the same constraints go for voicemail also 
)
Apparently the USPS is considered secure.
I agree and why emailing is a option you can enable if you choose. For HIPPA our customers just use dumb fax machine most the time just so they have no risk.
Given that, have you certified with HIPPA that your “Sangoma FAXStation” service is compliant ?
Sure, but I wasn’t complaining about fax, only the fax machine. A few patients have died as a result of hastily-scribbled prescriptions being misread by the pharmacist. Written communication is best done on the computer in a clearly legible font. If the prescription form is filled with Acrobat (or better, with purpose-designed software that does additional checks for possible drug interactions), there is no need for the fax machine; the document is securely uploaded to a fax server, commercial or customer-owned.
check into what vitelity offers as a “fax enable device” - it is an ata from audiocodes but uses https to send/receive faxes from the vitelity fax servers. it works really great, requires no programming and allows users to use a fax machine the way they always have. with their service you can also have fax to/from email if you wish. there is a one time cost of about $120 to buy the device and then you have the monthly costs of the fax number and any usage. this device has two ports so you can in fact connect two fax machines, each having a different fax number if you wish. this is the only device we have found that works 100% of the time.
If any one wants to chase down what you can do and you can’t, the horses mouth is maybe:-
After digesting all that, you might want to invest in carrier pigeons (which have actually been used for TCP communication)
This is far from a unique offering. For example, see Sangoma Documentation (most convenient if you are already a Sangoma customer and a good value for high volume). Also, see Nextiva vFAX - How to Set Up a Fax Bridge | Nextiva Support .
However, IMO the fax machine is obsolete. Almost all such workflows can be streamlined with an electronic solution, saving time and supplies, with fewer problems caused by hard-to-read or illegible documents.
(I’m a satisfied Vitelity vFax customer, but see no use for the FaxEnable device.)
you are certainly entitled to your opinion about fax machines. we just give the customer what they want. often they want inbound fax to email but also like the convenience of being able to walk over to the fax machine to send a single page without the need to scan it and then send it. we don’t really care if the world of fax machines is dying or not. we just do what the customer wants and many times the audiocodes device sold by vitelity is the best and least hassle solution
Of course, if you are in the business of selling phone systems and/or services, when the customer says “jump”, you jump. Unless you know them really well, I agree that it’s none of your business what they do with the fax machine.
OTOH, many members of this forum are supporting telecom in their own organization. Improving internal systems helps the bottom line, makes for better morale and may lead to a quicker promotion.
Scan it??? 90% of what I see stuffed into fax machines came out of the printer moments earlier and was filled in, marked up and/or signed by the user. Why not do this on the computer? Among other advantages, it gives you a permanent searchable record of what was sent and is easier for the recipient to read.
@dicko there is NO such thing as HIPPA Certification, basically providers such as Sangoma can acknowledge what HIPAA is and state that they adhere to HIPAA regulations in our product offerings and as @tonyclewis stated we will sign BAA’s for large revenue customers. HIPAA is typically more about how healthcare organizations control data access, and is the responsibility of the healthcare organization to implement best practices to ensure that their patient data is kept secure from start to finish.
Sangoma takes appropriate steps to ensure the security and integrity of all sensitive customer data as a normal course of business. This includes the use of encryption while data is in motion with 256-bit AES or better encryption algorithms for all transport. However, Sangoma does not currently provide a specific HIPAA policy. If Healthcare Providers are interested in FAXStation service but are unsure of the risks (if any), we ask Healthcare Providers to please work with their HIPAA security evaluators and engage the Sangoma sales engineering team to determine if FAXStation is a good fit for their organizations.