LANSING, Mich. (WSYM) — Recommendations on how the telecom industry, hospitals and the federal and state governments can prevent illegal robocalls from disrupting communications in hospitals were presented to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently by a federal advisory committee, which included Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office.
The Hospital Robocall Protection Group (HRPG) issued its report to the FCC Dec. 14, outlining best practices for preventing unlawful robocalls from being made to hospitals. The report was a requirement established for the HRPG under the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED Act).
One of Nessel’s assistant attorneys general was appointed to the HRPG in July as one of only three state officials from around the country.
“Under my administration, Michigan has been a national leader in responding to illegal robocalls and I am proud of the role my office has had in creating best-practices guidelines for hospitals, governments and voice service providers. These guidelines will strengthen the protection for hospitals from robocalls that interfere with their operations,” Nessel said. “I am committed to keeping Michigan at the forefront as our nation continues to develop appropriate measures and protocols to fight this persistent issue.”
The HRPG recommendations focus on collective efforts and encourage a coordinated response among hospitals, phone companies, telecom carriers and government agencies to mitigate the impact of these calls. The report includes recommendations that telecom carriers analyze and monitor traffic on their networks, hospitals train their staff to capture relevant information about robocalls when they occur, and Federal and state governments implement policies to give the telecom industry the ability to prevent the calls.
A full copy of the HRPG report is available online at the HRPG website.
