HIPAA does not require soundproofing. No specific Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating is mandated for walls, doors, or ceilings in any Texas medical office. What the federal HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR §164.530(c)) does require is that every covered entity implement "reasonable safeguards" to protect oral Protected Health Information (PHI) from incidental, unauthorized disclosure. This standard applies to every Texas practice - from a two-room family clinic in Lubbock to a 3