Celeb privacy breach bigger than reported
The privacy breach involving medical records of celebrities treated at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center was even bigger than what was reported months ago, according to a report from the state.
An investigation by the California Department of Public Health determined that a total of 127 workers were involved in breaching the patients' privacy, nearly double the number initially reported. The snooping in celebrity files continued even after UCLA Medical Center warned employees that it was cracking down on unauthorized access to medical records, the report says. The Department of Public Health reports that two nurses and an ED technician violated the privacy of "a well-known individual" in mid-April 2008. The employees accessed computerized records involving the patient without being involved in that patient's care.
Almost 60 more employees gained improper access to records between January 2004 and June 2006, the report said, bringing the total number of workers implicated in the growing scandal to 127. The celebrities whose privacy was breached included California First Lady Maria Shriver, actress Farrah Fawcett, and singer Britney Spears. After Spears was hospitalized in early 2008 for psychiatric care, the hospital fired 13 employees and suspended six physicians for looking at her medical records without a valid reason.
New legislation proposed
The Department of Public Health report criticizes the hospital for failure to take adequate steps to maintain patient confidentiality. The report details how one employee a former administrative specialist was particularly nosy. This employee looked at the medical records of 939 patients "without any legitimate reason" from April 2003 to May 2007, and she also looked at other personal information, including Social Security numbers. Previous reports from the health department had linked this employee to improper viewing of approximately 60 patients. The state report reveals for the first time that the woman used her supervisor's password to view the medical records. That employee faces federal criminal charges for violating Fawcett's privacy, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
UCLA Medical Center issued a statement saying it has notified all patients whose privacy was breached by the indicted employee. Security was enhanced for the hospital's record systems, including a new measure to block the viewing of complete Social Security numbers from its main clinical systems. The hospital also has provided additional training on privacy for all staff.
Of the 59 employees newly linked to the breaches, 24 still worked at UCLA when they were identified, the state said. The hospital has proposed firing seven, suspending six for two to three weeks each and providing verbal or written warnings to eight others, the latest report says. Three remain under investigation.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has endorsed legislation that would impose penalties on hospitals and health care workers for breaching patient privacy, stipulating fines from $1,000 to $250,000, depending on the seriousness of the violation. Hospitals and other health facilities would face fines of $25,000 to $250,000 for similar violations.
The privacy breach involving medical records of celebrities treated at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center was even bigger than what was reported months ago, according to a report from the state.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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