Earlier in March, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reported a breach involving the exposure of unshredded documents. At the time, it was not clear that any medical records were involved and so the incident was not reported here. But a follow-up investigation reveals that medical records were, indeed, involved. WIS10 reports:
A probe into how improperly discarded medical documents from the Department of Health and Environmental Control ended up unshredded at a recycling center has been completed.
The State Law Enforcement Division’s inquiry found a DHEC was responsible for improperly discarding the documents and no criminal charges will be filed.
DHEC says the employee admitted throwing the documents away rather than taking them to be shredded. The employee was fired after SLED’s inquiry.
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DHEC Commissioner Earl Hunter says the department will be contacting each person whose information was on those documents to apologize.