DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

It's 10 pm. Do you know where your patients' data are?

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Dissent

Financial disputes may underlie some vendors retaining patient or client data – as in the Kaiser Permanente/Surefile Filing Systems case I’ve blogged about on this site or the Irvine Scientific breach I described on DataBreaches.net.  But there are other possible motivations for not relinquishing or taking data as well.  Maura Lerner of the Star Tribune reports on a case in Minnesota where an employee took copies of records home and kept them, allegedly as proof of wrongdoing by the hospital:

Three years ago, Barbara Peterson walked out of Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury with more than 200 pages of confidential patient files.

On that much, everyone agrees.

Now those files are at the heart of a federal lawsuit, in which Peterson accuses the hospital of trying to cover up evidence of medical misconduct.

Peterson, who was a patient advocate at Woodwinds, claims that she was ordered to destroy notes and e-mails about incidents that could damage the hospital’s reputation — including an allegation that a doctor was drunk while delivering a baby. She says she took the documents home to protect them.

The hospital says that her version of events “simply did not happen.” And it accuses Peterson of violating patient privacy by walking off with — and refusing to return — hospital records. Woodwinds fired her in 2010 before the missing documents came to light.

Read more on Star Tribune.

And of course, to the extent the hospital had no idea that files had been removed or what was in them, they would have no idea whom to notify, and probably still wouldn’t if Peterson hadn’t sued them over her termination.

I’ve uploaded Peterson’s lawsuit and affidavit, as well as the hospital’s response.  The case is  Peterson v. Healtheast Woodwinds Hospital, 0:12-cv-00327-JNE-FLN.


Related:

  • Two more entities have folded after ransomware attacks
  • Data breach feared after cyberattack on AMEOS hospitals in Germany
  • Premier Health Partners issues a press release about a breach two years ago. Why was this needed now?
  • Theft from Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital sparks probe
  • North Country Healthcare responds to Stormous's claims of a breach
  • Texas Enacts Electronic Health Record Data Localization Law
Category: Health Data

Post navigation

← What percent of patients notified of a privacy breach actually change providers?
University of North Carolina servers hacked; 3,500 employees’ data accessed →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Scattered Spider Hijacks VMware ESXi to Deploy Ransomware on Critical U.S. Infrastructure
  • Hacker group “Silent Crow” claims responsibility for cyberattack on Russia’s Aeroflot
  • AIIMS ORBO Portal Vulnerability Exposing Sensitive Organ Donor Data Discovered by Researcher
  • Two Data Breaches in Three Years: McKenzie Health
  • Scattered Spider is running a VMware ESXi hacking spree
  • BreachForums — the one that went offline in April — reappears with a new founder/owner
  • Fans React After NASCAR Confirms Ransomware Breach
  • Allianz Life says ‘majority’ of customers’ personal data stolen in cyberattack (1)
  • Infinite Services notifying employees and patients of limited ransomware attack
  • The safe place for women to talk wasn’t so safe: hackers leak 13,000 user photos and IDs from the Tea app

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • Congress tries to outlaw AI that jacks up prices based on what it knows about you
  • Microsoft’s controversial Recall feature is now blocked by Brave and AdGuard
  • Trump Administration Issues AI Action Plan and Series of AI Executive Orders
  • Indonesia asked to reassess data privacy terms in new U.S. trade deal
  • Meta Denies Tracking Menstrual Data in Flo Health Privacy Trial
  • Wikipedia seeks to shield contributors from UK law targeting online anonymity
  • British government reportedlu set to back down on secret iCloud backdoor after US pressure

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.