Hugh Adami reports: One would think The Ottawa Hospital would readily explain to Allyson Merrison how an X-ray technician — her husband’s ex-wife — was punished for electronically breaching her medical records six times over 10 months. But, says the hospital, privacy laws for its employees prevent it from revealing how it dealt with Teri…
Category: Health Data
Ca: Health records privacy breach affects more than 100 in Sarnia, Ont., area
The Canadian Press reports: The confidential health information of more than 100 southwestern Ontario residents has been breached. Bluewater Health and the North Lambton Community Health Centre have sent a letter of notification and apology to affected patients advising that personal information was inappropriately accessed. Bluewater Health privacy officer Karen Waymouth says a North Lambton…
Cook County appointment reminder system drops the ball on HIPAA
Neil Versel describes a situation that’s concerned me for a long time — automatic calls that reveal PHI if the person who answers the call says that they’re the person being dialed (even when they’re not!): Friday, “Cook County” popped up on the caller ID when I was on another call. Ditto for when I…
IE: Records lost at Vincent’s Hospital
Kieron Wood: A computer back-up containing patient records has gone missing from St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin. Notices have been posted at the hospital asking if anyone has seen the Western Digital external hard drive. A spokesman for St Vincent’s said that on October 21, the hospital informed the Data Protection Office of the…
Woman Accused Of Posing As Nurse, Stealing Identities
Low-tech theft by posing as a nurse. Detectives are continuing the investigation of a woman they say posed as a nurse and stole identities of hospital staff. Four more victims have been identified in Albuquerque, bringing the total to 16. […] Yankowski has been charged for identity theft in Albuquerque. Her warrants in Texas date…
Indiana sues WellPoint over delayed breach notification
The Indychannel reports: The attorney general’s office is suing health insurance giant WellPoint Inc. for $300,000 for waiting months to notify customers that their medical records, credit card numbers and other sensitive information may have been exposed online. The lawsuit filed Friday in Marion County accuses WellPoint of violating a state law that requires businesses to…