Over on PHIprivacy.net, I had often questioned the fact that so many healthcare facilities retain patients’ medical records forever. And while those stored records pose a risk in terms of breaches, I had also noted that there might be times when having a patient’s very old records could actually be helpful. Here’s another example. KPLR reports:…
Category: Health Data
OH: MetroHealth reports data breach for 981 heart patients due to malware
Brie Zeltner reports: The MetroHealth System is notifying almost 1,000 patients who received heart catheterization procedures at the hospital over the past year that their protected health information may have been accessed when three computers were hacked there. The health system discovered “malware” or malicious software, on three computers in its Cardiac Cath Lab, according…
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center patients victimized by rogue employee of Medical Management LLC
UPMC is only one of “numerous” clients of NC-based Medical Management LLC that have reportedly been notified of data theft by a rogue employee. We’ll have to wait to learn who the other entities are. The following is a press release issued today by UPMC: Because of a data theft at an outside medical billing company,…
HealthCare.gov Contractor Optum Declares Its Job Done
Louise Radnofsky reports: The contractor tapped to rescue the flailing HealthCare.gov in the fall of 2013 declared its work finished Thursday and said it doesn’t plan to continue overseeing the website that sells subsidized insurance to millions of Americans as part of the federal health law. […] Many of the remaining technological challenges for the…
Ca: Four hospital clerks caught snooping in patient files
Theresa Boyle reports: An Orillia hospital has caught four clerical employees peering into patient files. Some 52 patients of Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital had their personal health information breached over the last five years, hospital spokesperson Terry Dyni confirmed Monday. In the worst case, a clerk looked at 43 patient records. Read more on OurWindsor.ca.
Judge Disagrees With Employee Firing Over HIPAA Violation
Elizabeth Snell reports: A Montana judge recently ruled that a healthcare employee’s HIPAA violation did not preclude her from protection under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The employee had accessed personal information on coworkers for her union-organizing campaign, according to the judge’s decision. Her employer then terminated her, citing a HIPAA violation. However, the judge…