May Warren reports that a North Bay nurse who snooped into more than 5,800 patients’ records yet escaped prosecution because of Crown prosecutor delays and mis-steps, has had her license suspended by the College of Nurses of Ontario. Melissa McLellan was the first person ever actually charged under the 2004 Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA),…
Category: Health Data
Florida Medical Clinic, PA notifies 1,000 patients after Greenway Health error exposed PHI
The following statement was posted by Florida Medical Clinic, PA on their web site. The incident was reported to HHS on May 4 as impacting 1,000 patients. Please be advised from November 18th, 2015 to January 6th, 2016 your Florida Medical Clinic, PA patient due balance statement (sample statement attached) was accessible to industrial account…
UK: Coventry hospital apologizes after 24 patients’ medical records found dumped in city bin
Catherine Lillington reports: Medical records of 24 hospital patients have been found dumped in a bin in Coventry. An investigation has now been launched following the discovery of the confidential University Hospital paperwork last week. The location of the bin has not been disclosed, but is not on the hospital site itself. How the information ended up…
IA: Allen Hospital in Waterloo reports patient data breach
Pat Kinney reports: UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital is reviewing a breach of patient information which occurred over about seven years. The hospital is notifying approximately 1,620 patients that a former employee inappropriately accessed their personal information in the hospital’s electronic medical record. Allen Hospital compliance staff detected inappropriate access to the hospital’s medical record on March…
Ontario health privacy breach notification bill passes third reading
Canadian Underwriter notes: An Ontario government bill proposing to increase fines, to $500,000, for health privacy violations recently passed third reading at Queen’s Park in Toronto. Bill 119 proposes some changes to Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). Read more on Canadian Underwriters.
Children’s National Medical Center blames former transcription vendor for privacy breach
In March, 2015, the D.C.-based Children’s National Medical Center notified 18,000 patients of a breach that occurred between July 26, 2014 and December 26, 2014 after employees fell for phishing emails. In May, 2015, they were sued over that breach. Now, CNMC has disclosed another breach, this one involving a former vendor who provided medical transcription services. Their press…