This notice was posted today on Georgia Health Science University’s web site, although I don’t see a link to it from their home page: Georgia Health Sciences University has notified 513 patients about the theft of a laptop computer that may have contained some of their personal information. On Jan. 18, a nurse practitioner who works…
Category: Health Data
Namibia: Rape Case Documents Stolen in Break-in
Tunomukwathi Asino reports on what could be a very serious data breach: The State on Tuesday succeeded in having the bail hearing in the case in which a Telecom sales executive stands accused of raping three of his biological daughters, between 1997 and 2012, postponed to Friday. The reason for the postponement was because documents…
Health-record privacy impeding medical research
I’ve blogged about the issue of medical privacy rights of the dead a number of times over the past few years, including a case in Nebraska, another case in Connecticut, and even the rights of mummies. It’s a complex issue because depending on how far back one goes and what one is researching, one might…
Victims of TRICARE data theft report financial fraud
Bob Brewin reports that a class action lawsuit against the Department of Defense and SAIC over the TRICARE breach has been amended after some of the victims discovered fraudulent charges on their credit cards shortly after the theft. Read about it on NextGov. The complaint indicates the plaintiffs’ belief that the theft was not opportunistic…
WA: Everett Clinic fires 13 for snooping
Sharon Salyer reports: Thirteen employees of The Everett Clinic have been fired for looking at patient medical records they weren’t authorized to see, in violation of federal law. “That doctor-patient relationship is sacred,” said April Zepeda, The Everett Clinic’s spokeswoman. “That means other people can’t take a peek.” The investigation into suspected violations of patient…
HHS settles HIPAA case with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee for $1.5 million following theft of 57 computer drives
From HHS: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee (BCBST) has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) $1,500,000 to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules, Leon Rodriguez, Director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced today. BCBST…