From the CRC Blog: Nosy staff get the boot!
Credentialing & Verification Update, September 3, 2008
Michigan's Governor Janet Granholm was informed on August 6 that there was a breach of the confidentiality of her medical record. The breach was discovered during a routine audit to ensure compliance with federal health record privacy protection laws. Auditors learned that employees of Sparrow Hospital had attempted to access the computerized medical information when the Governor was admitted for abdominal surgery on April 29. According to a recent article in The Lansing State Journal, some employees were disciplined, and some were fired.
This is not an isolated incident. It has been reported that breaches of medical record confidentiality are increasing as more medical records are computerized. According to a FOX News report, over 120 workers at a Los Angeles hospital looked at celebrities' medical records and other personal information between January 2004 and June 2006. Some of these employees were fired and many others were disciplined.
This may be a good time to remind employees that the confidentiality of health records is serious business!
Carole La Pine, MSA, CPMSM, CPCS is the Manager for Physician Services, Trinity Health in Novi, MI. Carole has more than 30 years of experience in the medical staff services profession and is the immediate past president of National Association Medical Staff Services (NAMSS). Read more from Carol at the Credentialing Resource Center Blog.
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