Health Information Management

Indiana physician fined for discarding patient records in trash

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, August 25, 2008

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to HIPAA Weekly Advisor!

Indiana state officials have fined J.B. O'Donnell, MD, of Bloomington, IN $1,250 for improperly discarding more than a dozen boxes full of patient records, according to an Associated Press (AP) article in the August 19 edition of the Chicago Tribune.
 
O’Donnell also promised to post information about the possible security breach on his Web site for 30 days, according to the article.
 
A passerby discovered the discarded files in the trash behind the physician’s office during October 2007 and alerted The Herald-Times of Bloomington. A newspaper article alerted state officials to the problem, according to the AP. The files contained patient names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and other clinical and personal information.
 
For more information, click here.



Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to HIPAA Weekly Advisor!

Comments

0 comments on “Indiana physician fined for discarding patient records in trash

 

  • Briefings on APCs

    Worried about the complexities of the new rules under OPPS and APCs? Briefings on APCs helps you understand the new rules...

  • Medical Records Briefing

    Guiding Health Information Management professionals through the continuously changing field of medical records and toward a...

  • Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies

    Submitting improper Medicare documentaion can lead to denial of fees, payback, fines, and increased diligence from payers...

  • Briefings on HIPAA

    How can you minimize the impact of HIPAA? Subscribe to Briefings on HIPAA, your health information management resource for...

  • APCs Weekly Monitor

    This HTML-based e-mail newsletter provides weekly tips and advice on the new ambulatory payment classifications regulations...

Most Popular

Related Articles