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Nosy workers get California hospital in hot water

Healthcare Security Weekly, April 14, 2008

The head of California’s health department told The New York Times that the agency plans to sanction the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center after hospital workers improperly looked at patient records.

Workers viewed the records of more than 60 patients, including actress Farrah Fawcett and the state’s first lady, Maria Shriver, the Times reported. The hospital learned of the security breach of medical records after The National Enquirer printed a story about a recurrence of Fawcett’s cancer before she had told family members, the newspaper said.

A medical center investigation revealed that one unauthorized worker, who had since quit, opened records of 61 patients, including celebrities and politicians, the Times reported. The hospital did not uncover evidence that the employee leaked medical information to the press. The hospital also suspended or fired several employees in February after an internal audit revealed another violation, believed to involve pop singer Britney Spears, who was a patient at the neuropsychiatry unit.

The state is investigating the violations of patient privacy and could fine or revoke the license of the medical center, the Times reported.

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