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Workers suspended for accessing Clooney's confidential records

Healthcare Security Weekly, October 15, 2007

The presence of a celebrity patient always poses special challenges to hospitals. Such was the case at the Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, NJ, where officials suspended 27 workers for accessing actor George Clooney's confidential medical records when he was taken to the hospital last month after a motorcycle accident.

Medical personnel treated Clooney for a broken rib and skin abrasions following a September 21 motorcycle crash. News of Clooney's accident was quickly followed by reports of the injuries he and his girlfriend suffered and release of the confidential information raised red flags and resulted in a hospital inquiry.

As many as 40 staff members, including physicians and nurses, have come under a microscope as the investigation continues into whether or not hospital employees leaked information to the media. A hospital spokesman told CNN that the hospital suspended 27 employees for a month without pay for looking at Clooney's records. Accessing a person's medical records without authorization is a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a federal law that protects the privacy of patients.

Sources told WCBS television in New York that employees not involved with Clooney's care logged into the hospital computer system to review his medical records. News reports said a security guard also gave out information. In a statement, Clooney said while he believes in a patient's right to privacy, he hoped the hospital could settle the matter without suspending medical workers.

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