Altoona - James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center

Issue: A Veteran/employee requested a Sensitive Patient Access Report (SPAR) as he felt that other VA staff were impermissibly accessing his electronic medical record. After review of the SPAR, the Veteran/employee complained that at least 12 VA staff had impermissibly accessed…

Outcome: 06/03/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that there was a policy violation. No data breach has occurred.…

Issue: Veteran A received Veteran B's appointment letter.

Outcome: 05/01/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Veteran B will be sent a letter offering credit protection services.…

Issue: Veteran A received a Non-VA Care letter from a VA employee with Veteran B's name on the letter. Veteran A returned the mismailed letter back to the VA to the attention of a Health Benefits Advisor who in turn gave…

Outcome: 04/21/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that while there was an unauthorized disclosure of information (name only), the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) involved, does not meet the criteria to require credit protection services or HIPAA notification.…

Issue: Veteran B's billing statement was mailed to the wrong address.

Outcome: 04/08/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Veteran B will be sent a HIPAA notification letter due to Protected Health Information (PHI) being disclosed.…

Issue: Pharmacy Tech received a service request from Veteran A who received a package containing a prescription for Lancets (medical supply.) which was addressed to Veteran B but with Veteran A's address.

Outcome: 02/25/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Veteran B will be sent a HIPAA notification letter due to Protected Health Information (PHI) being disclosed.…

Issue: A Mail Room Clerk hand carried a large sized manila envelope containing patient personally identifiable information (PII)/protected health information (PHI) that was received back presumably from the USPS to the Privacy Officer (PO). The manila envelope had a label with…

Outcome: 01/20/15: The PO has investigated and apparently what happened was the patient went from the Altoona VAMC to the Pittsburgh VAMC. The documents were placed in the outgoing mail at Pittsburgh VAMC by mistake. The USPS returned it tothe Altoona…

Issue: On 11/24/14 Veteran reported to a Nurse via phone that papers he received on 11/07/14 at his visit with Primary Care contained an "embossed document" that was given to him in error .Veteran mailed the document (appointment list) back to…

Outcome: 12/04/14: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that five Veterans will be sent letters offering credit protection services.…

Issue: The Privacy Officer received an email from the Lead Pharmacy Technician that a Veteran's medication was sent to the wrong Veteran. Both Veterans had the same address listed and delivery of medication was made to the wrong Veteran.…

Outcome: 09/16/14: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Veteran B will be sent a HIPAA notification letter due to Protected Health Information (PHI) being disclosed.…

Issue: Human Resource Officer reported to the Privacy Officer that Form I-9 containing a VA employee's PII was inadvertently mailed to a prospective employee.

Outcome: 07/11/14: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Employee A will be sent a letter offering credit protection services.…

Issue: VA employee reported to PO that a patient may have taken pictures with his cell phone of two patient inquiry forms that were on desk.

Outcome: 06/30/14: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Patients B and C will be sent a letter offering credit protection services.…