Phoenix VA Health Care System

Issue: On, 03/02/15, the Privacy Officer (PO) received a report that Veteran B received three medications by mail for Veteran A. Veteran B returned medications to the Outpatient Pharmacy on 02/26/15. The prescription and educational documents were recovered. Veteran B was…

Outcome: 03/02/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Veteran A and B will be sent a HIPAA notification letter due to Protected Health Information (PHI) being disclosed.…

Issue: Today, 02/20/15, the Privacy Officer (PO) reported a privacy complaint from a Veteran/Supervisor. On 02/05/15, the Supervisor received a View Alert in CPRS to co-sign his own medical record. After contacting the physician, who did not create View Alert, reported…

Outcome: 04/30/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Veteran B will be sent a HIPAA notification letter due to Protected Health Information (PHI) being inappropriately accessed.…

Issue: Today, 02/18/15, the Privacy Officer (PO) received a Report of Contact. It describes that Veteran B received Veteran As lab order. It was recovered by the lab when Veteran B presented on 01/05/15. They determined that the Outpatient Clinic is…

Outcome: 02/17/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Veteran A will be sent a letter offering credit protection services.…

Issue: On, 02/17/15, the Privacy Officer (PO) was notified that a deceased Veterans spouse received records for two other Veterans in September 2014. A review of the Release of Information (ROI) software confirms 876 pages of old medical records from the…

Outcome: 02/24/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that one Veteran will be sent a letter offering credit protection services, and that the other Veteran's Next of Kin will be sent a notification letter.…

Issue: On 02/09/15, the Privacy Officer (PO) received a report that medical records were disclosed under an invalid HIPAA authorization to a state agency. The sensitive record was accessed and validates the disclosure in September 2014 of over 552 pages including…

Outcome: 02/10/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Veteran A will be sent a HIPAA notification letter due to Protected Health Information (PHI) being disclosed.…

Issue: On 2/9/2015, the Privacy Officer received a report that a Veteran received medications with educational materials for thirteen (13) other Veterans. The Veteran says he attempted to notify the facility which was unsuccessful. He then contacted the local news ABC…

Outcome: 02/09/15: PO update -- Review of video clip shows a medication in hand but VA logo cannot be seen, nor can Veteran identity or volumes. No confirmation of incident. 02/10/15: link from news we page. http://www.kpho.com/story/28065550/phoenix-va-sends-12-vets-prescriptions-to-wrong-person 02/10/15: The Incident Resolution…

Issue: Today, 01/29/15, Veteran A reported initially to the Patient Advocate and then to Privacy Officer (PO) that his medical records contain information for Veteran B. This occurred on 1 page of approximately 30 pages which were provided to him at…

Outcome: 01/29/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that one Veteran will be sent a letter offering credit protection services.…

Issue: Today, 01/21/15, the Privacy Officer (PO) received a report that Veteran A received Veteran Bs medication upon discharge from the ED on 01/16/15. Veteran A did not receive his own medication and returned to the ED on 01/19/15. It is…

Outcome: 01/21/15: 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: On, 01/05/14, the Privacy Officer (PO) received a report from a department who received a privacy complaint on behalf of a Veteran. Veteran As wife emailed the complaint to indicate that Veteran B called her husband, reporting receipt of Veteran…

Outcome: 01/12/15: The Incident Resolution Service Team has determined that Veteran A will be sent a letter offering credit protection services.…

Issue: Today, 01/05/14, the Privacy Officer (PO) received multiple reports of prescriptions which were mailed to the wrong Veterans address. The medication was mailed in April 2014 to Veteran A which Veteran B reported was received at his address. Veteran B…

Outcome: 01/05/15: 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.…