Sioux Falls Regional Benefit Office

Issue: An unknown VA employee took the "Schedule of Operations" list containing full name, full SSN, diagnosis, and type of surgery performed from secretary's desk. A total of 63 patients were on the list and it can be reproduced. The unknown…

Outcome: 10/22/13: The list has still not been found. It is known that the person is an employeebecause the person approached the employee from behind. This area never has any non-employees in it. Non-employees do not regularly visit this area as…

Issue: A VA employee left a list of 524 consults needing to be scheduled on clipboard in locked office on Friday afternoon. On Monday morning the clipboard was there without the list. The list has not been recovered. The room was…

Outcome: 09/23/13: The room where the list was left was locked at 4:00 PM on Friday. Janitorial staff did not have access to the room and the trash was still there Monday morning. The list was also not found in the…

Issue: Veteran A received Veteran B's medication in the mail, along with his own medications. These Veterans have the same last name. Veteran B's name and type of medication was compromised.…

Outcome: 09/04/13: Veteran B will receive a HIPAA letter of notification.…

Issue: Medications were mailed to the Veteran A, who has the same last name as Veteran B. Veteran A returned the medications to the VA.

Outcome: 08/30/13: Veteran B will be sent a HIPAA notification letter due to Protected Health Information (PHI) being disclosed.…

Issue: Veteran A picked up medications from the Pharmacy and found Veteran B's Medication Guide in her packet with Veteran B's first and last name and the name of the prescription. She brought it directly to the Patient Advocate to report.

Outcome: 07/17/13: Veteran B will be sent a HIPAA notification letter due to Protected Health Information (PHI) being disclosed.…

Issue: Veteran A was mailed Veteran B's information by mistake.

Outcome: 06/14/13: Veteran B will be sent a letter offering credit protection services due to the disclosure of full name and full SSN.…

Issue: Veteran A received Veteran B's medications along with his own.

Outcome: 05/24/13: Veteran B will be sent a HIPAA notification letter due to Protected Health Information (PHI) being disclosed. 06/05/13: This was determined to be non-HITECH reportable by VHA Privacy Office.…

Issue: A Veteran received another Veteran's Patient Information Screen print out in her medication sack, along with her own paperwork.

Outcome: 05/09/13: One Veteran will be sent a letter offering credit protection services. 05/22/13: This was determined to be HITECH reportable by VHA Privacy Office.…

Issue: Inpatient A's paperwork was disclosed to discharged Inpatient B.

Outcome: 05/07/13: Inpatient A will be sent a letter offering credit protection services due to full name and SNN being disclosed. 05/16/13: This was determined to be HITECH reportable by VHA Privacy Office.…