Search Privacy Violations, Breaches and Complaints
This database was last updated in December 2015 ago and should only be used as a historical snapshot. More recent data on breaches affecting 500 or more people is available at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Breach Portal.
VA Healthcare - VISN 4 (VISN 4)
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on February 24, 2012. Also cited in 239 other reports.
Report ID: SPE000000072128, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 04 Philadelphia, PA
Issue:
A Veteran sent a Release of Information (ROI) form via fax with a fax cover sheet from an agency where he was being treated under VA auspices. The Veteran gave conflicting directions to mail records to one address and fax to another. The ROI clerk mailed records to the address corresponding to the fax number on fax cover sheet. The Privacy Officer (PO) spoke with the Veteran who said that he was using the agency fax and cover sheet for his own purposes, believing that he would receive the records by fax. The Veteran is now concerned that the records did not reach him but were received by the agency staff, and it then took a few days for agency staff to know where to send records because it was not the agency request, but that of the Veteran using the agency fax. The Veteran is not satisfied that ROI clerk mailed records as he did, based on how the request was submitted, nor is he willing to accept that he contributed to the confusion. The agency that received the records is a HIPAA covered entity. Update: 02/24/12:The documents were sent to a HIPAA covered entity, however becauses ehtey were not immediately forwarded to the Veteran, credit protection services will be offered.
Outcome:
2/29/2012 - ROI supervisor counseled employee responsible.