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 Southwest Health Care Network (VISN 18)
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on January 5, 2012. Also cited in 228 other reports.
Report ID: SPE000000070373, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 18 El Paso, TX
Issue:
The Acting Nurse Manager for Ambulatory Surgery reported the loss of a packet that included one patient chart. Initial efforts at attempts to find the chart have been unsuccessful. The loss was reported to the Patient Safety Officer and Privacy Officer. This packet is a routine documentation of pre, intra, and post-operative medical information, documentation, and interventions (medications, questionnaires, surgical information, anesthesia record, post-operative monitoring, and patient discharge from ambulatory surgery unit) which are routinely documented, closed out/signed off, and then provided to the Scanning Section of the Medical Records Department for uploading and scanning. The packet was reported as lost and efforts continue to attempt to find this packet. The information missing includes full patient name, DOB, full social security number, medical, anesthesia, pharmacy, surgical, and postoperative information. Update: 07/05/12:One patient will be sent a letter offering credit protection services.
Outcome:
03/19/2012 Letter offering credit monitoring and notification to Veteran whose record was lost provided to Director's Officer for signature and mail-out to affected Veteran. Redacted letter for uploading to NSOC; recommend ticket closure based on above documentation of fact-finding, remediation/corrective action as determined appropriate. Note that daily accountability processes in Ambulatory Surgery unit changed to provide oversight/monitoring and accountability for chart location and correct routing/hand-offs through turning record into medical Record Section for scanning/uploading.