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.
ST BERNARDINE MEDICAL CENTER
Cited by the California Department of Public Health for a violation of California’s Health and Safety Code relating to medical privacy during an inspection that began on June 19, 2014. Also cited in 41 other reports.
Report ID: WQGX11.01, California Department of Public Health
Reported Entity: ST BERNARDINE MEDICAL CENTER
Issue:
Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure the confidential treatment of protected health information (PHI) for Patient B, when Patient B's PHI was given to Patient A in error when Employee 1 placed Patient B's Admission Record, in a copy of Patient A's health record. This placed Patient B at risk for identity theft, and unauthorized access to Patient B's PHI by Patient A. Finding:During a telephone interview on June 25, 2014 at 4:21 PM, with the Facility Privacy Officer (FPO), an investigation was initiated for an entity reported incident of a breach for Patient B's(PHI). The FPO stated that a "Release of Information Desk Clerk in the Health Information Management Department (Employee 1), reported to the FPO that Patient A received the "Admission Record " (face-sheet) belonging to Patient B, in their personal copy of their health record."During a review of the facility's "Investigative Report" on June 26, 2014, at 10:30 AM, the report revealed that on December 06, 2012, Employee 1 verified that she copied, prepared and accidentally included a copy of Patient B's, "Admission Record," in Patient A's record.A review of the facility's policy and procedure titled, "Privacy Principles, "dated January 17, 2012, indicated, "The privacy principles as described herein require that all Protected Health Information (PHI), as defined in the rules and regulations implementing the health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA), be maintained and secured in a manner required by the Act and other applicable federal and state laws."A review of the facility's policy and procedure titled, "Privacy Principles" dated January 17, 2012, indicated that "The privacy principles as described herein require that all Protected Health Information (PHI), as defined in the rules and regulations implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), be maintained and secured in a manner required by the Act and other applicable federal and state laws." This failure of Employee 1 to verify each document included in a health care record resulted in Patient B's PHI being released to an unauthorized person (Patient A).
Outcome:
Deficiency cited by the California Department of Public Health: Patients' Rights