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.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported a breach of medical information involving at least 500 people to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights; the report was received on May 26, 2011. Also cited in 336 other reports.
Report ID: PR016, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
Reported Entity: VA Caribbean Healthcare System
Issue:
An employee of the covered entity (CE), VA Caribbean Healthcare System, left documents containing the protected health information (PHI) of 6,006 individuals in an unsecure bag at a nursing station. The PHI included names, social security numbers, patient care assignments, patient counts and patient census lists. Upon discovery of the breach, the CE secured the PHI and provided breach notification to HHS, the media, and affected individuals. As a result of OCR's investigation, the CE disciplined and retrained the employee and implemented a procedure that nursing leadership is required to conduct rounds on wards once vacated. The CE also retrained all staff on its privacy and security policies and procedures.