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 Health Care Upstate New York (VISN 2)
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on March 16, 2011. Also cited in 132 other reports.
Report ID: SPE000000059692, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 02 Syracuse, NY
Issue:
An employee was dissmantling a file shelving unit from the area previously occupied by the Health Information Management Service (HIMS) file room when a patient's administrative record was found lying underneath the shelving unit. Shortly after, the Contractor's employee turned the chart into a VA employee in the Engineering department who then turned it into the Privacy Officer. It was later identified that the record was of a deceased Veteran and contained the Veteran's application for health benefits (form 10-10EZ). The application included the full name , SSN, DOB and employment information of the deceased Veteran and the Veteran's spouse as well as the Veteran's medical diagnosis and financial information. The record was not viewable during the HIMS File Room relocation, which occurred just a few days prior, and therefore missed during the move. As a result, the sensitive information was accessible to the construction contractor in error, although felt to be minimal risk to the patient's family. Update: 03/17/11:Veteran A next of kin will be sent a next of kin (NOK) notification letter.
Outcome:
The record was retrieved from the contracted employee and returned to the HIMS File Room for secure storage.