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.
Mercy 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 January 24, 2014. Also cited in 34 other reports.
Report ID: 2VH711, California Department of Public Health
Reported Entity: MERCY MEDICAL CENTER
Issue:
Based on staff interview, clinical and administrative document review, the facility failed to keep Protected Health Information (PHI) confidential when:1) Discharge instructions for Patient 1 were given to Patient 2. (CA00380843)2) A dictated report for Patient 4 was attached to Patient 3's discharge paperwork. (CA00383044)These failures resulted in unauthorized access to Patients 1 and 4's PHI and the potential for abuse of the PHI.Findings:CA003808431) On 1/24/14 at 2:20 p.m., the Privacy Officer (PO) stated that Registered Nurse 1 (RN1) printed discharge instructions for Patient 2 (P2) while still in the electronic medical record (EMR) of Patient 1 (P1). RN1 then gave the discharge instructions for P1 to P2. The PO stated that this error occurred because RN1 did not check patient identification.The PHI breached included Patient 1's name and date of birth.The hospital policy and procedure titled, "Protected Health Information and Sensitive Information, Safeguarding of" dated 12/09, indicated "I. Policy: It is the policy of [hospital] to comply with state and federal regulations regarding the safeguarding of physical and electronic form of Protected Health Information (PHI)..."CA003830442) On 1/24/14 at 2:25 p.m., the PO stated that Registered Nurse 2 (RN2) attached a dictated medical report for Patient 4 (P4) to Patient 3's (P3) discharge paperwork. The medical report for P4 was then given to P3. The PO stated that this error occurred because RN2 did not check all the patient information correctly.The PHI breached included Patient 4's name, date of birth, admission date, nursing unit, medical record number, service account number, gender, physician's name, medical problem, and present illness.The hospital policy and procedure titled, "Protected Health Information and Sensitive Information, Safeguarding of" dated 12/09, indicated "I. Policy: It is the policy of [hospital] to comply with state and federal regulations regarding the safeguarding of physical and electronic form of Protected Health Information (PHI)..."
Outcome:
Deficiency cited by the California Department of Public Health: Patients' Rights