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.
COMMUNITY HOSPITAL OF SAN BERNARDINO
Cited by the California Department of Public Health for violations of California’s Health and Safety Code relating to medical privacy during an inspection that began on February 13, 2014. Also cited in 46 other reports.
Report ID: C3DC11.02, California Department of Public Health
Reported Entity: COMMUNITY HOSPITAL OF SAN BERNARDINO
Issue:
Based on interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure the confidential treatment of protected health information (PHI) for Patient A, when the registered nurse (RN 1) failed to log out of her computer at the bedside, exposing medical information to a visitor. This was a breach of PHI for Patient A.Findings:On February 13, 2014 at 9:00 AM, an unannounced visit was made to the facility to investigate an entity reported incident of a breach of PHI for Patient A.On February 13, 2014 at 9:00 AM, an interview was conducted with the facility privacy officer (FPO). She stated, "Patient A was in labor and delivery (L&D), and her mother was there as well. The nurse (RN-1) did not turn off her computer when she left the room on two separate occasions, so the mother took a picture of the screen showing the medical record note, and the fetal heart monitoring. The mother sent it to Patient A's cell phone, so Patient A would show a supervisor what RN 1 had done. The pictures were deleted."During an interview with the Nurse Manager for L&D on February 13, 2014 at 9:25 AM, when asked what steps the nurse was supposed to take to protect the patients PHI she stated, "The nurses are to log off each time the computer will be left unattended. They also can roll the computer to the desk for another nurse to safeguard in an emergency, but it takes only a moment to log out." When asked if the computers could be set with a timer to shut off, since a nurse may have to leave a bedside in an emergency to help someone in labor, she stated, "The screen goes black but if you hit any key the screen opens back up. She (RN 1) didn't follow our policy which is why this breach occurred, it was human error."
Outcome:
Deficiency cited by the California Department of Public Health: Patients' Rights