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.
Phoenix VA Health Care System
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on May 1, 2013. Also cited in 102 other reports.
Report ID: PSETS0000088762, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: PHOENIX AZ - 644
Issue:
On 05/01/13, the Regional Office (RO) Privacy Officer (PO) reports to the VAMC PO that Veteran A provided her with Veteran Bs operative report along with his medical records for claims purposes. This was discovered in the claims file by a VBA claims reviewer on 05/01/13. They have eliminated the possibility of file co-mingling as Veteran Bs file has been at another Compensation and Pension (C&P) office since June 2003 or the misfile would have been previously reported. Veteran Bs operative report is dated 08/08/86, and Veteran B passed away in 2001. No disclosure of operative recorded. After ruling out the possibility of misfiling at Regional Office based on separate facility cases, it may be presumed that Veteran A was provided with Veteran Bs operative report at some time prior to 1999 (inception of electronic logging). The PO will notify chart custodians to pull old charts for quality review. Further notification and investigation to ensue.
Outcome:
05/02/13: The family of Veteran B will receive a next of kin (NOK) letter.