Veterans In Partnership (VISN 11)

Report ID: PSETS0000085923, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Reported Entity: VISN 11 Danville, IL

Issue:

A book containing patient information went missing from a unit at the VA Illiana facility but was recovered. The Privacy Officer (PO) does not have any more information at this point and will update this ticket as the PO progresses through the investigation. Update: 02/21/13: Information on 10 Veterans went missing from the Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (PRRTP) unit. The information was recovered within the unit approximately 18 hours after it was discovered missing. The information was noticed missing by an LPN on the unit and it was found by an RN on the unit. It was missing from approximately 2:30 PM until 8:00 AM the next day. This unit is a locked area which can only be accessed by either employee badge (not all employees) or being "buzzed in" by staff. The information was kept in a locked room inside of the nurses' station on the unit. The information was found in another room in the unit which is used for checking out the Veterans. The Privacy Officer (PO), Quality Management (QM) Chief and Acting Chief of Staff (COS) went to the PRRTP area to gather information concerning the incident. Verbal education was provided to staff on the safeguarding of the information and the information was moved to a more secured area which was accessible to very limited staff. (Initially it was kept in a locked room, however multiple staff had access, so it was moved to a more secure room with limited access). The PO is continuing to gather information on how the information may have gone missing. This is not a log book. It is information on Veterans in the PRRTP program for when they are on Temporary Absence or Authorized Absence. 02/26/13: The PO is collecting information from staff who were on duty at the time the information went missing. At this point, no one has claimed that they moved the information to the area it was found. These are individual sheets of paper, and when the Veteran returns, the paper is put into the sensitive data bin for destruction. They are considered worksheets. 02/28/13: During the time period that the information was missing there would have been 30 Veterans (all patients on the locked ward that night) and VA employees who could have had access to the room when the book was found. The room does not have anyone designated to "man" the room from 10:00 PM to 9:00 AM. The room does not have a door, therefore it was not locked. The 10 Veterans will receive a HIPAA letter of notification.

Outcome:

Education was provided to staff to ensure that information on Veterans must remain secure at all times. HIPAA Notification letters were mailed to Veterans.

Related Reports:

1 other violation reported on the same date. Note that other citations may be about the same event: PSETS0000085939