SUTTER COAST HOSPITAL

Report ID: N83F11.01, California Department of Public Health

Reported Entity: SUTTER COAST HOSPITAL

Issue:

Based on interview and document review, the hospital failed to prevent unauthorized access to one patient's protected health information (PHI).Findings:In interview on 3/6/12 at 11 a.m., Staff A stated that she learned on 5/2/11 that on 4/29/11, Staff B had faxed Patient 1's medical record to a local skilled nursing facility (SNF) instead of to the intended home health and hospice agency. Staff B received a call from the SNF on 5/2/11 and reported error to Staff C, who notified Staff A. The SNF shredded the documents. Staff A stated that the fax numbers of the two facilities were pre-programmed in the hospital's autofax system and the intended agency's number was directly below the number for the SNF. Staff B was a recently employed case management assistant. She acknowledged that she had clicked on the wrong facility's fax number. Staff A stated that Patient 1 and the Department had been notified of the breach on 5/3/11.Document review on 3/6/12 demonstrated that Patient 1's breached PHI consisted of name, age, sex, date of birth, address, phone number, social security number, wife's name and phone number, medical history and current diagnosis, hospitalization dates, treatment, attending physicians, and planned future treatments.Document review on 3/6/12 demonstrated that the breach was discovered on 5/2/11 and Patient 1 and the Department were notified on 5/3/11, within 5 business days of discovery.

Outcome:

Deficiency cited by the California Department of Public Health: Health & Safety Code 1280

Related Reports:

6 other violations reported on the same date. Note that other citations may be about the same event: 01ZG11.01, 18ZK11.01, 6P4O11.01, 9M8711.01, WENM11.01, YTMN11.01