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.
VA Southeast Network (VISN 7)
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on February 1, 2013. Also cited in 225 other reports.
Report ID: PSETS0000085356, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 07 Columbia, SC
Issue:
On 1/31/13, Veteran A presented to the Dorn VA Medical Center Emergency Department (ED) for treatment. Prior to being released, an ED Nurse inadvertently provided Veteran A with a return to work note that was prepared using personal identification information (PII) retrieved from Veteran B's medical record. Veteran B was seen in the ED and is now an inpatient at the Dorn VA Medical Center. The ED notes were corrected to reflect the current status of each Veteran. The ED Nurse made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Veteran A by phone to notify him of the incident. The Privacy Officer (PO) will immediately notify Veteran A by certified mail and request that he return the note to the Dorn VAMC. The Privacy Officer was notified on 02/01/13. The information disclosed was Veteran B full name, full social security number, and Personal Identifiable Information (PII). Update: 02/01/13: services.Veteran B will receive a letter offering credit protection
Outcome:
Staff have been re-educated on the need to safeguard patient information.