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.
SANTA CLARA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER
Cited by the California Department of Public Health for a violation of California’s Health and Safety Code relating to medical privacy during an inspection that began on April 4, 2014. Also cited in 90 other reports.
Report ID: 561111.01, California Department of Public Health
Reported Entity: SANTA CLARA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER
Issue:
Based on interview and record review, the hospital failed to prevent unauthorized disclosure of patients' medical information when a medical student lost an unencrypted (converted into a code to prevent unauthorized access) flash drive (a small electronic device containing flash memory used for storing data or transferring it to or from a computer) that contained Patient 1's medical record number, history of present illness, chief complaint, diagnosis, family and social history, laboratory results, and list of medications and allergies.Findings:The Department received an entity reported incident from the facility on 1/15/13 which indicated a medical student contacted the Compliance and Privacy Office that she could not find an unencrypted flash drive that had stored Patient 1's health information.During an interview with the facility's Ethics and Compliance Officer (ECO) on 4/4/14 at 11:15 a.m., she stated a medical student contacted the Compliance and Privacy Office on 1/8/13 to inform the hospital that she could not find an unencrypted flash drive that had stored Patient 1's health information including Patient 1's medical record number, history of present illness, chief complaint, diagnosis, family and social history, laboratory results, and list of medications and allergies. The medical student stated she was writing a draft of a progress note for Patient 1.The medical student was not interviewed as she no longer was training with the hospital at the time of this investigation.Review of the hospital's letter addressed to Patient 1 dated 1/15/13 revealed Patient 1's medical information was accidentally disclosed when a medical student lost an unencrypted flash drive that contained his medical record number, history of present illness, chief complaint, diagnosis, family and social history, laboratory results, and list of medications and allergies.
Outcome:
Deficiency cited by the California Department of Public Health: Health & Safety Code 1280