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.
EISENHOWER 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 March 26, 2015. Also cited in 279 other reports.
Report ID: 3OCJ11, California Department of Public Health
Reported Entity: EISENHOWER MEDICAL CENTER
Issue:
Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to prevent unauthorized disclosure of protected health information (PHI) for one patient (Patient 1). An employee faxed Patient 1's pathology report to the wrong number. This failure resulted in an unauthorized person having access to Patient 1's PHI and the potential misuse of the information.Findings:On March 27, 2015, at 8:15 a.m., Legal Counsel (LC) 1 was interviewed. LC 1 stated there was a pathology report for Patient 1 that was intended to be faxed to a physician, but was actually faxed to a private business. The LC stated the fax number was one number off. The LC stated the employee did not follow facility policy when faxing the report.On March 11, 2015, an employee of the private business notified the facility of the error.The Pathology Report sent to the private business contained Patient 1's PHI as follows:- Name;- Date of birth;- Medical record number;- Biopsy results; and- Final Diagnosis.The policy and procedure titled, "Faxing Protected Health Information," dated February 10, 2015, was reviewed. The policy indicated, "Whenever possible, staff faxing protected health Information shall... Reconfirm the destination fax number prior to transmission by checking the telephone number displayed on the fax machine screen before transmitting it."
Outcome:
Deficiency cited by the California Department of Public Health: Health & Safety Code 1280