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 November 21, 2012. Also cited in 225 other reports.
Report ID: PSETS0000082765, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 07 Augusta, GA
Issue:
Veteran/employee A has submitted a written complaint that his physical medical record is missing. The employee previously submitted a request for a copy of all three volumes and was told that they could not be located. Various areas of the Health Information Management (HIM) department have been searched, but not by the supervisory staff. The location and barrower of the records has not been updated in VistA since 2009 and Veteran/employee A has received treatment since the date it was charged out. PO to initiate an investigation and require attestation of search efforts by the supervisory staff. Update: 01/03/13:Veteran/Employee A will be offered credit protection services.
Outcome:
Records unable to be located. The likelihood of the records being removed from the facility is low, but this cannot be confirmed. The records would have been used by the medical center staff only, and not accessed by patients or visitors. Case turned over to the HIMS department to address the medical documentation issues this presents as well as the record retention issues under records management.