Medical privacy violator gets 1 year

Register Today!
  1. by Jun 11, '09
    I posted this in the General Nursing thread, but I think it belongs here as well.

    A 22-year-old woman who had a part in the posting of an HIV victim's medical records on the Internet was sentenced to a year in prison yesterday.
    http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar...=rss_localnews
    Last edit by NRSKarenRN on Jun 11, '09
    Read Online


    Print and share with friends and family.
    Compliments of allnurses.com.
    http://allnurses.com/showthread.php?t=399407

    by petunia2016 Jun 11, '09 3:29 am
    ©2013 allnurses.com INC. All Rights Reserved.
    sharpeimom and NRSKarenRN like this.

  2. 11 Comments so far...

  3. Jun 11, '09 by
    Well, we all kinda of know what the consequences are for doing something like that. Everyone with access to healthcare records gets HIPAA training.

    Why would someone even post that kind of information?
    Last edit by Katnip on Jun 11, '09
    4hana9 likes this.
  4. Jun 11, '09 by
    What was she thinking? Now she has a year of her life wasted in jail.
  5. Jun 11, '09 by
    This is a terrible thing this woman did and she should loose her license if she has one and never be allowed access to medical records again. But...

    My friend's son lives with a crazy girl who has stolen a car, been caught smoking crack, got caught speeding over 100 miles per hour and I can't even remember what else. My son's friend is a straight arrow by the way and says she is sick and needs his help! Anyway, she is a heroin and crack addict, beautiful girl as not so old the lifestyle is showing yet. But...

    She hasn't spent a day in jail. What is wrong with this picture?
  6. Jun 11, '09 by
    At my nursing school it was hard initially for people to understand that talking about patients in the elevators, even when they don't use there name isn't proper. Will some one clarify ... that even just talking about a paitents behavior in the hospital, WITHOUT saying their name - is protected as medical information under HIPPA? Lets say these students didn't include diagnosis or treatment either.
  7. Jun 11, '09 by
    Quote from misplaced1
    This is a terrible thing this woman did and she should loose her license if she has one and never be allowed access to medical records again. But...

    My friend's son lives with a crazy girl who has stolen a car, been caught smoking crack, got caught speeding over 100 miles per hour and I can't even remember what else. My son's friend is a straight arrow by the way and says she is sick and needs his help! Anyway, she is a heroin and crack addict, beautiful girl as not so old the lifestyle is showing yet. But...

    She hasn't spent a day in jail. What is wrong with this picture?
    There are always inequities everywhere in the justice system as far as sentences.

    Meanwhile, word to the wise regarding patient privacy!
  8. Jun 11, '09 by
    Another article revealed the hospital worker's motive for snooping. It was more than just curiousity.

    There was a feud between the victim and the victim's sister-in-law, a friend of Wong-Fernandez. Wong-Fernandez, who worked as a patient service representative at Straub Clinic & Hospital, accessed the computer for the victim's sister-in-law. The victim was a patient at Straub Hospital.

    Wong-Fernandez illegally accessed the patient's medical records three times through a computer. After she learned of the victim's medical condition, (she) posted on her MySpace page that the victim had HIV. In a second posting, she said the victim was dying of AIDS.
    http://www.starbulletin.com/news/200...ts_a_year.html
    labcat01 likes this.
  9. Guide
    Jun 11, '09 by
    Quote from Anxious Patient
    Another article revealed the hospital worker's motive for snooping. It was more than just curiousity.


    http://www.starbulletin.com/news/200...ts_a_year.html
    If there was malice involved it is more serious. You can't have that, that elevates it to criminal level. I was cutting her a break and saying it was to harsh a penalty for snooping but this goes over the top. I know they are trying to make an example of her but she must be a really stupid person and I doubt if this will get thru to the other stupid people. If you are so dense that you can't realize how serious this is I wonder if even a prison sentence will do any good.
    Last edit by oramar on Jun 11, '09
  10. Jun 11, '09 by
    Malice or not, posting someone's medical information, gotten through snooping at their medical records, on My Space, SHOULD get jail time!

    I would feel so violated and exposed!
    AZ_RN2B and sharpeimom like this.
  11. Jun 11, '09 by
    Whats the motivation to have done that?? Talk about lack of judgement!!!!

    Over my career I've taken care of families of politicians and celebritys and some of it would make for some juicy gossip, but I will take this stuff to my grave.