I can't believe this! This is crazy!

[fuzzywuzzy]

My friend accompanied his wife to a doctor's appointment (his primary doc for a long time; his wife's first visit there). Several hours later he got a text message from one of the women that works there (he's not sure what her title is) saying, "I hope you don't mind, but I got your number from your chart..." She then went on to confess that she has always had a crush on him!!!!! He replied back that she was a nice girl and all, and he's flattered, but he's not available. So then she sent him 2 other messages basically hitting on him saying that she wants to be more than friends and she wished circumstances were different. He showed me the messages and asked what I think he should do. He doesn't want to get her in trouble but he feels like it's going to be awkward the next time he or his wife has an appointment (ya think?).

I'm floored. First of all she accessed his chart when he didn't even have an appointment that day! So she could make an advance toward him that is alllll kinds of INAPPROPRIATE given that he is a patient, and not only married, but married to another patient! I know some people have no boundaries and will throw themselves at attached people, but this takes the cake! And she does all of this via text messaging??? How dumb can you be????

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

By the way, this was like a week ago, and I actually forgot all about it until I saw that hipaa violation thread today!

[SeeTheMoon]

I am not really up on all this texting, but how do we know for sure it came from this employee??? Maybe this guy has a jealous wife....and she is checking out her husband....

I couldn't help but wonder the same thing. I'm "hip" on texting, but I wondered if maybe the wife kinda set him up to see how he'd respond...maybe not though...

But it is just so blatently stupid it's either that, or the worker is clearly near insanity. And not in real need of her job.

[SeeTheMoon]

woops, correction...just saw previous post. (computer that moves at the speed of snail.)

Well if wifey didn't set him up,the worker is just insane. Bless her crazy little I need help now heart.

[suanna]

Have ya seen the movie "Fatal Attraction"? If not, rent it and then decide if this is nothing to get worked up about. This lady is a loonie-toon and her actions need to be reported to your health care regulatory agency ASAP. Even without HIPAA this stalker behavior and I would want to get the right people involved sooner rather than later when the bunny is done.

[leslie :-D]

I think he needs to assess the possibility of violence from her, of her mixing up labs or other papers intentionally to get attention or revenge, or worse.

This really is scary. I might even go find another doctor or talk to the doctor about it. This woman could be really big trouble. She is utterly stupid. How could she even be sure the wife wouldn't see the texts? Of course, he's got to be very thoughtful and consider the fact that she might be armed and stupid enough to use the arms.

Have ya seen the movie "Fatal Attraction"? If not, rent it and then decide if this is nothing to get worked up about. This lady is a loonie-toon and her actions need to be reported to your health care regulatory agency ASAP. Even without HIPAA this stalker behavior and I would want to get the right people involved sooner rather than later when the bunny is done.

i have to agree with both of you.

for a woman to blatantly proposition a married man, and show little concern about being caught...

it's just so darned brazen that it boggles my mind how and why someone would do this.

this goes far beyond loneliness and/or flirtatious behavior...

so much so, that i'm inclined to believe that something is off about her.

it wouldn't surprise me to learn that she's unstable and delusional, to say the least.

it is frightening what's out there these days.

leslie

[diva rn, BSN, RN]

I have to agree. On a serious note, I was only half kidding when I posted before stating ..."restraining order". Although nothing seems to have happened yet, I don't think this episode is over. This women is unbalanced.

[3wishes, MSN, APRN, NP]

Have ya seen the movie "Fatal Attraction"? If not, rent it and then decide if this is nothing to get worked up about. This lady is a loonie-toon and her actions need to be reported to your health care regulatory agency ASAP. Even without HIPAA this stalker behavior and I would want to get the right people involved sooner rather than later when the bunny is done.

YES, I was totally thinking about that bunny. She has his address and could be building a completely fictional relationship in her delusional mind. How to stop this in its tracks, w/o negative repercussions and boiled pets???

"It's not you, it's me??"

[AJPV]

The penalties for a HIPAA violation certainly should not (and I believe DO not) end with a simple reprimand or even termination from employment. I am quite certain that large monetary fines are involved for the offender as well as possibly the healthcare agency. This should be reported to the proper investigating governmental agency (I'm not sure if that is Health & Human Services?) I believe that a HIPAA violation as blatant as this might result in jail time combined with a large fine. The fact that this woman might not be a licensed healthcare provider will not get her off the hook with criminal violations.

[Getting To Great]

They or his wife needs to change Doctor's because that nurse can really mess the wife up; because there are some women who are CRAZY and only sees their needs; and not the needs of the other family, which would be the husband, wife and may children. Don't be surprise if she drives by their house.

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

I have to agree, I would STRESS to him and his wife that this can become very dangerous very quickly. That this person looked up his record to get his number means that she has been following his chart for a while as she built up her courage to call him. She knows he is married (that is in his chart I'm sure), she obviously saw him in the office that day With His Wife and chose to call anyway. She has access to all his medical, insurance and personal information.

He should not be worried about getting her into trouble, she did that herself!

[AJPV]

I would go to someone high up the chain of command at the doctor's office (information security officer?) AND report it to HHS/Office of Medicare & Medicaid (since the healthcare agency most likely falls under the purview of this gov't agency). Get a restraining order and call the police if it is violated. Report this to the local police and file a police report - they will know if local/state criminal laws have been violated. Ask the healthcare agency to pay for credit monitoring. Talk to an attorney about civil litigation against the offender. Most importantly, he should tell his wife immediately!

[Florence NightinFAIL, BSN, RN]

He must be really hot.

Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

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Kidding. What a piece of work.