Personal info was shared -HIPPA violation?

[Quienes]

My father was in the hospital for a surgical procedure. After he was discharged and home, he got a call from a "care-giver" who stated she got his information from the hospital. He is open to having a caregiver and asked her to come interview. She came to the house and while being interviewed revealed one of the RNs had given her my Dad's number as a possible employment lead, the woman is not affiliated with the hospital officially and is here on a "visitors visa", obviously unlicensed. Following the interview the caretaker emailed the RNs name as a reference. My father's friend, who did the interview and has experience in health care contacted the hospital complaining of HIPPA violations. She has everyone in a frenzy and now passed the "case" to me as it is more than she can handle. Yikes! I feel terrible for the fuss but how stupid of the nurse. What should I do? My instinct is to just let it blow over, no actual harm came of the leak. Thanks for the input.

[diva rn, BSN, RN]

Please see Stargazers post. It is right above yours.

HIPAA!!!

Can someone please tell me how in the world so many nurses on this board do not know how to spell the abbreviation for this federal act, that is so much a part of our working lives, correctly??? This just baffles me.

I will second that one!!!

I just went a little nuts on another thread..but I will do it again because it is like nails on a blackboard to me.

It is the Health Insurance Portability Accounability Act.......

ahem, now, back to the original post...yes, this is clearly a violation of HIPAA and should be reported.

[Teleflurry, DNP]

I will second that one!!!

I just went a little nuts on another thread..but I will do it again because it is like nails on a blackboard to me.

It is the Health Insurance Portability Accounability Act.......

ahem, now, back to the original post...yes, this is clearly a violation of HIPAA and should be reported.

Well....mama always said I was a terrible speller. :)

[3dayRN]

I can't believe people get so annoyed about someone writing HIPPA instead of HIPAA. Big deal, get over it. Or better yet make a post about that instead of hijacking someone's post about a serious matter. Oh wait we are nurses we are supposed to be perfect right??

[AgentBeast, MSN, RN]

I'm HIPPA to the HIPAA, HIPAAty Hop and I don't stop.:monkeydance::clpty::monkeydance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-302Jp0bVQ

[Old.Timer]

I can't believe people get so annoyed about someone writing HIPPA instead of HIPAA. Big deal, get over it. Or better yet make a post about that instead of hijacking someone's post about a serious matter. Oh wait we are nurses we are supposed to be perfect right??

I have to disagree, I believe it is a big deal. It is a federal regulation that is integral to our profession. I think most would cringe and/or question their knowledge base if :

Attorneys used Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 interchangably since they are both bankruptcy

Urologists noted in the record that patient scheduled for a TPUR vs a TURP

CPA's referred to the IRS as ISR

Teachers referred to an IEP as an IPE

It's this type attitude that is the drip drip drip eroding our reputation and respect as professionals.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Please see Stargazers post. It is right above yours.

HIPAA!!!

Can someone please tell me how in the world so many nurses on this board do not know how to spell the abbreviation for this federal act, that is so much a part of our working lives, correctly??? This just baffles me.

Thank you. Like nails on a chalkboard, it is. Or, what Diva RN said. great minds and all that...

[justashooter]

you should be calling ICE (immigration and customs enforcement) to report the name and contact information of the so-called caregiver and the nurse who referred her to you. they are in violation of federal law, and the "caregiver" on visitor visa is subject to deportation. the nurse is subject to federal sanction, and if she is not a US citizen, is also at risk for deportation. violation of immigration law is a serious offense, not to be taken lightly. all documentation you have on this issue should be preserved and presented to ICE with your report. failure to make report makes you an accessory after the fact.

To report suspicious activity, call ICE toll-free at 1-866-DHS-2ICE.

http://www.ice.gov/contact/

[JSlovex2]

just giving the benefit of the doubt, but is it possible that the RN had a conversation with your father about giving a "care taker" his phone number? you mention the friend who interviewed being concerned, etc., but i just wonder if it's possible that it's something your father welcomed? even if that's the case, i think it's bad judgement on the nurse's part- but if he told her it was OK i would hate to see her get in trouble on a hunch by a well meaning friend.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

just giving the benefit of the doubt, but is it possible that the RN had a conversation with your father about giving a "care taker" his phone number? you mention the friend who interviewed being concerned, etc., but i just wonder if it's possible that it's something your father welcomed? even if that's the case, i think it's bad judgement on the nurse's part- but if he told her it was OK i would hate to see her get in trouble on a hunch by a well meaning friend.

Still a big violation. The nurse should not be soliciting work for a friend. If this pt needed home health, then a home health agency should be involved. Thank God she didn't come in and rob him blind or commit identity theft.

This nurse needs to be reprimanded....big time.

[RNKPCE]

Please see Stargazers post. It is right above yours.

HIPAA!!!

Can someone please tell me how in the world so many nurses on this board do not know how to spell the abbreviation for this federal act, that is so much a part of our working lives, correctly??? This just baffles me.

Since you are splitting hairs over the HIPPA vs HIPAA then you should know it is an Acronym not an Abrreviation

[RNKPCE]

Also the HIPAA fine does not go to the patient it goes to the government. I believe if this person wants to sue for violation of privacy it would be a separate thing.

HIPAA violation due to willful neglect but violation is corrected within the required time period$10,000 per violation, with an annual maximum of $250,000 for repeat violations$50,000 per violation, with an annual maximum of $1.5 million

HIPAA violation is due to willful neglect and is not corrected$50,000 per violation, with an annual maximum of $1.5 million$50,000 per violation, with an annual maximum of $1.5 million

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

correct!

ac-ro-nym {ak-ruh-nim}, noun

1. a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words, as wac from women's army corps, opec from organization of petroleum exporting countries, or loran from long-range navigation.

ab-bre-vi-a-tion {uh-bree-vee-ay-shun}, noun

1. a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole, as dr. for doctor, u.s. for united states, kg for kilogram.

(and yes, this was a major hipaa violation. it's not an accident that hipaa falls under the office of civil rights. lest we forget, it stands for health insurance portability and accountability act, referring to the need to keep phi (private health information) private and spelling out who is responsible for doing that, namely, entities which are in the primary business of providing or paying for health care.)