Kaiser Bellflower is fined $187,500 for privacy breach [Updated]

The Kaiser Permanente hospital in Bellflower has been hit with a $187,500 fine for failing for a second time to prevent unauthorized access to confidential patient information, state pubic health officials said today.

[Updated at 3 p.m.: A spokesman for the hospital said the fine was part of the ongoing investigation into employees improperly accessing the medical records of Nadya Suleman and her children. Disciplinary action has been taken against the employees, said Jim Anderson, a hospital spokesman. All the incidents occurred in January; a previous post said they had occurred in April and May.]

State officials said Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center compromised the privacy of four patients when eight employees improperly accessed records. This is the second penalty against the hospital, officials said.

The hospital was fined $250,000 in May for failing to keep employees from snooping in the medical records of Nadya Suleman, the woman who set off a media frenzy after giving birth to octuplets in January.

The fine was the first penalty imposed and largest allowed under a new state law enacted last year after the widely publicized violations of privacy at UCLA Medical Center involving Farrah Fawcett, Britney Spears, California First Lady Maria Shriver and other celebrities.

“We are very concerned with violations of patient confidentiality and their potential harm to the residents of California,” said Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health. “Medical privacy is a fundamental right and a critical component of quality medical care in California.”

--Ruben Vives

Comments

[clvngodess]

What is wrong with these people? Apparently these idiots aren't emotionally mature enough to think about the consequences of their actions. This reflects badly on the entire brand of Kaiser.

In fact, I hope I never have to deal with a Kaiser facility. If they can't manage to hire professional adults, imagine the level of care they provide. Scary.

[jumbo]

I have to feel for Kaiser. While the confidentiality breach is unacceptable, they didn't ask for this. Some looney decides to go out and IVF herself with 8 babies, creating media frenzy and now they get popped with a half million in fines. I think octo should have to pay it out of the proceeds from her reality show.

[Jonathan Warren]

How was the access detected by the State? Was a complaint filed?

Kudos to the State of California for comprehending the right to privacy - even for a reality show clown. This could easily have turned in to a blackmail case.

If California protected "octo", I guess they would protect us all. This is a credibility builder for the government of the 7th largest economy in the world. Many things aren't done right at the State level in CA. Here, let's give credit where credit is due.