HIPAA Blog

[ Saturday, March 15, 2008 ]

 

Clinton, Clooney, . . . and now Britney: 13 UCLA Medical Center employees have been fired, and 6 doctors face disciplinary action, after they all wrongfully snooped into Britney Spears' medical records. The hospital warned them, but they didn't listen.

Jeff [10:45 PM]

Comments:
Don't the regulations state that for HIPAA infractions sanctions are to be consistent regardless of role or position?

How does UCLA clarify why, for what's reported as being the same offenses (inappropriate access), staff got fired and physicians did not?

Were the Privacy Officers recommendations the same but UCLA administration dealt with HR outcome differently; and, if so is this due to faculty code issues?
 
I assumed that the physicians are not employees of the hospital, but are independent physicians on the medical staff. Thus, the hospital would not be able to "fire" them, and probably would have a hard time kicking them off the medical staff without going through the whole fair hearing process.
 
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