Fergie's Tech Blog

More Snooping Into UCLA Medical Records

An AP newswire article, via The New York Times, reports that:

California first lady Maria Shriver is among more than 30 celebrities and other high-profile patients who had their confidential records breached at UCLA Medical Center, medical officials said.

The woman responsible, whose name was not released, is the same employee who sneaked into actress Farrah Fawcett's medical records, officials told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday.

That worker was fired in May 2007 after UCLA learned of the widespread breaches, but patients were not notified, the hospital said.

In all, the woman improperly looked at 61 patients' medical records in 2006 and 2007, according to state and local medical officials. These included Fawcett, Shriver, and 31 other politicians, celebrities and other well-known people, the paper said. Names of the other patients were not disclosed.

The head of the UCLA Hospital System, Dr. David Feinberg, apologized for the breaches and said the woman behind them had been a ''rogue'' employee.

posted by Fergie @ 4/07/2008 11:46:00 AM