ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - Fourteen Carilion employees have been recently reprimanded, and/or fired after the hospital discovered they accessed patient medical records without a legitimate patient-care need.
Based on the findings of their own internal investigation, Carilion says appropriate actions were taken with each employee, up to and including termination.
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Eleven of the employees were based in the New River Valley, while three were based in Roanoke.
In a statement released to the media Carilion said:
Carilion takes its obligation to protect patient privacy very seriously. We find out about patient privacy concerns in two primary ways. Individuals may raise specific concerns, or Carilion may proactively monitor a high-profile patient's medical record.
In the wake of a recent high profile event in our region, we learned that 14 employees accessed patient medical records without a legitimate patient-care need. Based on the findings of our internal investigation, appropriate actions have been taken with each employee, up to and including termination. Eleven of the employees were based in the New River Valley, while three were based in Roanoke.
As background, Carilion provides ongoing education to employees regarding privacy rules and regulations and monitors their access to patient records. When Carilion discovers potential issues, an immediate investigation is launched. Aspects of an investigation vary, but may include a review of the electronic medical record(s) in question and interviews with individuals involved. Anything short of a thorough investigation and appropriate follow-up actions would be inconsistent with what is in our patients' best interests.
Carilion would not go into details on the specifics of each person - nor what kind of position they held with the hospital.