Resources for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Clooney Case Puts Patient Privacy under Microscope

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In the last four years, New Jersey hospitals have spent anywhere from hundreds of thousands of dollars to more than $1 million each to comply with federal regulations meant to protect patient privacy and data. But all the money in the world can’t guarantee confidentiality.

This month, Palisades Medical Center suspended 27 of its employees for accessing the medical records of movie actor George Clooney without clearance. Clooney and his girlfriend, Sarah Larson, were treated at the hospital after being injured in a motorcycle crash last month.

While some health care insiders say efforts to keep patient data private are successful, others see room for improvement.

The actions taken by Palisades Medical Center in response to the breach of the famous patient’s medical records “verifies that we are doing everything possible to maintain patient confidentiality,” says Eurice Rojas, a spokesman at the North Bergen hospital. He says the unauthorized access was discovered during a scheduled audit that checks patients’ paper and electronic trails.

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