Resources for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Alleged Breach of George Clooney's Health Information Leads to Suspension of 27 Staff at N.J. Medical Center

www.aishealth.com

When a famous Hollywood actor is suddenly admitted to your hospital, some employees will likely be tempted to take a peek at the heartthrob's medical records. But when the hospital in question later suspends more than two dozen employees without pay for allegedly violating privacy rules, those involved are bound to question whether the "punishment fits the crime," and to what extent the hospital could have better protected its celebrity patient.

The breach that sent tongues wagging among celebrity newshounds and privacy officers alike started on Sept. 21, when actor George Clooney and his girlfriend, Sarah Larson, rolled through the doors of Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, N.J. The couple, which had been involved in a motorcycle accident in Weehawken, N.J., was treated and released the same day — Clooney with a cracked rib, Larson with a broken foot.

The story could have ended there. But in early October, newspapers, Web sites and TVs worldwide revealed that Palisades was investigating 40 staff members and had suspended 27 of them for a month without pay for allegedly accessing Clooney's protected health information (PHI) without authorization, a violation of HIPAA.

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