HIPAA Exposure
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School
East Carolina University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
4065
Subject
Medicine
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
1
Uploaded by AgentRiverAnteater30
To Whom It May Concern:
With this letter, I want to inform the clinic physicians about the breach of patient information involving 15,000 patients. The patients personal and medical information was compromised by a hacker when breaking into the Family Medicine server. Per HIPAA laws, we take this breach seriously and are planning a proper course of action to ensure patients and personnel are aware of the breach. We would like to state the following: HIPAA laws are established to protect the privacy of patient’s health information from being disclosed without patients consent or knowledge. Per the breach, HIPAA laws were violated when Family Medicine, through State University, did not protect nor inform patients and providers about their information being compromised. This incident was noted to have happened 6 to 9 months prior to discovery from an employee having troubles retrieving Family Medicines files. Patients’ health records were protected by the sever and inaccessible to the hacker, but other identifiable information was potentially compromised for 15,000 patients. State University IT investigated, finding evidence the firewall did not protect both University and Family Medicines files between August 2010 to late May 2011. As the investigation continued, we found no evidence of misuse or access to protected patient health and personal information. The hacker was found to have used the server for commercial purposes to store entertainment programming and avoid copyright infringement fees. The University violated ethical codes by questioning if this information should be revealed to patients and personnel within both Family Medicine and Woodward Health. ACHE code of ethics was violated when Family Medicine and State University decided to withhold important information regarding the breach of patients’ information and violating HIPAA laws. Vice President Rickenbacker did not follow ACHE ethical principles which includes values such as respect, honesty, and loyalty. Rickenbacker and her administrative associates did not see a need to release information regarding the breach because of bad press and negative relations involving a HIPAA exposure. Rickenbacker did not treat potentially affected patients ethically because she did not put the patient first. Woodward Health decided to cut ties in their working relationship with State University because of the unethical management of the security breach
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