WHS employees suspended for alleged HIPAA violations

Around a dozen employees of the Washington Health System (WHS) in Washington County, Pennsylvania, have reportedly been suspended for HIPAA violations involving alleged inappropriate access to patient records, according to the Washington County Observer-Reporter. It is suspected that the alleged violations are related to a case involving the death of an employee of the WHS’ Neighbor Health Center, who was killed when a car crashed into the building earlier this month.

Larry Pantuso, vice president of strategy and clinical services at WHS, told the Observer-Reporter that the possible violation is an internal matter. The issue is not whether the employees should have had access to the patient records, but whether the method of access was appropriate.

Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, covered entities (CE) must take reasonable steps to limit the use or disclosure of, and requests for, protected health information, such as patient records, to the minimum necessary to accomplish the intended purpose. It is up to the CE to develop and implement policies and procedures appropriate for its organization.

According to the Observer-Reporter, the WHS tries to run internal investigations expeditiously, and as of June 18, no employees have lost their jobs over the matter.