UCLA workers snooped in Spears' medical records
The Medical Center is taking steps to fire at least 13 employees and is disciplining others, including doctors, for looking at the pop star's confidential files.
UCLA Medical Center is taking stepsto fire at least 13 employees and has suspended at least six others for snooping in the confidential medical records of pop star Britney Spears, who was recently hospitalized in its psychiatric ward, a person familiar with the matter said today.
An additional six physicians also face discipline for peeking at her computerized records, the person said.
Questioned about the breaches, officials acknowledged that it was not the first time UCLA had disciplined workers for looking at Spears' records. Several workers were caught snooping after Spears gave birth to her first son, Sean Preston, in September 2005 at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital, officials said. Some were fired.
"It's not only surprising, it's very frustrating and it's very disappointing," said Jeri Simpson, the Santa Monica hospital's director of human resources, who handled the discipline in the first instance.
"I feel like we do everything that we possibly can to ensure the privacy of our patients and I know we feel horrible that it happened again."
Simpson said UCLA treats celebrities "all the time and you never hear about this."
"I don't know what it is about this particular person, I don't know what it is about her," she added, referring to Spears.
Hoping to head off such snooping, UCLA officials had sent a memo the morning Spears was hospitalized on Jan. 31, warning employees that they were not allowed to peruse records unless directly caring for a patient. Doing so is considered a violation of a federal patient privacy law called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which went into effect in 2003.
"Each member of our workforce, which includes our physicians, faculty, employees, volunteers and students, is responsible to ensure that medical information is only accessed as required for treatment, for facilitating payment of a claim, or for supporting our healthcare operations," chief compliance and privacy officer Carole A. Klove wrote in an e-mail to all employees.
"Please remember that any unauthorized access by a workforce member will be subject to disciplinary action, which could include termination."
Klove declined to discuss specifics of the most recent breaches today, saying they involved confidential patient and personnel matters. "We regularly monitor access to patient records, and in the event of an inappropriate access, we will investigate it, and if a violation if found, we will take appropriate action which can include termination."
