The Email from the Top.....7/16

This is the email that made it to employees. I note things that I agree with and others that I don't. Let's handle it together:

It is our duty as employees of a healthcare entity and our obligation to the community to protect our patients’ right to privacy. In addition to this moral and ethical responsibility, we have a legal obligation to safeguard our patients’ privacy under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). [frank: I agree entirely.]

You all know of the-paris-site blog. The blogger has stated he has received patient information from employees of PRMC. Some of that information has appeared on the blog, a clear breach of HIPAA. This is of extraordinary concern and something we cannot legally disregard. We are not taking this lightly. We cannot take it lightly. It is our duty to act, and I felt you should be among the first to know what those actions will be. [frank: If you note, several lawyers have commented, and others quite familiar with the HIPAA provisions have looked at the blog. No violation. But their attempt gives them a handle to base the lawsuit on.]

Today, we are filing suit against the-paris-site blogger for willful violation of federal HIPAA laws. This litigation process is the first step to resolving this issue quickly and efficiently and protecting the community we serve from having sensitive medical and personal information compromised. [frank: They are not an agency of the govenment, nor has there been compromised information in this site.]

Second, I would ask you to be fiercely vigilant in safeguarding our patients’ privacy. If you suspect a HIPAA violation, please report it immediately. You can do that by contacting our compliance officer, Ken Miller, or anyone in Administration. If you prefer to remain anonymous, call the compliance reporting hotline at 1-800-472-8868. [frank: I'll go along with that.]

Third, I want to be certain that each and every PRMC employee fully understands our legal and moral obligation to protect the privacy of our patients. Our Corporate Compliance Officer, Charles Fletcher, will be in Paris the week of June 25 to conduct refresher training on our responsibilities under HIPAA. Classes will be offered at numerous times and dates throughout the week, and all employees will be required to attend.

We understand and respect the blogger and the general public’s right to voice their opinions about PRMC, and welcome constructive criticism that may help us to better serve this community. However, the method used by the blogger is wholly unacceptable and it is an infringement on the confidentiality rights of PRMC patients and a breach of law. I hope you will join me in protecting our patients and putting a stop to the blogger’s unlawful access to information to which he has no right. [frank: If I was dealing with identifiable information, I would have been sending letters to them soliciting their help in an investigation of the hospital...if I was breaching HIPAA confidentiallity. I'm not, my sources aren't, and this is a dog that doesn't hunt.]


Stacy Eatherly
Executive Assistant
Paris Regional Medical Center
820 Clarksville Street
Phone: (903) 737-3232
Fax: (903) 737-3848