Katie Stancombe reports on a medical records privacy case: Community Health Network, Inc. v. Heather McKenzie and Daniel McKenzie, individually and as parents and natural guardians of J.M. and O.M., John McKenzie, Deborah West, Michael West, and Katrina Gray, 19A-CT-873:
The Indiana Court of Appeals has partially reversed in favor of a hospital on invasion of privacy and intrusion claims after a family feud between health care employees resulted in comprised confidential health records.
During their employment at the Indiana Orthopedic Center, Katrina Gray matched up her stepson with co-worker Heather McKenzie. The couple eventually married and had two children, but they later divorced.
Then, after Community Health Network Inc. acquired IOC, Gray was hired and trained as a medical records coordinator. In that role, she was provided access to Epic, an electronic medical records system, and authorized to schedule appointments and release records of the patients only within the IOC.
Following an anonymous report that Gray had accessed a personal chart in violation of Community’s policies and employee conduct rules, an investigation revealed that Gray had accessed her own chart as well as the confidential health records of multiple other patients, including McKenzie, her new husband and the children. She was then placed on administrative leave and ultimately fired.
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