Spokane, Wash.-based Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center has fired 15 nurses for violating HIPAA, The Spokesman-Review in Spokane reported.
The hospital claims the nurses improperly accessed the medical records of a 12-year-old girl who died by suicide in April, according to the Aug. 8 story.
“Providence takes violations of our code of conduct and federal privacy laws that govern private health information very seriously,” a spokesperson for Renton, Wash.-based Providence told the news outlet, confirming the terminations were for “patient privacy violations.” “We review employee conduct and take appropriate action, including termination of employment, where warranted. Patient privacy is one of our top priorities.”
The nurses have filed a grievance through their union, Washington State Nurses Association, claiming they were retaliated against for speaking to the media about the girl’s death, the newspaper reported.
“The union was contacted by these nurses and has filed grievances over the terminations and disciplinary action, arguing that any information accessed pertained directly to the nurses’ duties responding to this crisis,” Washington State Nurses Association Executive Director David Keepnews, PhD, RN, told The Spokesman-Review.
