Ashley County Medical Center in Crossett, Ark., has terminated a former nurse for viewing 772 patients' records for reasons unrelated to medical care and treatment, according to an Aug. 7 KTVE report.
The hospital launched an investigation into the former employee and found that the individual accessed limited patient information out of curiosity and did not distribute or share the records with anyone outside of ACMC.
"Our policies and procedures revealed the actions of this former employee and we acted swiftly in terminating their employment and reporting them to the appropriate authorities," ACMC Compliance Officer Tiffany Holland told the network.
ACMC has sent notification letters to patients affected by the incident and is providing additional education to train staff on proper medical records protocols.