A judge refused to dismiss a claim against Williamsport, Pa.-based UPMC Susquehanna that holds the health system liable after an employee went snooping on a co-worker's medical record, according to Pennlive.com.
Taylor Fausnaught filed a lawsuit last year against her co-worker Tasha Klock alleging Klock illegally accessed her medical records. Fausnaught also named the hospital in the lawsuit. While UPMC will have to move forward with the liability case, the judge dismissed the punitive damages claim against UPMC.
The judge also dismissed three negligence claims against UPMC and the allegation that the hospital violated the consumer protection law.
In July 2018, UPMC discovered that Ms. Fausnaught's records had been wrongfully accessed. An internal investigation found that Ms. Klock accessed the medical records out of curiosity on June 11, 2018. Ms. Klock was disciplined by the health system and underwent additional training and monitoring.