Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif. — part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare Services — has received five deficiencies from the California Department of Public Health for violating patient confidentiality after a patient's medical record was emailed without permission, according to a California Watch report via the North County Times.
The incident stems from last winter, when Shasta CEO Randall Hempling and CMO Marcia McCampbell, MD, allegedly showed Darlene Courtois' medical chart to the editor of local newspaper Redding Record Searchlight. The disclosure occurred in an attempt to discredit California Watch reports that Shasta had improperly billed Medicare for kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition generally seen in famine victims.
After sharing the record with the newspaper, Mr. Hempling allegedly sent an email containing confidential information about Ms. Courtois' hospitalization to approximately 785 Shasta employees.
The state health department found Shasta's general counsel, communications director, CEO and CMO to be "involved in the illegal disclosures," according to the news report, although the state report did not match names to those roles.
Under California law, hospitals can be fined as much as $250,000 for breaching a patient's confidentiality, but the health department considers the financial penalties after deficiencies are corrected, according to the report.
A Prime spokesperson said Shasta did nothing wrong and has filed an appeal, according to the report.
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The incident stems from last winter, when Shasta CEO Randall Hempling and CMO Marcia McCampbell, MD, allegedly showed Darlene Courtois' medical chart to the editor of local newspaper Redding Record Searchlight. The disclosure occurred in an attempt to discredit California Watch reports that Shasta had improperly billed Medicare for kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition generally seen in famine victims.
After sharing the record with the newspaper, Mr. Hempling allegedly sent an email containing confidential information about Ms. Courtois' hospitalization to approximately 785 Shasta employees.
The state health department found Shasta's general counsel, communications director, CEO and CMO to be "involved in the illegal disclosures," according to the news report, although the state report did not match names to those roles.
Under California law, hospitals can be fined as much as $250,000 for breaching a patient's confidentiality, but the health department considers the financial penalties after deficiencies are corrected, according to the report.
A Prime spokesperson said Shasta did nothing wrong and has filed an appeal, according to the report.
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