The LA Times had a recent article on the celebrity snooping scandal at the UCLA Medical Center. There have been 68 current and former workers implicated in this investigation, centering primarily on hospital staff searching the records of celebrities such as Britney Spears and Farrah Fawcett. One administrative specialist was indicted by a federal grand jury and is facing up to 10 years in prison.
Not only is snooping medical records a moral and ethical issue, but it is illegal. In the UCLA case, not only are the individuals facing punishment, but the State of California is looking at sanctioning the Medical Center. This serves as an important reminder to safeguard your records and computer systems and ensure employees are trained and reminded to follow privacy policies.
