One of the University of Cincinnati’s Medical Center’s employees has an approach to handling medical records may cost the institution a chunk of change.

The University of Cincinnati Medical Center is being sued after a patient’s medical records were posted to Facebook.

According to the lawsuit filed last week in the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, an employee of the UC Medical Center posted a screen shot containing a woman’s name and diagnosis of syphilis to the Facebook group “Team No Hoes” in September 2013.

Shawntelle Turley, 20, is also suing Ryan Rawls, named as a UC Medical Center employee, an unnamed employee, and Raphael Bradley, her ex-boyfriend.

Turley’s lawsuit claims Rawls, with the help of the unnamed employee, looked up Turley’s medical records at Bradley’s request after Turley refused to explain why she was being treated at UC Medical Center.

Lee Ann Liska, President and CEO of UC Medical Center, released a public response to the allegations.

“The allegations in the recent lawsuit are isolated to the people named in the lawsuit, and by no means reflect the conduct of UC Medical Center associates,” said Liska in her press release. “All associates have been reminded that the unauthorized access or viewing of medical records, or the unauthorized sharing of PHI (or personal health information), is a betrayal of that trust, and cause for immediate termination.”

According to the press release, UC Health, which operates the medical center, “took swift action” to investigate Turley’s complaint and found and terminated the job of the individual who accessed Turley’s records “within days.”

The press release also states that UC Health has determined that no other UC Medical Center employee accessed Turley’s records inappropriately.

Turley claims that her medical records are still in the possession of the unknown employee and that she is receiving phone calls harassing her and her child as a result of the UC Medical Center’s inaction, according to the lawsuit.

…Turley is seeking more than $25,000 in damages for invasion of privacy, emotional distress, malice and negligence.


 
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