Sure, HR jumps through hoops to protect employees’ personnel records. But one prominent medical center has shown just how curious employees can get when records that should remain private involve celebrities.
The California Department of Public Health (DPH) says 127 workers at the UCLA Medical Center looked at celebrities’ medical records and other personal information without permission between January 2004 and June 2006.
The Los Angeles Times first reported that UCLA employees had snooped into medical records of famous patients including Britney Spears, Farrah Fawcett and California first lady Maria Shriver.
Now the DPH report details other infractions, including one UCLA employee who looked at the records of 900 patients without any legitimate reason and viewed Social Security numbers, health insurance information and addresses.
The former administrative specialist faces federal criminal charges for violating Fawcett’s privacy.
The report said the employee used her supervisor’s computer password to view the records.
Hospital officials said computer systems have been updated to block complete Social Security numbers.
UCLA Health System’s CEO says there’s no excuse for the privacy violations.
