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UCLA Medical Record Mishaps Include Gov. Schwarzenegger
It all started in the media with Britney Spears. Staff at UCLA Medical snuck an unauthorized look at her medical records which led to the hospital looking into firing thirteen employees, suspending six others and disciplining six physicians. And UCLA admitted to the LA Times this wasn't the first time staff had spied on Spears' records leading to sackings. It happened in 2005 when she gave birth to her son Sean Preston at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital.
Then last week the Times's finds that late last year, Farrah Fawcett's cancer file was breached. And as the story goes, it was also a second time for employees to snoop in her records. One employee took a peak in 2006 and blogged about it.
Then comes a story this morning. That same worker who looked through Fawcett's records last year also allegedly went through 61 parent's records, 32 of which are celebrities, politicians and high-profile patients. One of them was California first lady Maria Shriver.
And that's not all folks: a story recently published and dated for tomorrow on the Times' website says Gov. Schwarzengger's records were breached. "It is not just UCLA," he told the Times. "This kind of thing has been happening all over the state, wherever there are celebrities involved. . . . Everyone's medical history ought to be protected. That is the responsibility of the hospital. So we are going to work with them and find a way."
So, who's next? Who wants to start putting down bets?
Photo by Nikhil Kulkar via Flickr
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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