On March 6, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Linda Sue Kalina pled guilty to wrongfully disclosing the protected health information (PHI) of another individual in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Kalina was a patient information coordinator with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and its affiliate, Tri Rivers Musculoskeletal Centers (TRMC). From March 7, 2016, through June 23, 2017, Kalina improperly accessed the health information of 111 UPMC patients who had never been provided services at TRMC. In her capacity as a patient information coordinator, Kalina was authorized to access patient information contained in UPMC’s electronic medical record system as necessary to provide services to patients. Among others, Kalina accessed and disclosed the health information involving two individuals who worked at Kalina’s former employer. Read more >>
