Song Sung Blue

Why is it almost always someone famous that sparks these audits? Remember a short while ago when a number of staff were fired or suspended for peeking at Bill Clinton's records? I know it it human nature to be curious about someone who is famous, but celebrities generally are considered to have given up some of their right to privacy, not earned the right to extra enforcement:

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - In the wake of extensive publicity over Buffalo Bill Kevin Everett's on-field spinal injury, Kaleida Health has disciplined an employee after investigating possible violation of the federal health care privacy rules, known as HIPAA.

HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) includes several privacy regulations that severely restrict who can access patient medical records.

The routine compliance audit found no violation of the federal rules that regulate access to medical records, but did uncover enough of an issue to have one employee suspended, according to sources.

Good for the hospital, but it shouldn't take a special case to remind folks about compliance.