Hospital clerk took hundreds of medical files home

[Liberal_in_LA]

Burlingame clerk charged for taking hundreds of files home

A mail room clerk at a Burlingame hospital has been charged with theft for allegedly stealing hundreds of patient files, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Katherine Asimos, 49, of Millbrae, who has worked at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame since 2001, told investigators that she took the files home with her because “she was overwhelmed and behind in filing documents in the files,” said San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

The files included patient names, dates of birth and confidential medical information, authorities said. The number of stolen files may be as high as 1,000, Wagstaffe said.

http://blog.sfgate.com/crime/2011/11/01/burlingame-clerk-charged-for-taking-hundreds-of-files-home/

[valerief]

1. She must be getting rich from selling identities. nt

[SheilaT]

3. That's completely uncalled for.

[valerief]

4. I don't understand your response. Didn't she break the law? nt

[SheilaT]

8. Taking files home is breaking the law.

But to go from there to assuming she's selling identities is not logical. You have no reason for making that assumption.

[valerief]

9. Uh, yeah, I have reason to suspect it. I have very good reason to suspect it.

People sell identities. A boatload of personal info is in medical files. Anyone with half brain or half a conscience would NEVER bring them home. The risk is far, far too great. So that leaves the other option.

[SheilaT]

12. Really? As someone who works in a hospital

I know how incredibly understaffed hospitals are, in all areas. What this woman did was beyond stupid, but I think to jump to the assumption she was selling the information is totally unwarranted. People do really dumb things. I do not condone taking those file home, but making the leap that she was therefore selling the information should wait until there's actual evidence for that.

[valerief]

13. I just don't have the faith in people and good luck you do, I guess.

I'm the 99%. I'm used to getting fucked over.

[SheilaT]

14. Thinking the very worst of every single

person out there does no good.

Plus, this woman would also be in the 99%. She's been fucked over by the hospital that so understaffs and so terrorizes her that she'd thinking taking files home was somehow a solution to the problem of not being able to get her work done in time. They probably also will not pay for overtime, and it was made clear to her that she somehow had to do ten hours of work in an eight hour shift. That's what it's like working in a hospital (as well as many other places) these days. People like her aren't going to be taking medical records home with a plan to sell the information. If that's what she actually wanted to do there would no doubt be easier ways to do that.

[dtexdem]

5. Well, she WOULD be, but unfortunately ...

she's overwhelmed and way behind in selling the identities in the files.

;-)

[snooper2]

6. Maybe she's working on some really bitchin software for medical files

where you scan and everything is electronically entered in proper database fields...

even doctor's writing :)

[valerief]

7. So she breaks the law and brings the files home? Where they can be stolen or damaged?

I don't trust her judgment if that's her intention. I think anyone who breaks the law like that must have more sinister intentions. Or shouldn't be in that job.

[SheilaT]

2. I wish the article made it clear just how long she's

been taking home files.

It also says a lot for how incredibly understaffed hospitals are in all areas that this kind of thing can happen.

I work in a hospital. I have the best job there as I work the information desk, which means I have no responsibility for patient care, and I have no impact on what they are charged. But I what I see of other departments makes me crazy. Constantly working short, cutting staff, no raises -- while the CEO gets at least 14% per year salary increase.

[Missy Vixen]

10. As long as there are human beings working in medical offices

HIPAA really doesn't matter.

This woman may not have been selling identities, but if my file was one of those stolen, I would be raising hell with the hospital in question.

[juajen]

11. I once worked with a woman who threw all sorts of info away

because she didn't want to file it. I worked for a law office. Of course, there was no retrieving it. She didn't want to get behind. This was before computers, of course. More difficult to lose stuff today, thank goodness, or, maybe not.