Suleman’s Records Accessed; 15 Employees Fired
I had a feeling when the Octomom story hit the wire and all the details spilled out that someone would be caught sneaking a peek at her medical records. Sure enough, 15 workers
were fired for looking at the records of Nadya Suleman without permission.
The titles of the fired employees weren't released, so we don't know what departments they hailed from. According to Yahoo News, the culprits were likely seeking information on the father of the eight babies as well as the six other children Suleman has at home. The search proved fruitless, as the sperm donor's name isn't listed in Suleman's files.
Obviously with a high-profile case like Suleman's, curiosity is piqued. Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center, where the mom of 14 gave birth, however, is part of a heavily wired health system. The employees had to have an inkling that their actions would be monitored. After all, it's not like they caught a glance of a paper record. They likely had to go into the EHR, using their login names and passwords, to access the records. The hospital even warned employees about patient confidentiality before admitting Suleman.
In addition to the 15 fired employees, eight others received punishments. A hospital spokesperson said he doesn't believe any of Octomom's info was leaked to the press.