Cincinnati Hospital Allegedly Posts A Woman’s Syphilis Diagnosis And Personal Info On Facebook
Bullying on social media has apparently reached a new low. A Cincinnati mother is suing University of Cincinnati Medical Center and two employees after staff members allegedly posted her medical records, including her personal information and a diagnosis of syphilis, on a Facebook page, WLWT reported. Her lawyer, Attorney Mike Allen, has presented a screenshot of the "Team No Hoes” page, clearly showing her diagnosis with the sexually transmitted disease and her contact information, as a key exhibit in her lawsuit.
Ryan Rawls, an employee at the medical center, one other staff member (unnamed) believed to be a nurse, and Raphael Bradley, the Cincinnati woman's ex-boyfriend, have all been cited in the lawsuit. Bradley somehow persuaded the UC employees, Allen explained to the NBC affiliate station, to release his ex-girlfriend’s medical records, in violation of both state and federal laws.
"For an employee of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to post that information on a social media device that millions of people have access to, it's above and beyond the law and that's why we feel that they're responsible," Allen told WLWT.
Allen has requested a jury trial for his client, who is seeking damages of more than $25,000 along with a guarantee this won't happen again.
The Facebook page posting was followed by comments referring to the Cincinnati mother as a "hoe" and a "slut." Allen described the effects the social media posting has had on his client.
"She doesn't want to go out,” Allen said. “People who were formerly her friends have made fun of her for it. She's chastised in the community and all of this could've been avoided if UC Med Center had proper protections in place."
The nation’s first teaching hospital, UC Medical Center was founded in 1823 and continues to serve the Greater Cincinnati area. WLWT reported that, in an email to staff on Wednesday, CEO Lee Ann Liska reminded employees that it's a violation of federal medical privacy laws to leak a patient’s personal health information and that any such violations would end in immediate termination. In fact, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule of 2002 established national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information. HIPAA not only sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made without a patient’s authorization, it also gives patients the right to examine and obtain a copy of their health records, and to request corrections.
When contacted, UC Medical Center spokeswoman Diana Lara told WLWT, "We have not received a copy of the lawsuit but we will certainly investigate it and we cannot comment on pending litigation.”
The "Team No Hoes” Facebook page is not available for public view, though reportedly it has more than 2,200 members. Syphilis, in many cases, may not produce obvious symptoms for years after a first infection.
Correction and addendum: Following publication of this story, Liska of UC Medical Center issued a public statement concerning the matter, saying, "We are outraged that anyone might misuse a position with UC Health to attempt to embarrass or cause harm to another person." Liska explained that a single employee, who had been fully trained and understood her responsibilities under law and medical center policy, had wrongfully accessed the patient's billing record. Upon discovering the employee's actions, UC Medical Center not only terminated her employment but also reported the incident to federal authorities.