California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said his administration will work with hospitals to stop patient data security breaches, adding that he is among the celebrities whose confidential records have been breached.
“If they’re celebrities, if they are business executives, or just ordinary citizens, everyone’s file ought to be protected,” Schwarzenegger told reporters. He did not specify at which hospital his data security issues happened.
A worker at 595-bed UCLA Medical Center was fired in May 2007 after the hospital learned she had improperly looked at medical records of dozens of high-profile patients, including those of Farrah Fawcett and California first lady Maria Shriver, according to the Los Angeles Times. Other employees were fired after an internal audit in February for peeking at the medical records of pop star Britney Spears.
UCLA Medical Center did not notify affected patients or the state of the security breaches, as “consistent with state law and based on the findings of our investigation,” hospital officials said in a written statement. The hospital said it is working to improve security. Four separate complaint investigations into UCLA Health System data security breaches have been initiated by the state. The findings are expected within the next two weeks, said a spokeswoman for the California Department of Public Health.
