An Alberta nurse has been fined $3,000 after pleading guilty to accessing two people’s health information without authorization on dozens of occasions.
Jasmine Badger, a registered nurse at the Fox Creek Healthcare Centre, pleaded guilty on June 25, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) said in a news release on Friday.
According to the OIPC, in 2016, two people requested audit logs of accesses to their health information Alberta’s electronic health record. After seeing the logs, the complainants alleged Badger improperly accessed their information and both said they weren’t even patients at the health facility she worked at.
READ MORE: Alberta pharmacist sentenced to house arrest after accessing patient files
“The OIPC’s investigation found that Ms. Badger accessed the health information of the individuals 138 times between April 1, 2013 to July 18, 2016,” the OIPC said on Friday. “Due to a two-year limitation period under the HIA (Health Information Act), Ms. Badger pleaded guilty to accessing the health information of one of the individuals on 35 occasions between Oct. 7, 2015 to July 18, 2016, and eight unauthorized accesses to the health information of the second individual between Nov. 1, 2015 to July 18, 2016.
“Health information accessed included medical profile, demographic information, consultation details, lab results or analysis including blood work, and diagnostic imaging results such as X-rays and MRI.”
READ MORE: Former AHS clerk fined for improperly accessing health records 21 times ‘out of curiosity’
Crown prosecutors with Alberta Justice laid charges in October 2017 after the OIPC submitted its findings to them.
According to the OIPC, Badger’s guilty plea marks the ninth conviction since the HIA was implemented in 2001.
In addition to the fine, Badger will also need to pay a victim fine surcharge of 30 per cent of the imposed fine. The surcharge is meant to help pay for victim services like counseling.
Comments