Failure to Protect Resident Health Information and Confidentiality
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of residents' personal and medical records on multiple occasions. During continuous observation, a computer screen on a medication cart was left open and unattended in a hallway, displaying a resident's name and medication list. Several residents and staff passed by the cart while the screen was visible, and the responsible LPN left the area without securing the information. The screen remained exposed until another staff member eventually closed it. In a separate observation, another computer screen on a medication cart was left unattended outside the nurse's station, displaying multiple residents' names, pictures, and room numbers. Residents and staff walked by the cart while the information was visible, and the screen was only closed when a nurse returned to the cart. Additionally, staff in the dementia unit failed to properly dispose of resident meal tickets containing personal information. After serving lunch, staff placed meal cards with residents' names in a regular trash can instead of the designated shred container. The error was acknowledged by staff during interviews, and the meal tickets were retrieved from the trash. These actions were inconsistent with the facility's policy and HIPAA requirements for protecting resident health information.