Tag Archives: medical confidentiality

Burning Question: COVID 19 and HIPAA Hysteria

Today’s Burning Question: Does HIPAA allow first responders to be notified of critical information such as the addresses of positive covid-19 patients? Answer: HIPAA Hysteria… I do not know why HIPAA gets blamed for being a boogey-man, but HIPAA does not prohibit fire and EMS personnel from conveying necessary information to each other.

Read More »

Atlanta Expose Into EMS Dark Humor Facebook Groups

An Atlanta area television station has been investigating EMS personnel sharing images and information protected by medical confidentiality laws in social media. Channel 11’s investigation into former Grady Hospital paramedic Amanda Courtright has widened to other EMS services around the country.

Read More »

Post Accident Drug Testing in the Headlines

Today’s burning question: After an apparatus accident last week and I was sent for routine drug/alcohol testing. The local newspaper wrote an article about the accident naming me as the driver and indicating that I was sent for drug testing. The way it was written implied I was sent because I did something wrong.

Read More »

Utah Chief Sues Police Over Flawed Drug Investigation

A Salt Lake County assistant chief has filed suit in federal court against the City of Cottonwood Heights claiming that a police detective violated his rights when he accessed confidential medical information about him from the State of Utah’s Controlled Substance Database, and used the information to file unwarranted criminal charges.

Read More »

Medical Confidentiality and HIPAA Hysteria

Today’s burning question: I work for a fire department as a Firefighter – Paramedic. We have a quality assurance program in place for EMS. The department has EMTs doing quality assurance reviews on medical reports submitted by the Paramedics. In addition, ...

Read More »

HIPAA Hysteria Averted Again in LA

The shutdown of LAFDs Twitter feed earlier today over concerns about possible HIPAA violations has been reversed and the Tweets have resumed. The HIPAA-based shutdown is the second in the past two years for LAFD, and topic has been covered ...

Read More »

Photos, HIPAA, and the First Amendment

Today’s burning question: I am a career firefighter and one of my passions while off duty is to take photos at fire and emergency scenes. I typically post them to my web site and occasionally I post on Facebook and ...

Read More »

Maryland AG Says Patient Photos Trigger HIPAA

The Maryland Attorney General’s office has issued a memo to EMS providers and personnel stating that photos taken of patients who are identifiable constitutes “individually identifiable health information” under HIPAA, the release of which through any means (including social media) ...

Read More »

Video Recording on EMS Units

Today’s burning question:  My fire department is installing video cameras on each ambulance, covering both inside the cab and box, and outside as well. Is this is legal? I think the administration is merely trying to spy on us and ...

Read More »

Fire Lawyer Sues FDNY for Release of Medical Information

A former FDNY firefighter and now practicing attorney, Peter J. Gleason, has filed a comprehensive, 18-page lawsuit in Federal court against City of New York, FDNY, former Battalion Chief George Belnavis,  Lieutenant Edward Boles, Fire Marshal Brian Grogan , Captain ...

Read More »