Becker's Hospital Review

38 CIO / HEALTH IT Judgment favors Mississippi health system in stolen patient records trial By Jackie Drees A U.S. district judge issued a default judgment sid- ing with Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center over litigation against three former employees who stole patient records and lied about their possession, Mississippi Today reported Oct. 26. Seven details: 1. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves issued a default judg- ment Oct. 8 in the federal trade secrets lawsuit, stating the defendants' "clear, persistent pattern of perjury, evidence destruction and concealment" justified the ruling. UMMC declined Becker's comment request, citing its policy against commenting on active cases. 2. e case is against Spencer Sullivan, MD, a former phy- sician at UMMC; Dr. Sullivan's new clinic, Mississippi Cen- ter for Advanced Medicine; and former UMMC employees Linnea McMillan and Kathryn Sue Stevens, according to court documents. 3. UMMC hired Dr. Sullivan in July 2014 to lead its hemo- philia treatment center; as part of his employment agree- ment, Dr. Sullivan agreed to not take or use patient data for his own benefit. 4. In June 2016, Dr. Sullivan resigned from his post at UMMC and then used patient records stolen from UMMC —which Ms. McMillan and Ms. Stevens helped to collect — to recruit patients at his new clinic, Mississippi Center for Advanced Medicine, according to the court documents. At least 20 UMMC employees came to work at Dr. Sullivan's new clinic, and most of his UMMC patients followed him to the new practice. 5. roughout the course of state and federal lawsuits brought on by UMMC, Dr. Sullivan, Ms. McMillan and Ms. Stevens "lied multiple times under oath, denying they had ever taken the patient records from UMMC," accord- ing to the report. 6. In March 2020, defendant Rachel Harris, an employee at Dr. Sullivan's clinic, admitted to previously lying about taking the patient records. She produced 1,496 pages of text messages between herself and the other defendants that showed they "all possessed and used the UMMC Patient List at [Mississippi Center for Advanced Medi- cine], and that she lied in her deposition," according to the court documents. 7. Dr. Sullivan previously denied he had the patient files from UMMC on a hard drive but in August 2021 admitted that he did have the records. With the default judgment is- sued, a trial on damages is set for Feb. 16. n Former Nebraska health system employee snooped 2,753 patient EHRs By Hannah Mitchell L incoln, Neb.-based Bryan Health is notifying more than 2,700 patients of a data breach after a former employee snooped through their medical records, a health system spokesperson confirmed to Becker's in November 2021. Four things to know: 1. A spokesperson from Bryan Health told Becker's that the em- ployee accessed patients' demographic and clinical informa- tion without a job-related reason. 2. The health system reported the breach to HHS on Oct. 25 as affecting 2,753 individuals. 3. An investigation looked at the occurrences and determined that financial information and Social Security numbers were not accessed by the former employee, according to Bryan Health's statement. 4. "The person who looked at the records is no longer employed at Bryan Health," the spokesperson told Becker's. n Penn State, Highmark launching 'hospital-at-home' program By Hannah Mitchell H ershey, Pa.-based Penn State Health, Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health and Nashville, Tenn.-based Contessa inked a joint "hospital-at-home" venture. Three things to know: 1. Penn State Health Home Recovery Care is expected to launch in Hershey in the first half of 2022, according to a Nov. 10 news release. It will include services dubbed Hospital Care at Home and Skilled Nursing Care at Home, which will bring remote monitoring elements into patients' homes. The program will be available to Highmark Medicare Advantage members and will expand to other health plan members in the future. 2. The program is geared toward patients with acute conditions who would otherwise need to be admitted to the hospital. Pa- tients will be linked with remote monitoring devices and are seen through telehealth and in-person care. 3. "Healthcare is evolving, and Home Recovery Care is on the cutting edge of innovation and patient-centered care," said Chris LaCoe, vice president of virtual care for Penn State Health. "Partnering with Highmark Health and Contessa to bring this new at-home option empowers patients to take control of their health while decreasing costs, increasing outcomes and en- hancing comfort and convenience." n

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