A nurse has been fired for looking at patient medical records.
UC Health said the nurse at Poudre Valley Hospital inappropriately accessed the records of 800 patients, seeing the patient’s names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, insurance information and care received.
The nurse was not able to access Social Security numbers or other personal or financial information, according to UC Health.
Officials said the employee was viewing patients’ charts out of personal curiosity.
UCHealth in northern Colorado officials said letters have already been mailed to the affected patients.
"Affected patients will receive the letters over the coming days," Dan Weaver said. "The privacy and confidentiality of patients’ medical record information is a priority, and UCHealth regularly audits employees to ensure strict compliance with HIPAA regulations."
UCHealth said employees are being retrained to re-emphasize that staff can only view health records of patients for whom they are actively providing care.
Patients who have questions may call (844) 470-1755 to speak to UCHealth’s director of compliance and privacy.