ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Health announced they fired an employee after the employee improperly accessed the sensitive medical information of thousands of patients.
The organization said the employee accessed an estimated 3,200 patient records, which was outside of that person's job scope.
Orlando Health said it doesn't know why a nursing assistant improperly viewed the records that included names, addresses, medications, test results and parts of Social Security numbers.
The company discovered the access through the audit on May 27.
Dr. Wael Yousif, of Valencia College, said the incident is a reminder that computer networks can be vulnerable from the inside.
"The most important understanding that we need to have is how to determine the level of access for someone in the organization," Yousif said.
The incident impacts some patients treated at Orlando Regional Medical Center, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies and Dr. Phillips Hospital from January 2014 to May 2015.
The hospital group said there's no indication any of the information was removed or used, but they've told patients to keep an eye on insurance documents to make sure they're not billed for services they didn't receive.
The organization said it removed the employee's access and began an investigation as soon as it was notified.
"We take this incident very seriously and we are committed to protecting patients' health and personal information," Orlando Health said in a statement.
The organization said it is re-educating its staff on the rules for accessing patient records and has set up a call center for patients.
Anyone who believes they may have been affected, and does not receive a letter by July 15 please call 1-866-910-5602. The call center's hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
WFTV
