IT in the courts
This week in health IT was all about the courts.
The first fraud conviction associated with the Meaningful Use program happened when the former CFO of a Texas hospital pled guilty to lying before a U.S. Magistrate Judge when attesting to successful meaningful use of an EHR, even though the organization did not meet Meaningful Use requirements.
Joe White was responsible for both overseeing EHR implementation at Shelby Regional Medical Center in Center, Texas and attesting to Meaningful Use, according to multiple reports. The hospital received almost $786,000 in incentive payments.
White faces up to five years in prison, though a sentencing date has not yet been set.
In another case, the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a $1.4 million verdict against Walgreens triggered when one of its pharmacists improperly accessed the protected medical information of a consumer who once dated her husband, reports Indystar.
This decision is the first time a company has been held liable for HIPAA violations committed by one employee.
Hopefully, these cases serve as a warning to discourage future cases rather than the start of a new trend.
Beth Walsh
Clinical Innovation + Technology editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.