AUGUSTA, Maine — Patient records were dumped unshredded into a Dumpster last month at the Maine VA Medical Center but a spokesman said the documents never left the campus grounds and that no personal identifying information was disclosed.
A bag containing a number of documents from the prosthetics section of the medical center was discovered in a trash bin on the afternoon of April 11 when a veterans administration employee was throwing garbage into the bin, according to spokesman James Doherty.
Doherty issued a statement Monday afternoon on behalf of the medical center in response to an inquiry on the matter that had been brought to the attention of the Bangor Daily News.
The employee brought the papers to his supervisor, who notified the privacy officer at the medical center. The privacy officer then collected the documents.
To ensure that no other sensitive material was improperly disposed, the decision was made to thoroughly search the trash bin and the Veterans Administration garbage truck, Doherty said. The garbage truck had not left the Togus campus, the spokesman said. The truck was locked and secured in a locked Veterans Administration building overnight.
The privacy officer also immediately notified the VA central office.
Early the next morning, the VA privacy officer, two VA information security officers and VA environmental staff went with the garbage truck to the transfer station to thoroughly search the entire contents of the garbage truck. Doherty said the reason for conducting the search at the transfer station was that there was sufficient space there to spread out the contents and then to more easily dispose of the remaining trash.
Each bag of trash was carefully inspected and all sensitive paper documents were brought back to Togus. The documents never were out of VA possession, Doherty stated.
On April 13, the privacy officer was notified by the VA National Security Operations Center to close out the case after concluding that no personally identifiable information had been disclosed.
All the documents that had been gathered were shredded.
The privacy officer said the staff members involved were counseled, additional training was provided and follow-up monitoring was done to prevent further incidents, Doherty stated.
U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud of Maine, a ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued a statement Monday afternoon on the incident.
“Every veteran who accesses healthcare through the VA deserves to know that their privacy is being properly protected, and I am troubled to hear about this lapse. I will continue to follow this case and, if necessary, take the steps needed to provide answers for Maine veterans,” Michaud stated.
Nothing is sacred in a hospital setting…….especially privacy rights.
Not any more. Not with computers, computerized records, and the internet.
A few years back a VA employee brought alaptop home that was stolen and thousands of Veterans SSN’s were leaked. They sent me a letter telling mine was amongst them. Offered identity theft something or other. Bunch of BS. I think those who served deserve better than.
A couple of things come to mind. First is that whoever is in charge of Records at Togus needs a little ‘time out’ since there is no doubt an IG Inquiry happening as we speak. Second, and more importantly, is that Mike Michaud needs a little ‘face time’ with the Secretary, Rick Shinseki. Rick understands this issue a lot more than past Secretary’s have. It’s important that the process of review and inquiry be allowed to run their course. Then, when all the facts, not just the hysterical allegations, are in can Togus clean up what is, hopefully, an isolated ‘goof’. If it’s not a ‘goof’ but chronic problem then at least whoever is going to have to clean it up and correct the situation is going to have all the facts they need to do the job properly, instead of running all over Togus like a chicken minus it’s head. There’s been entirely to much of that recently and return to calm sanity would be a huge step in the right direction.
Togus has has these sort of problems for a long time, this is nothing new. The quality of healthcare that veterans receive is appaling at times, but I think that it stems down to workers being understaffed, undertrained, and fished from the bottom of the qualifications pool.
They can hire better staff, the funds are there. Whether the top VA official wants to keep them under the carpet in hopes that they will be forgotten about and reallocated to executive salaries is another debate all together.
Veterans deserve better. It is discouraging being a vet myself and hearing about how fellow vets are getting the raw end of the deal.
My father died at the Togus faciilty in 1962. I tried to get access to his medical records about 30 years ago and they told me they could not find them. So, this dumping of records is nothing new.
The way I read it, someone squealed to the BDN and now the VA has to CYA. All Jim Dohrty is is a talking head for the VA. A spin doctor. Togus has problems and Mike Michaud isn’t going to bother with it. I have brought things to his office’s attention and never heard back. The VA will never change until there is enough of an outcry from citizens demanding better. They are told by congress to keep within a certain budget and they do it by bad healthcare. My hospital records have had the word “veteran” removed so that I won’t be sent there to die.
If lepage hadn’t been a draft dodger he would get off his couch and do something about his people’s actions.
The V.A. in Augusta lost my x-rays of my legs & wrist . Now they want to re-x-ray me all over again…?!!!!