NAID : News : Medical Records Found in Store Dumpster

On March 17, 2009, the Shreveport Times reported that a local grocer discovered stacks of medical records and MRIs in his outside trash container. Aware that these were highly sensitive records, the store owner alerted local authorities. The resulting investigation traced the records to a local doctor who had deposited the confidential materials there over the weekend. According to the report the doctor is retrieving the records for proper disposal and has admitted his mistake.

It remains unclear as to whether or not authorities will prosecute this clear violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.