Makes sense. Although I don’t have the law in front of me to check for certain, and I’m not in the least inclined to look for it.
So there’s still the possibility that he violated the law either without knowing it or for some other reason. In other words, the existence of HIPAA isn’t sufficient evidence to discount this story.
In fact, from what I’ve heard doctors say many of them have a sort of resentment about the overreach of HIPAA and how it sort of tongue-ties them thus hindering the process of normal patient care. I heard one doctor say that he follows his conscience and will gladly explain himself before a judge.
Could be this resident thought the same thing. Imagine a HIPAA case against him, and how far the court could look into this case.