“What a terrible waste of medical talent, productivity and manpower!
How stupid to fire them......why not just a discipline?”
Found this on the net
For a HIPAA violation to be considered criminal, the person who committed the violation must have done so willingly, knowing the implications of divulging the patient information. Like the HIPAA civil penalties, there are different levels of severity for criminal violations. The minimum penalty is $50,000 and up to one year in jail. Violations committed under false pretenses require a penalty of $100,000 and up to five years in prison. The most severe penalty is enforced in cases where the intent was to sell, transfer or use patient information for commercial advantage, personal gain, or malicious harm. This type of violation is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 10 years of jail time.
For an in-depth definition of these penalties, read more on HHS.gov.
She won’t lose her license unless the hospital makes a formal complaint to them.