Actually the acronym is HIPAA; my bad. But my understanding is that it applies to any personal medical iformation. A hospital employee should not be broadcasting any information about a patient, living or dead.
Can the fact that a patient has been “treated and released,” or that a patient has died, be released as part of the facility directory?
Answer:
Yes. The fact that a patient has been “treated and released,” or that a patient has died, may be released as part of the directory information about the patient’s general condition and location in the facility, provided that the other requirements at 45 CFR 164.510(a) also are followed.
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/faq/administrative/484.html