Tennessee hospital faces civil rights investigation over release of transgender health records

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center is facing a federal civil rights investigation after turning the medical records of transgender patients over to Tennessee’s attorney general, hospital officials have confirmed.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' investigation comes just weeks after two patients sued VUMC for releasing their records to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti late last year. “We have been contacted by and are working with the Office of Civil Rights,” spokesperson John Howser said in a statement late Thursday. “We have no further comment since this is an ongoing investigation.”

VUMC has come under fire for waiting months before telling patients in June that their medical information was shared late last year, acting only after the existence of the requests emerged as evidence in another court case. The news sparked alarm for many families living in the ruby red state where GOP lawmakers have sought to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth and limit LGBTQ rights.

The patients suing over the release of their information say VUMC should have removed personally identifying information before turning over the records because the hospital was aware of Tennessee authorities' hostile attitude toward the rights of transgender people.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/tennessee-hospital-faces-civil-rights-investigation-release-transgender-102199267

[ificandream]

1. Disgraceful. Hope they get nailed good for that.

[Hekate]

2. I hope they throw the book at those bastards

[moonshinegnomie]

3. those responsible should be jailed

just hitting a company with fines isnt enough since those responsible dont really bear the cost.

maybe a couple years in prison for some top execs will start to change things

[OldBaldy1701E]

13. Hear Hear!

Ahh, Nashville. I lived there for 16 years. I worked at a school that was a few blocks away from the hospital and the university (hell, I have a Vanderbuilt wallet in my pocket right now. It was a promo item), and many of the kids there were offspring from that institution. I had the opportunity to mingle with many of them. For the most part (please notice this phrase... I am not saying ALL of them), they have very inflated egos and attitudes to match. They understand that Vanderbuilt will pay for this incident and not those who actually made it happen. So, yes, we need to start showing these arrogant d**k wavers that there are consequences to being a slimy... well, I won't say that one, but I am sure you can figure out a good word to put there.

The real pity in all this is their kids were not like that.... until they get around 6-7th grade. Then, you start seeing some mini-divas who think they can get away with anything because their parents do. It is very sad and I used to try and influence them by commenting on such behavior. Of course nowadays I would be arrested for 'contributing to the delinquency of a minor' in that red ass state. Nashville used to be a blue island. My same sex marriage was performed by a very good friend who was a judge in the state courthouse. (The legal one, not the family all gathered and a authorized figure performed a ceremony one. That was ten years earlier... at Percy Priest Lake. It was awesome.)

Like many red southern states that used to be rather blue (or at least purple), Tennessee has been taken over by soulless vultures who only want to be king of their respective areas. They keep forgetting that we are a democracy, not a monarchy. They will be reminded soon enough, however.

[bronxiteforever]

4. Kick. I wonder what else Vanderbilt leaked in secret

[LiberalFighter]

5. It is a shame they can't identify all those opposing transgender rights

and the fines paid are only taken out of their tax dollars.

[iluvtennis]

6. Good. They shouldn't be able to release anyone's medical records w/o the person authorizing it. nt

[Zilli]

7. I've been lingering under the delusion that HIPAA was a Federal Law

and that health care providers knew that. Zilli me . . .

[Tess49]

8. In the hospital where I worked you would be perp walked down to HR for even checking a patient's

appointment time. They did not mess around!

[Martin68]

9. WTF?! Hospital records released when there has ben no crime? This is a crime.

[tonekat]

10. A breach of PII is serious

It doesn't take many pieces of data to pinpoint a person these days.

Plus it's an invasion of privacy, possibly endangering the people whose data was obtained.

Shame on Vanderbilt U.

[70sEraVet]

11. Vanderbilt has always been recognized as the premier hospital in the Southeast. That is changing.

Their nurses have no loyalty for their employer, after letting nurse RaDonda Vaught take the rap for a patient's death.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/03/24/1088397359/in-nurses-trial-witness-says-hospital-bears-heavy-responsibility-for-patient-dea

And now selling out their transgender patients?

[Initech]

12. This shit is so damn unconstitutional. Shame on Vanderbilt.

Also, fuck right wing conspiracy theorists and Fox News for putting us in this mess.