PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has
been sentenced in federal court to one year of imprisonment, followed by three
years’ supervised release, on her conviction of wrongfully disclosing the
health information of another individual, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady
announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the
sentence on Linda Sue Kalina, 62, of Butler, PA. The court further ordered that
Kalina have no contact with any of the individuals she victimized during the
imposed terms of imprisonment and supervised release.
According to information presented to the court, Kalina
worked, from March 7, 2016 through June 23, 2017, as a Patient Information
Coordinator with UPMC and its affiliate, Tri Rivers Musculoskeletal Centers
(TRMC) in Mars, Pennsylvania. During her employment, contrary to the
requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA), Kalina unlawfully accessed the individual health information of 111
UPMC patients, none of whom had been patients of TRMC and many of whom were
coworkers, former classmates, and relatives. After her termination from TRMC,
she gained employment with Allegheny Health Network, and worked, from July 24,
2017 to August 17, 2017, as a Patient Access Coordinator, where she again
improperly accessed individual health information to which she was not
entitled. On August 11, 2017, Kalina disclosed personal health information
related to two individuals, with the intent to cause them embarrassment and
mental distress. Kalina’s employment with AHN was terminated approximately six
days later.
In imposing the maximum sentence called for under the
Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Court offered that Kalina’s conduct was the
most egregious of its kind.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted
this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the
investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Kalina.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment