Summerside hospital worker fired for improperly accessing patient files, says Health P.E.I.

Health P.E.I. reported a significant breach of patient confidentiality at Summerside's Prince County Hospital, where an employee accessed over 100 medical records without authorization. The breach was discovered last fall, covering a period from July to October 2024. In light of this violation of trust and privacy, Health P.E.I. swiftly terminated the employee and notified the affected patients. This incident underscores the critical importance of maintaining strict protocols for protecting personal health information in electronic systems.

The investigation revealed that a hospital employee accessed the personal files of 105 patients without a legitimate work-related reason, prompting Health P.E.I. to classify the incident as "unacceptable."

Following the breach of the electronic record system discovered in the fall, Health P.E.I. took swift action, sending notifications to the affected patients and terminating the employee's position.

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