Several employees were fired from the Hennepin County Medical Center for violating HIPAA by reviewing George Floyd‘s medical records without authorization.
Antonio Romanucci, an attorney for Floyd’s family, told KARE 11 that there were “multiple breaches by multiple people” who wrongfully accessed Floyd’s medical records. The hospital disclosed the breaches to the family in a letter and said that the violations took place sometime within the past 30 days.
The Hennepin County Medical Center said that the individuals who had unauthorized access to Floyd’s files “no longer work at the organization.” A spokeswoman for the medical center, Christine Hill, said the hospital could not give any more information about the situation.
“Any breach of patient confidentiality is taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. If it is determined that a violation has occurred, disciplinary action up to and including termination can be used,” Hill said.
Romanucci said that the family felt violated by the news. He said the family is considering taking legal action against the medical center.
“They feel it’s a continued assassination of George Floyd, his character. It’s a nonstop issue. And they were very upset, very disturbed, disappointed that even in death, that George Floyd’s character is being maligned by people that didn’t have any business looking at his private medical record,” Romanucci said.
Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest in May. Floyd’s autopsy reports from the Hennepin County medical examiner concluded that he did not die of asphyxiation from the arrest; however, an independent autopsy report commissioned by Floyd’s family found that his death was “homicide caused by asphyxia.” The Hennepin County medical examiner also said that Floyd had a “fatal level” of fentanyl in his system when he died. All four police officers involved in Floyd’s arrest were fired and face charges.
