Medical Records Found Trashed In Dumpster
Department Of Health Launches Investigation
POSTED: Thursday, February 12, 2004
UPDATED: 10:52 am EST February 16,
2004
ORLANDO, Fla. -- An exclusive Problem Solver investigation found patients' most private information, including financial records, medical charts and lab tests, trashed in an open Dumpster in Titusville, Florida.
Local 6 News uncovered thousands of documents that should have been kept under lock and key but instead were abandoned. The records include details of sexually transmitted diseases, psychological problems, even addictions and intimate details about a patient's sex life. "We are very concerned, we will investigate, and we will do everything we can to make sure it never happens again," said Bill Parizek, from the Florida Department of Health Division of Medical Quality Assurance. "You should never, ever find medical records." The Department of Health has launched a full-blown investigation as a result of this Problem Solvers report. The federal government is also getting involved. 
According to state law, confidential medical records must be retained for a minimum of five years, and must be properly destroyed. Charles Duttenhaver is one of the hundreds of patients whose medical files we retrieved from a popular grocery store Dumpster. "If you have something in your medical background that you don't want somebody to know about, there it is, in the Dumpster," Duttenhaver said. Local 6 News showed him his medical files and private information about his family. Duttenhaver is considering taking legal action."It was not only my personal and private medical information, it was my son's, and that kind of put the clincher on it," Duttenhaver said. The hundreds of patient files we retrieved belonged to the Royal Oaks Medical Center. Dr. Torres, Kinsella, Van Eaton, and Flarity, are four physicians from that facility whose records we uncovered amidst the pile trash. When we approached Royal Oaks Medical Center Manager Dianna Fetro, she refused to explain how those records got in to trash. Instead Fetro and the medical center's lawyer sent Local 6 several letters demanding the files be returned and threatening legal action. The letter said, "The person transporting the records to the shredding facility may have disposed of some records, as alleged." When we approached Dr. Rodolfo Torres outside the practice, he said, "They were shredded. We have a company that shreds them." But what Local 6 News recovered was anything but shredded. Problem Solver Wendy Saltzman found driver's licenses, social security cards, and lab results. And the practice refused to provide any proof the documents were sent to a shredding company. "Obviously, this is something that is very alarming to us," Parizek said. The Problem Solvers turned over all of the records to a investigator with the Florida Departmet of Health. Parizek says they are taking this case very seriously. "If our investigators go out, it may be the tip of the iceberg," Parizek said. "There may be other things that the health professional is doing that is inappropriate."
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Medical Records Found In Dumpster Local 6 News uncovered thousands of documents that should have been kept under lock and key but instead were abandoned. The records include details of sexually transmitted diseases, psychological problems, even addictions and intimate details about a patient's sex life. "We are very concerned, we will investigate, and we will do everything we can to make sure it never happens again," said Bill Parizek, from the Florida Department of Health Division of Medical Quality Assurance. "You should never, ever find medical records." The Department of Health has launched a full-blown investigation as a result of this Problem Solvers report. The federal government is also getting involved. According to state law, confidential medical records must be retained for a minimum of five years, and must be properly destroyed. Charles Duttenhaver is one of the hundreds of patients whose medical files we retrieved from a popular grocery store Dumpster. "If you have something in your medical background that you don't want somebody to know about, there it is, in the Dumpster," Duttenhaver said. Local 6 News showed him his medical files and private information about his family. Duttenhaver is considering taking legal action."It was not only my personal and private medical information, it was my son's, and that kind of put the clincher on it," Duttenhaver said. The hundreds of patient files we retrieved belonged to the Royal Oaks Medical Center. Dr. Torres, Kinsella, Van Eaton, and Flarity, are four physicians from that facility whose records we uncovered amidst the pile trash. When we approached Royal Oaks Medical Center Manager Dianna Fetro, she refused to explain how those records got in to trash. Instead Fetro and the medical center's lawyer sent Local 6 several letters demanding the files be returned and threatening legal action. The letter said, "The person transporting the records to the shredding facility may have disposed of some records, as alleged." When we approached Dr. Rodolfo Torres outside the practice, he said, "They were shredded. We have a company that shreds them." But what Local 6 News recovered was anything but shredded. Problem Solver Wendy Saltzman found driver's licenses, social security cards, and lab results. And the practice refused to provide any proof the documents were sent to a shredding company. "Obviously, this is something that is very alarming to us," Parizek said. The Problem Solvers turned over all of the records to a investigator with the Florida Departmet of Health. Parizek says they are taking this case very seriously. "If our investigators go out, it may be the tip of the iceberg," Parizek said. "There may be other things that the health professional is doing that is inappropriate." Copyright 2005 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com.
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