Now We Know How ESPN Obtained NFL Player’s Medical Records

The Super Bowl isn’t the only significant NFL news from the past few days.

Two employees at a Miami hospital were fired after an investigation revealed they inappropriately accessed the medical records of Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.

When Pierre-Paul was at Jackson Memorial Hospital to have his right index finger amputated, his medical records were published by ESPN. (For more information, see “Hospital investigating after ESPN publishes football player’s medical record,” Healthcare Risk Management, September 2015.)

Here is the statement from Jackson Health System:

"During the investigation of a breach that occurred in July 2015, Jackson Health System became a party to related litigation. It is our policy that we do not comment during pending litigation. That litigation has now been settled. As part of our investigation into the breach, it was discovered that two employees inappropriately accessed the patient's health record. That finding resulted in the termination of both employees. Protecting the privacy of our patients is a top priority at Jackson Health System. Any time we have allegations of a breach, we immediately and thoroughly investigate."