Kaiser fined for violating Suleman’s privacy: Via BostonHerald.com .

LOS ANGELES - The state fined Kaiser Permanente $250,000 Thursday for violating patient privacy laws when several hospital employees inappropriately accessed medical records for octuplet mother Nadya Suleman.

Kaiser spokesman Jim Anderson said the hospital did not expect the reprimand, noting that Kaiser reported the violations to the state in February and punished nearly two dozen employees.

"Clearly, we share the concern" about patient privacy, Anderson told The Associated Press. He said Kaiser had warned employees at its Bellflower facility about keeping away from Suleman’s records but "curiosity got the better of some of the people who violated our policies."

The California Department of Public Health found the hospital did not do enough to prevent the violations. A state report said 21 employees and two physicians inappropriately accessed Suleman’s files. Fifteen people were fired or forced to resign, and another eight received undisclosed reprimands.

"Medical privacy is a fundamental right and a critical component of quality medical care in California," said Dr. Mark Horton, the department’s director. "We are very concerned with violations of patient confidentiality."

Read Original Article:(Via BostonHerald.com .)