Two Employees Fired In President Hinckley Health Disclosure

KUTV, (video available at the linked website) Salt Lake City's CBS televison affiliate has reported that two Cottonwood Hospital employess have been fired for allegedly leaking President Gordon B. Hinckely's medical condition to the media:

Now IHC employees have been fired after the news of Hinckley's condition was leaked to the media.

"I'm really upset, I've worked for IHC for 4 years and for them to fire me on a technicality," says Aryn Nelson.

Nelson says four months ago she gave her login information to another worker after that employee's internet privileges were taken away. That employee allegedly signed in under Nelson's name and sent an email to the media Tuesday, saying LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley was in the hospital.

"They brought me in and I started crying when they said we're going to terminate you, we sincerely believe you didn't send the email,� says Nelson. �I had no idea until they pulled me into the office they just said he had a procedure. I didn't even know about it until I watched the news."

Nelson says the reason she was given for the termination was because she gave out her computer password.

This is an interesting story on many counts. First, it names only one employee, Aryn Nelson, allegedly involved in this leaking. Aryn is apparently only tangentially involved in that she gave her internet password to a co-employee, not named in the story. It was the non-named employee who allegedly sent the email to the media about President Hinckley's medical condition.

Leaking medical information about any patient to any third party is potentially a violation of the Health Insurance Portablility and Accountability Act, HIPPA--see here and here.

The Act establishes for the first time a set of national standards for the protection of certain health information. A major goal of the Privacy Rule is to assure that individuals' health information is properly protected while allowing the flow of health information needed to provide and promote high quality health care and to protect the public's health and well being. The Rule strikes a balance that permits important uses of information, while protecting the privacy of people who seek care and healing.

If, as reported, the unnamed employee was fired for directly leaking President Hinckley's medical condtion to the media, this appears to be a serious violation of his HIPPA medical privacy rights. While, on the other hand, Aryn's transgression appears to be more of an internal employment issue of improperly disclosing her internet password and access.

The gospel implication is whether if President Hinckley hears of these alleged violations, would he, or should he as God's ordained Prophet on earth forgive these transgressions against him? If so, should these employees be reinstated to their jobs? I would imagine someone is likely to make President Hinckley aware of these transgressions. Given that Christ Himself asked the Father to forgive those Roman soldiers who carried out the Crucifixion orders of the government, is it likely President Hinckley would do the same, and ask that these employees be given back their jobs?