Workers Fired in Minnesota in Hospital Administration’s Targeted Investigation

May 2011

Thirty two workers were fired in the Allina Health System for accessing patient records in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The Allina Health System operates several hospitals and clinics in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The health workers were terminated on May 5 and worked at two hospitals—Mercy Hospital and Unity Hospital, both in Minnesota.

It appears that the health workers in question were targets of an investigation initiated by hospital administrators. When pressed, administrators would not state whether those fired were union members, nor would they state the job titles of those who were fired.

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