Hospice of N. Idaho fined $50,000
HAYDEN - Hospice of North Idaho settled with the federal government and agreed to pay $50,000 because of a stolen laptop it lost containing patient information.
Hospice settled with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services'office of civil rights, which will receive the funds. Hospice reported the theft to the office as required by law, and conducted an internal investigation.
In a news release Thursday, Hospice said there is no evidence that patient information was accessed following the theft.
Amanda Miller, a Hospice spokeswoman, said employees bring laptops to patients' homes.
"In the summer of 2010, an employee's vehicle was broken into, and their laptop was stolen," she said. "While the thief was apprehended, the laptop was never recovered, hence all the steps Hospice of North Idaho took in case of malicious activity." Full story David Cole, Cda Press
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