Prime Healthcare Services Vindicated in Privacy Case

ONTARIO, Calif., Nov. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Prime Healthcare Services and Shasta Regional Medical Center announced today that a Superior Court jury vindicated the facility and its executives in a civil patient privacy case orchestrated by the SEIU-UHW as part of its corporate campaign against Prime Healthcare.

The case regarded an alleged violation of patient privacy rights at Shasta Regional Medical Center. The plaintiff had previously divulged her own medical records to the media, which printed and broadcast the information. The plaintiff's daughter testified that a reporter showed up at a union meeting she attended with her mother and asked whether anyone wanted to share their medical information from Shasta Regional. At the behest of the union, the plaintiff agreed.

Prime Healthcare and Shasta Regional accurately contended that by this agreement, the patient had implicitly waived her privacy rights by giving the information to the media, which publicized it in newspapers across California and on television. A later review of the plaintiff's medical records indicated that Shasta Regional personnel followed all state and federal guidelines related to patient care. 

"A jury reviewed the facts and concluded that there was no public disclosure of private information, no violation of the plaintiff's privacy rights and no harm to the patient by any of the executives, hospital, or Prime Healthcare," said Troy Schell, general counsel. "This was part of SEIU-UHW's malicious corporate campaign against the company and hospital. It's a travesty that the union continues to focus on lies and corporate campaigns, wasting millions of dollars, rather than what is best for healthcare and communities. Prime Healthcare and Shasta Regional Medical Center remains committed to protecting patient rights, providing the highest quality of patient care and serving the community."

About Prime Healthcare:

Saving Hospitals, Saving Jobs and Saving Lives.  Prime Healthcare is an award-winning hospital system with 29 acute care hospitals providing more than 35,000 jobs in nine states. Based in California, Prime Healthcare is committed to providing the absolute best quality hospitals possible. It has been recognized as among the "100 Top Hospitals" in the nation 27 times, among the "15 Top Health Systems" three times and is the only "10 Top Health system" West of the Mississippi. Our hospitals have been recognized by The Joint Commission as having eight among the "Top Performers on Key Quality Measures" in 2013. Prime Healthcare is dedicated to serving our patients and communities. Since 2010, our hospitals have provided more than $2 billion in charity and uncompensated care. We provide more charity care than any other hospital system in California (excluding public hospitals) and nearly double the state average. With over $800 million invested in capital improvements since 2005, we are committed to transforming all of our hospitals into award-winning centers of excellence. For more information, please visit www.primehealthcare.com. 

SOURCE Prime Healthcare Services

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