The local U.S. Attorney’s office confirmed that all three entered guilty pleas July 20, acknowledging they violated the privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Jay Holland, M.D., admitted that after watching news reports, he logged on at home to the hospital’s records system to determine if the news reports were accurate, according to the U.S. attorney. The hospital suspended Holland’s privileges for two weeks and required him to complete online HIPAA training.
Sarah Elizabeth Miller, formerly an account representative at the hospital, admitted she accessed the patient files 12 times out of curiosity without any legitimate purpose, the U.S. attorney says. Candida Griffin, an emergency room secretary, accessed the files three times to find out if the patient was still alive. Miller and Griffin were both fired from their positions.
A sentencing date has not yet been set. Each faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a fine of up to $50,000, or both.
Although the U.S. attorney’s statement did not identify the patient involved, the Arkansas News Bureau reported that the records were for Pressly, the morning anchor for Little Rock TV station KATV. She was found severely beaten in her home on Oct. 20 and died five days later without regaining consciousness, the news bureau reported.
--Howard Anderson
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