In relation to a previous post regarding an ex-employee of the Mayo Clinic photographing a tattoo situated on a patient’s penis (see this post), OffBeatInk.com has found out that the doctor is unlikely to undergo any criminal charges as a result of his actions.
(Mayo Clinic Phoenix)
Dr. Adam Hansen could have been prosecuted for violating the patients’ rights under federal laws that safeguard a patients’ privacy. The U.S. Attorney’s Office enforces the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that protects patients’ privacy rights (HIPAA)
HIPAA Violations are misdemeanors, and no one in Arizona has been prosecuted under the four-year-old statutem according to Sandra Raynor, a spokeswoman for the Phonex’s Attorney’s Office.
Chic Older, executive director of the Arizona Medical Association, disagrees and has put pressure on the authorities to act and believes Hanse should be disciplined. “HIPAA is not the point, many ethical boundaries were crossed,” he stated.
According to Older, Hansen could be brought before the Arizona Medical Board for unprofessional conduct, which may result in the loss of his practicing license. Medical board spokesman, Roger Downey, said he does not know whether anyone filed a complaint against Hansen.
The licensing board has a range of disciplinary options, including sending a letter to a doctor “to change his practice.” License revocation, Downey said, is for very serious infractions.
On Friday, The Mayo Clinic announced that Hansen was no longer practicing at the clinic but would not say whether he resigned or was fired.