Comments on Confiscating Medical Records: It All Makes Sense Now, Or Does It?
how compromised is the privacy of those records ? have they made any statements addressing that ?
Officer Rees, being a bored, bicycle cop is no excuse for such a serious error in judgment. Have you been watching too many episodes of "The Shield"? Eschew obfuscation. Save the fantasy for Comic-Con. Try to remember that you're wearing a uniform that stands for something, not a costume that simply covers your ass to do whatever you want. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. And, if you're going to investigate the accused, be certain that you also investigate the accuser. The guilty dog often barks first and loudest.
Mr. Martinez, when people entrust you with their most private and personal information they expect you to keep it secure. You have a computer; please use it. Scan all paper documents into a digital file on your computer, use contact management software, encrypt all files and disks and make a back up copy of these important files. Store the encrypted backup copy on a secure, remote server or at another physical location, preferably in a burglar-resistant, fire-resistant floor safe or in a bank safe deposit box. Although the law may not yet hold you fully accountable to the HIPAA rules and standards regarding medical records, you should still endeavor to apply them in your practice. Here are some links that you may find helpful:
US Department of Health and Human Services: HIPAA
www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/
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Three cheers for Dan Satterberg - this IS the reason I voted for him.
Pox on the Dist Court judge. He needs to be un - elected.
And Satterberg should fire the silly girl deputy.
Jail and court crap can kill people who are already very sick.
Medical mj is not OK for the common cold, get a clue deputy air head.
"Debilitating and terminal"....those are the words in the law
Nice work Dom...nice reporting
excellent reporting, dom.
rumor has it the woman who owns the barbershop next door called in the complaint. is there bad blood between her and mr. martinez, or does burning pot well and truly give her a headache? what say ye, dom?
your tax dollars at work.
and were sure must hire more cops to keep the reign of terror going
even if someone is smoking pot, what the hell, isn't there real crime to tend to?
Good coverage.
It is actually the heisted medical records that I find most disturbing. Nobody there was arrested, the prosecutor has said no charges would be filed, and that the records will be returned.
But now the police have doubtless copied the names and info of all those patients.
The police have no business searching medical records. Period. As soon as they determined that the files were medical records, they should have left them alone. Searching medical records far exceeds the authority of the warrant.
im going to start using a telex machine for my drug operations.
This is a great time to have you on staff, fo sho
Good info, Dominic.
Better yet, the police department is so far refusing to return the seized pot. I guess SPD has a problem finding quality green.
Dom, kudos on the excellent reporting. The medical records angle is far from settled, and I have no doubt you're still hard after it.&160; I look forward to seeing the results.
Also, what yawp @2 said, especially the advice to Martinez.
Scan all paper documents into a digital file on your computer
That's a lot easier said than done. Presumably all of Martinez's patients are seriously ill, which means that their patient records are thousands of pages long. The UW Medical Center has money to burn on hiring people to scan those documents, a small clinic doesn't.
One get's the impression that SLOG readers are not intelligent enough to scroll down and read the original posting.
SLOG - We insult your intelligence because we can!
the odor of weed gives the neighbor lady headaches? what a sensitive little flower!
and by "flower", i mean bitch.
Didn't the SPD violate federal HIPAA privacy protections by doing this?
And can't they be sued in civil court for damages to the Washington State privacy rights of said persons?
Just wondering.
Now, to the SPD: GET BACK TO WORK FINDING WHO IS TAGGING THE MURALS AND LEAVING TRASH ON OUR STREETS!
So the net result is that an office was trashed, patient records were compromised, and Martinez is out ~$3600 worth of MMj. And the community is better off how?
Dana
And can Martinez sue the SPD for the cost of replacing the torn down office wall as well?
12 oz. x 420 > 1080p x 46 in. + 5.1 + PS3 + Wii ? Seriously?
Vintage Jesus in a soup line, I'm glad I don't smoke the shit!
"And can Martinez sue the SPD for the cost of replacing the torn down office wall as well?"
That would be just the first step, each and every one of the patients also have a good civil rights lawsuit against SPD, and also the jackass who called the cops to begin with. You are not going to easily convince me the caller did not know the office was, and is, a legally operated clinic under color of state law, irregardless of whether she likes the law or not...
If they don't like the law they should leave.
I hear Canada is hiring cops ...
RE: #12
keshmeshi,
Most clinics like the one operated by Mr. Martinez are not required, nor should they be required to request or maintain a copy of any patient's complete medical history.
So, the expense of maintaining over a thousand pages of medical records in print or digital format is not required. In most cases, a copy of the patient's medical form/prescription for medical marijuana, a copy of any signed agreements for services provided by the clinic and a basic contact management record are all the Mr. Martinez should need to maintain.
We usually find whatever we seek with a sincere desire. You seek obstacles; I seek passage ways. May your path serve you as well as mine has me.
Good journey.
BTW, for any patients who may read this post take a look at Google Health. It launched earlier this year; so, it's still in early stages of development and deployment. It looks like an interesting and promising method of managing some of the pile of medical records and information. If you want to take a look, here's a link:
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