Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where TV reality star Kim Kardashian gave birth to her daughter, fired six medical workers for obtaining patient information "inappropriately."
According to the hospital authorities, medical records of 14 patients were breached from June 18 to June 24. Although the hospital declined to reveal the names of the 14 patients, entertainment website TMZ.com reported that Kim Kardashian's records were accessed. The 32-year-old star gave birth to her daughter on June 15 and left the hospital after a week with her family and beau Kanye West.
The website further reported that the hospital authorities called Kim to inform her about the breach. Citing unnamed sources, TMZ stated that the Kardashians already suspected that information was being passed on to the media by hospital insiders.
The hospital authorities said that the workers who tried to access the medical records of the patients were employees of local physicians with staff privileges at the hospital, reported Reuters. Other workers who were fired included a medical assistant hired by the Cedars-Sinai Medical Care Foundation and a student research assistant who was a volunteer.
The hospital said that it had no hint that "any criminal acts were committed by the individuals" and was reaching out to law enforcement agencies in "an abundance of caution," reported Reuters.
In a similar incident in 2008, a former employee of UCLA Medical Center was charged after the authorities found that she sought patient information on late actress Farrah Fawcett's weakening condition for commercial gain. She pleaded guilty later that year.
Cedars-Sinai is a popular hospital among Hollywood celebrities. Last month, singer Jessica Simpson welcomed her second child, a boy, at the Cedars-Sinai. Madonna underwent hernia surgery in this posh LA hospital in 2006. The hospital has been a witness to deaths of popular celebrities such as actor-comedian Groucho Marx, singer Frank Sinatra, , actress Elizabeth Taylor, Brittany Murphy, Rebecca Schaeffer, actors Andy Kaufman and Michael Clarke Duncan.
