MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Five former Methodist Hospital employees and another man have pleaded guilty in a scheme to sell private patient information to personal injury attorneys and chiropractors.
Between November 2017 and December 2020, Roderick Harvey, 41, paid hospital employees Kirby Dandridge, 38, Sylvia Taylor, 43, Kara Thompson, 31, Melanie Russell, 41, and Adrianna Taber, 26, for patient information in violation of HIPAA rules, said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz who announced the pleas Monday.
The patients had been involved in motor vehicle accidents, Ritz said. Harvey then sold the information to third parties.
Harvey pleaded guilty on April 1, Ritz said. He faces a possible five-year prison sentence, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release at his sentencing on Aug. 1.
The former hospital employees had previously entered guilty pleas, Ritz said Monday. They face up to a year in prison and a $25,000 fine, Ritz said.
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare released a statement on Tuesday:
We expect our Associates to uphold the highest integrity and moral compass, and require all employees to complete HIPAA privacy training. There are serious consequences for individuals who violate privacy policies.