Massive Firing -- You Can't Do Dat to Brit!

166. It goes to show if you need help do not trust the hospital or the staff. People will sell you out so if you need mental help and would like privacy do not count on the medical proffessionals they will expose you and cause you evan more greaf so sad for the folks that need help. The first Doctor that should be fired is Britney's for causing her so much more pain and money than if she would have just taken a vacation out side of the country.I pray Britney would not trust her Doctor

Posted at 5:05PM on Mar 15th 2008 by sandy

167. Doctors have hospital privileges, which allows them to admit their patients to the facility and to practice on the premises. The disciplinary action that is being taken is suspension of their privileges. The doctors have appeal rights, so it is not as easy to show them the door as would be the case for someone under the hospital's direct control.
Posted at 8:02PM on Mar 14th 2008 by lawdawg

UCLA is cleaning house to show they take their obligations under HIPAA seriously.
Posted at 12:24AM on Mar 15th 2008 by lawdawg

Although doctors have "privileges" to admit "their" patients and practice on the premises, does not give them the green light to abuse those "privileges" and snoop into another patient's records (celebrity or not) when that person is not their patient. Most docs have deep pockets, and can afford the appeal process. It is not right, nor is it fair to others who lose their jobs and doctors don't just because they have "privileges" others don't. Medical records are private - period. Whatever happened to "ethics"? If one of those doctors were famous, and another doctor abused his so-called "privileges" and snooped into that famous doctor's medical records, that doctor would be absolutely furious, and heads would roll. UCLA is going through the motions to clean house to protect their own ass. Bella

Posted at 4:55PM on Mar 15th 2008 by Bella

168. Posted at 4:55PM on Mar 15th 2008 by Bella

Bella, I think you misunderstood my post. I agree with you that doctors should not escape consequences of their misconduct if they violate the hospital's confidentiality policy put in place to implement HIPAA. The point I was making, however, is in response to all those posters who seem to believe that the six doctors who are being referred for "disciplinary "diciplinary action" are somehow getting off easier than the staff that were terminated, and are seething about what they see as preferential treatment of the doctors. But they are reading way too much into the term "disciplinary action", or perhaps they are reading too little into it. What they don't grasp is that the "disciplinary action" is the equivalent of termination.

There is a fundamental distinction between doctors and the others who work in the hospital. Doctors are private practitioners -- they are NOT employees of the hospital. Doctors enjoy "staff privileges" to practice at the hospital. They are not employees, so they cannot be fired.

So how can UCLA terminate them? By referring the docs a medical faculty -- a peer review process -- for "disclipinary action", which can include revocation of their hospital privileges at UCLA. Doctors have due process protections which include notice, fair hearing, licensure proceedings, and other protections that are written into the hospital's internal bylaws. Since UCLA Med Center is state-owned and ultimately under the umbrella of the University of California's regents, there are state regulations that have to be followed in order to strip a doctor of his/her right to practice in the hospital.

Nurses, patient care personnel, lab technicians, administrators, and orderlies, are direct employees of the hospital.

UCLA is cleaning house because the hospital is the one subject to HIPAA. It has to make its staff abide by HIPAA so the HOSPITAL doesn't run afoul of the law.

Posted at 7:26PM on Mar 15th 2008 by lawdawg

169. bite me well said

Posted at 7:56PM on Mar 15th 2008 by LUANNE

170. bite me perfect

Posted at 7:56PM on Mar 15th 2008 by LUANNE

171. I feel realy bad for her! thats invading her property! they shouldent get just fierd! they should go to jail!!!

Posted at 8:03PM on Mar 20th 2008 by stephanie

172. To those who may be irritated with my long note below, I apologize.

lawdawg: As I previously stated, "Although doctors have "privileges" to admit "their" patients and practice on the premises, does not give them the green light to abuse those "privileges". The doctors abused that right.

Aside from the legal mumbo / jumbo - speaking solely as a human being: If publicly reporting the names and faces of the doctors who blatantly abused their privileges by snooping into medical records they had no business doing, their reputations and practices would be toast within seconds. Their "curiosity" got the best of their judgment, and common sense. Just the same as Spitzer. He willingly "chose" on his own to do what he did. As soon as I heard CNN's report, I said to myself, "he's done". Two days later he arrogantly stated how sorry he was. BS. He is sorry he got caught. Otherwise, he would still be doing the same thing. He is in so much legal hot water, it makes my brain tired. It's the same with these doctors.

Why am I being so hard nosed about this? Fundamentals: ethics (integrity, honesty, respect, and trust) is why. Respect and trust are not a "given" - they are earned, and can be destroyed within seconds of our "own" choices, decisions, and actions. The bad judgment of these doctors speaks volumes: As they stood in front of that computer, their first choice was to walk away or proceed. (1) They consciously chose to proceed. (2) Based on the decision to proceed, they had a 2nd choice - walk away or click the button. (3) Based on the decision to click the button, they had a 3rd choice - walk away or click the patient's name to open the file. (4) Based on the decision to open the patient's file, they made a decision to read it. Regardless of the contents of the medical records, these doctors had 4 chances, 4 choices, 4 decisions to do the right thing - walk away. Their arrogance to take a risk of jeopardizing their "privileges" took precedence over common sense, ethics, decency, honesty, respect and trust. In addition, the time these doctors spent servicing their own "curiosities" should have spent assisting their "own" patients medically. Based on their choices, decisions and actions I wouldn't trust them as far as I could spit, let alone making medical decisions for me.

You state: "Doctors have due process protections which include notice, fair hearing, licensure proceedings, and other protections that are written into the hospital's internal bylaws". As you stated prior: "We don't have to like the laws, we just have to follow them". The doctors did not follow the laws, internal or otherwise. They broke the law by blatantly invading Spears' medical privacy. Doctors should be held to a greater esteem of respect, trust, and morals. THEIR ETHICS, CHOICES, DECISIONS, AND ACTIONS WERE WRONG, and they should be held accountable publicly. While the Board reviews the regulations, and drags their feet in their disciplinary decisions, I still believe the names and pictures of these doctors should be made public, and let the public chips fall where they may.

As for UCLA: Due to a lot of egg on their face, they want the public to think they are appalled by these actions, and have made it known they are cleaning house. HIPPA or not, I still believe they are doing so to save their own ass. Bella

Posted at 4:44PM on Mar 16th 2008 by Bella

173. If one person has been fired over this, then they all should be. If some are getting some other result of their actions, then they all should get the same thing. Don't treat one any better than an other. It's all the same breach of ethics, and they all should pay the same price. If, however, one was blabbing about what they saw and another wasn't then the blabber should be subjected to a more serious penalty.

Posted at 11:00PM on Mar 16th 2008 by Fairness Freak

174. Those firings were a good decision. Britney has enough problems without those assh*les trying to get at her records, and giving information to the tabloids. I hope those people end up in jail!!!

Posted at 5:09AM on Mar 17th 2008 by DeepFreeze3

175. Posted at 9:47PM on Mar 14th 2008 by ParisNauseatesMe


I think most ppl thought it was odd that k-fed got a 'SITCOM' gig on one tree hill...Have you ever thought it's just to give some one a chance to redeem themselves?!?!

Posted at 2:09PM on Mar 17th 2008 by Anonymous

176. Well, First things are...It is about time that people learn to respect the Privacy of This Human Being...Mz..Britney. She has experienced some much tragedy in such a short time in her life, Also having children and her failing Marriage.Shes young we all have done stupid things and its not pubic, at least we can recover in private...But every move she does BAMMMM!!!! The camera is there.... Im glad the Hospital is looking out for her and all the other at this point...She needs angels on her side and God !!!! Is Taking care of Britney..He loves u Girl pray to him for all your peace and Ever one else can kiss off!!! I still Belive in you and you will end up on Top!!! I have Faith in you...OC Mamma

Posted at 12:50PM on Mar 18th 2008 by OC Momma

177. This is a sad day. It's sad because the media is killing that girl. She has done nothing but entertain us with her music, and we bought it and praised her for it. But like any female celebrity, once they get married, the groin & ball run media has their fantasitcal pride hurt, because they don't stand a chance at being with her. It's like their master-bating schedule isn't the same anymore because they can't handle the thought of her being with someone else.
It's amazing how jealous the world is of her, and more sore, of her making something of herself. They called her 'White Trash' because she walked around bear-foot. As I recall, it wasn't that long ago, that most of the world was bear-foot.
You People Make Me Sick!!!
I am not a big fan of her music, but I know the value of human life.

Posted at 10:21AM on Mar 19th 2008 by Mad World

178. well at this rate she has told the papparrazzi everything else and showed us her "private parts" so much we might as well see her real medical records,when whe is finally broke she will be selling them soon !!

Posted at 10:32AM on Mar 19th 2008 by Queen of Hearts on the Island

179. why's her medical records so important to everyone ... oh my god she snezed everyone watch.................... o.O

Posted at 8:26PM on Mar 23rd 2008 by bored

180. The difference between people like her and the Media an public, is you would rather sit at home and flip channels and yell at the TV, when she realized dreams and got off her butt and did something. The world thinks that a celeb's life is free for the stoning. The Media and public build them up , but once they get big, you try to control them. When you realize you can't, You stone them till they are dead. You are acting like nothing more than a vulture, who is happy enough to share her scraps. People like Paris Hilton( talentless baboon ) are embraced and loved because they use the media as their only way to gain fame. Where are her stones? Where are her accusers? The truth is,....YOU PEOPLE LOVE THE FACADE OF THE FAMOUS!!!!!
You love the FAKE. If some one says, "Please be nice to animals" and then runs down a flock of birds to film a movie about NASCAR( Tom Cruize - Days of Thunder ), the media and public love them. But when someone goes to a PRO-CHOICE rally and says, "If I were to get pregnant, I would choose to keep my baby".( Gwen Stefani ), they would be asked to leave,.....WTF,.... What the hell does pro-choice mean, then?
What I am eluding to, is the world is so obsessed with its own drama, that it needs an enema to clean it out.

Posted at 11:42AM on Mar 19th 2008 by Mad World