Hide Transcript Show Transcript

HOSPITAL RECORDS FROM PREVIOUS VISITS AS A PATIENT WERE TARGETTED. <<PICS>> THIS WALL OF SHAME -- COMPLETE WITH A LABEL -- HUNG INSIDE A CABINET AT ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL. ACCORDING TO AN INVESTIGATION BY THE MAINE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION... THE DISPLAY INCLUDED PRIVATE INFORMATION ABOUT PATIENTS' SEXUAL ACTIVITY... GENITALS... BOWEL MOVEMENTS... AND BODILY ODORS... AMONG OTHER ITEMS. <<TIMELINE GFX>> MYKAYLA MCCANN SAYS SHE FOUND IT ON HER FIRST DAY OF WORK IN JUNE OF 2015. SHE TOOK A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FOR A MEDICAL CONDITION THE FOLLOWING SPRING. WHEN SHE RETURNED... SHE SUSPECTED COWORKERS HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY LOOKING THROUGH HER MEDICAL RECORDS... AND REPORTED THAT -- ALONG WITH THE WALL OF SHAME -- TO HOSPITAL OFFICIALS IN SEPTEMBER 2016. THE REPORT SAYS ONE EMPLOYEE WAS FIRED AND ANOTHER DISCIPLINED FOR HARASSMENT... AND THE DISPLAY WAS EVENTUALLY TAKEN DOWN. <<DOCUMENTS VO>> THE STATE TOOK UP THE CASE IN FEBRUARY 2017... AFTER MCCANN HAD LEFT HER JOB AT THE HOSPITAL. THE COMMISSION'S REPORT... WHICH SURFACED THIS WEEK... <<FINDINGS GFX>> ...FOUND EVIDENCE OF A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR MCCANN BECAUSE OF DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION. IT DID NOT FIND EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT HER CLAIM THAT THE HOSPITAL RETALIATED AGAINST HER. <<STATEMENT GFX>> TODAY... THE PARENT COMPANY OF ST. MARY'S -- COVENANT HEALTH IN MASSACHUSETTS -- ISSUED THIS STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE REPORT COMING OUT... áQUOTEá "WE DEEPLY REGRET THAT THIS SITUATION OCCURRED BACK IN 2016, AND WE SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR THE IMPACT THIS SITUATION HAS HAD ON MS. MCCANN. ? WE ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO ENSURING THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN." THE COMMISSION SAYS A MEDIATION MEETING IT HELD FOR THE HOSPITAL AND MCCANN EARLIER THIS YEAR DID NOT RESULT IN A RESOLUTION OR SETTLEMENT... LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN FOR HER TO FILE A LAWSUIT GOING FORWARD. I REACHED OUT TO MCCANN'S LAWYER FOR COMMENT ON THAT... BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BAC

Advertisement St. Mary's apologizes for employees' 'wall of shame' that showed confidential medical information Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A claim of a hostile work environment at Saint Mary's Hospital in Lewiston revealed employees made a so-called wall of shame showing confidential medical records of disabled patients, according to a report.Mykala McCann saw the wall of shame inside a cabinet on her first day of work.It showed confidential medical records of patients with disabilities; describing things like body odor and their private parts, but McCann said she was too afraid to report it for fear of being targeted.This information comes from a complaint McCann had filed to the Human Rights Commission about her time working at the hospital from 2015 up until her departure of employment in January 2017, claiming a hostile work environment and HIPPA violations.McCann has a disability she had been treated for at Saint Mary's before being employed at the facility. At one point, she felt her coworkers had looked at her medical records based on comments they made to her.She reported this to her boss, along with the so-called "wall of shame" in September 2016.The review into her claims went on for several months.In December, the hospital fired one person and issued a warning to another over accessing her private records.The investigation by the Maine Human Rights Commission found the exhibit contributed to a hostile work environment, but they did not find that the hospital had retaliated against her for reporting her concerns.Saint Mary's is operated by Covenant Health based in Massachusetts and apologized for what happened."Covenant Health and St. Mary’s Health System does not tolerate or condone discrimination or harassment of any kind, for any reason. We also do not tolerate any violation of our patients’ privacy or medical records. We deeply regret that this situation occurred in back in 2016, and we sincerely apologize for the impact this situation has had on Ms. McCann," Covenant Health President and CEO Stephen Grubbs and St. Mary’s Health System President Steven Jorgensen said in a statement.McCann's lawyer said a resolution was reached with St. Mary's Hospital but could not disclose the details.