To the Editor:
Trust is the foundation of the patient-doctor relationship. Without trust, we don’t have reliable, honest healthcare. When a hospital or a doctor makes your private medical information public, that trust is decimated.
Dr. Caitlin Bernard is guilty of harming our healthcare system. She not only broke her oath to do no harm, but violated HIPAA when she exposed her patient’s private medical information to a reporter at an anti-abortion political rally. Her patient was a rape victim and just a 10-year-old little girl who never consented to have her information shared.
Although IU health administrators conducted their own review and found Bernard followed privacy laws, the Indiana Medical Licensing Board disagreed. After a 14-hour hearing, they sided with Attorney General Todd Rokita and determined that the doctor violated HIPAA by improperly disclosing patient information. She received the maximum amount in fines and was publicly reprimanded for her negligence.
This was a big win for the rule of law and patient privacy and will help our healthcare system remain reliable.
Thank you, Rokita, for fighting passionately for this issue. It’s nice knowing we have someone in your position working hard to protect Hoosiers. Hopefully, in the future, doctors like Bernard will think twice about violating the trust of their patients because people like Rokita will be there to hold them accountable.
Rep. Craig Haggard,
House District 57
Mooresville
