Relative snoops into woman's baby adoption files

A nurse working for the University of South Florida’s medical department abused her computer access privileges to view a family member’s health history.

“Jennifer Jones didn't want her entire family to know about the baby girl she delivered five years ago at Tampa General Hospital and placed for adoption . . . [but] Jones' relative looked up her chart from a computer outside the hospital years after the birth.”

The breach was discovered recently, after Jones' secret was aired at a family funeral.

The university promptly fired the nurse over inappropriate access to a patient's records.

“Though many worry about anonymous hackers drilling into electronic medical records, this case shows that old-fashioned gossips remain a threat.”

“Jones was in labor when she checked into Tampa General in October 2008. The woman she had selected to adopt the baby stayed with her the entire time. Jones and her longtime partner, David Harrison, wanted to keep the experience quiet, and thought they could since court records were sealed. But in 2010, his aunt, Nadine McNew, found out about Jones' 2008 birth and several others. She gave printouts to another family member, Jones said.”