Citizen Staff Writer
LAW AND ORDER REPORT
TY BOWERS
tybowers@tucsoncitizen.com
University Medical Center officials on Friday fired four employees for what they said was misconduct after a “staff member took an inappropriate photo of a patient” with a cell phone camera, according to a UMC statement released Friday afternoon
Citing issues related to “patient privacy and to personnel matters,” hospital officials released no further information about the April 24 incident.
UMC policies bar taking photos of patients without written permission and prohibit the use of cell phone cameras inside the hospital, the release said.
The hospital began investigating the incident and told Tucson police “after an employee expressed concerns to supervisors,” the release said..
Tucson police have not released a report about the incident, which remained under investigation as of Thursday. A police spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment Friday.
UMC officials said the hospital “would redouble its efforts to educate staff about preserving patient privacy,” according to the hospital’s statement.