Seattle company agrees to pay $100,000 HIPAA fine

Seattle-based Providence Health & Services has agreed to pay a $100,000 fine and improve its patient information security to settle privacy complaints from 2005 and 2006. Federal officials say Providence failed to properly secure backup tapes, disks and laptops with electronic patient information several times during a seven-month period. The backup data and laptops were lost or stolen, and Providence has agreed to revise its policy on transporting patient records outside of company buildings and improve training of its employees.