PITTSBURGH, PA - A Butler County woman has been indicted by
a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of both wrongfully obtaining and
disclosing the health information of another individual, United States Attorney
Scott W. Brady announced today.
The six-count indictment, returned on June 28, named Linda
Sue Kalina, 61, of Butler, Pennsylvania.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Kalina,
while employed as a Patient Information Coordinator by the University of
Pittsburgh Medical Center, and then by the Allegheny Health Network, wrongfully
obtained health information, in violation of the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act (HIPAA), from March 30, 2016, through August 14, 2017,
relating to 111 individual patients. The indictment also charges that on four
occasions between December 30, 2016, and August 11, 2017, Kalina wrongfully
disclosed the health information of three such individuals, with the intent to
cause malicious harm.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 11 years in
prison, a fine of $350,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines,
the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses
and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Bloch is
prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the
investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed
innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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