Hospital didn't tell police missing man was already found
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SALEM, Ore. -- Police were searching for a missing man for two days until they realized Thomas Dill wasn’t missing at all. He had been in the hospital for a week and a half following a car crash.
Staffers at Salem Hospital failed to inform police of this crucial piece of information because of a federal privacy law. HIPAA, or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, limits what information medical personnel can release to the public and police.
But in this case, police think the hospital took it too far when a staffer told officers Dill wasn’t there.
When police began investigating the case, there were some strange signs. His apartment was unlocked. Dill’s white sports car was in the parking lot with the window down.
Police knew the retired steel worker had diabetes, so they issued a news bulletin in hopes someone knew his whereabouts.
“Mr. Dill had simply vanished in our opinion,” Lt. Steve Birr said.
He had been at the Salem Hospital all along.
Police did receive two anonymous phone calls, which Birr believes were hospital staff.
“They were concerned. They didn’t want to violate HIPAA, but they didn’t want us to be looking for someone who had been found.”
The privacy law says hospitals can release information to police when they are “identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person.”
When reached for comment, a hospital spokesman said the hospital was looking into the situation.
“Patient privacy and safety is our No. 1 concern,” hospital spokesman Mark Glyzewski said. “We also want to ensure that we’re doing the right thing legally.”
Shofoeshore, get real! Â So you want the police wasting time and money looking for someone who is in the hospital! Â What a laugh. Â Someone had reported him missing or at least gone with some unusual concerns and the hospital refuses to let the police know when asked that he is in the hospital! Â All they had to say is 'Yup, he's here.' and that would have taken care of it. Â What about the family members looking for him. Â They would get the same response from the hospital and that causes unnecessary concern and cost to them as they continue searching for him. Â The police should have received a response.
The hospital did correct. A medical concern without any criminal activity is not a police concern. Some police agencies believe they should know where anyone is at all times, case law disagrees.