Published: May 27, 2009 11:59 pm      

Patient data theft alleged

A hospital volunteer is charged with identity theft and other crimes after police say she used a stolen password and to access about 200 patients’ records.

Kathleen Belskey, 45, of the 600 block of Summit Drive in Johnstown was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Leonard Grecek on charges of identity theft, unlawful use of a computer, theft and two counts of forgery. She was placed in Cambria County jail after failing to post $25,000 bond.

Johnstown police say Belskey was volunteering with pastoral care at Memorial Medical Center when she stole a notebook with computer login passwords. She used the information to get Social Security and disability payments for herself.

Hospital leaders believe they have identified all patient records compromised by the security breach, attorney James Walsh said Wednesday. Notification letters were sent last week to about 200 patients, offering help to mitigate losses.

Memorial will pay for potential victim’s credit reports for three months through Johnstown Credit Bureau. A patient hot line is available at 534-3109.

The hospital security staff pieced together evidence linking Belskey to the crime, Walsh said.

“We have compelling evidence about who got (the information) out,” Walsh said. “We have turned over information to the police.”

The hospital’s investigation started after a state parole officer on April 22 saw Belskey’s hospital identification badge at the home of a man on parole. He recognized Belskey as another client on parole for credit card theft.

When the agent next met with Belskey, court documents say, he searched her purse and found a notebook with computer access information and instructions.

Memorial’s security team tracked patient records that Belskey allegedly accessed by using a password assigned to a hospital employee.

They found records accessed when the employee was not working and records the employee would have no reason to open.

Belskey’s duties included updating patients’ church information for the spiritual team, but investigators found she was looking up past patients. They identified several forged documents found in Belskey’s home, the court document said.

Police identified 108 patient records Belskey researched while volunteering between Jan. 20 and April 13.

Another 40 also are suspected of being breached.

The situation has brought changes in the hospital security policy, Walsh said. Additional background checks will be required for all employees and volunteers.

“The confidentiality of our patients is of utmost importance to us,” Walsh said.

Hospital leaders do not believe more records are at risk.

“As far as we are aware,” Walsh said, “this is the first and only time this happened.”

Court records show Belskey has been in trouble with the law before.

In 2003, she pleaded guilty to theft for forging another person's name on a $5,451 check, depositing it into her own account and then spending $3,000 in December 2000.

In 2005, she and a New York woman were charged by West Hills Regional Police with identity theft, access-device fraud, conspiracy and receiving stolen property. Police said a credit card was stolen from a purse in the ladies locker room at Sunnehanna Country Club and used for $3,800 in purchases.