The mayor of a small town was admitted to the hospital, and a clerk in the emergency room, curious as to why the mayor was being treated, retrieved his information from the computer and was caught looking at his records.Which of the following is true regarding her actions? As long as the clerk does not repeat the information, she did nothing wrong The clerk did nothing wrong because she is an employee of the hospital The clerk broke laws related to HIPAA and could face fines, jail time, or both because of her actions The clerk broke laws related to HIE and could face fines, jail time, or both because of her actions

## Step 1<br />The problem presents a situation where a clerk in a hospital's emergency room accesses a patient's medical records without a valid reason. The clerk is curious about why the mayor was being treated and retrieves his information from the computer.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of patients' medical records. This law applies to all healthcare providers, including hospitals.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />According to HIPAA, healthcare providers are not allowed to access a patient's medical records without a valid reason. This is to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the patient's medical information.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />In this case, the clerk accessed the mayor's medical records without a valid reason, which is a violation of HIPAA. The clerk could face penalties for this violation, which could include fines and jail time.