Celeb medical record 'peeking' widespread

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- California officials say nearly twice as many UCLA Medical Center employees than previously thought have been peeking at celebrities' medical records.

A report from by the California Department of Public Health also found two nurses and an emergency room technician had called up the medical records of a "well-known individual" in April after medical center officials had warned employees against accessing celebrities' records, The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

The report found that as many as 127 employees had gained unauthorized access to the medical records of such celebrities as California First Lady Maria Shriver, actress Farrah Fawcett and singer Britney Spears, nearly 60 more than previously thought.

"What we're seeing here is a clear pattern of repeated violations of patient medical records and patient confidentiality by UCLA," Kim Belshe, secretary of California's Health and Human Services Agency, told the Times. "It is absolutely unacceptable."