Alberta healthcare worker convicted for sharing photos of care residents
Posted Dec 14, 2022 3:08 pm.
Last Updated Dec 14, 2022 3:21 pm.
An Alberta healthcare worker has been convicted for taking and sharing images of long-term care residents, including one photo that was distorted with a filter.
The Lamont Health Care Centre reported the matter to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, which laid charges in July 2021 under the province’s Health Information Act (HIA).
Kathryn Starzynski admitted to taking photos of three residents at the health centre, 60 kilometres east of Edmonton, in August 2019.
The care centre says Starzynski applied a bug-eyes filter to one photo, which makes eyes appear overly large and, in some cases, cartoonish.
She shared the picture with a colleague and posted two other photos on one of her social media accounts.
An investigation into the matter started in May 2020.
On Dec. 9, Starzynski pleaded guilty to knowingly disclosing health information and received a conditional discharge, 12 months probation and 30 hours of community service.
It is an offence under the HIA to knowingly disclose health information.
