U.S. Attorney Mark A. Totten | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, has announced charges against Jessica Nicole Pitcher, a 41-year-old nurse from Shelbyville, Michigan. She is accused of unlawfully accessing health information related to a patient at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs without authorization. This action is alleged to be in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 1320d-6(a)(2).
"Patients have an absolute expectation of privacy concerning the communications and information shared with medical professionals and contained within their medical records," stated U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. He emphasized that federal law protects such privacy to ensure patients can share critical information with their medical providers without fear of disclosure.
Court documents indicate that Pitcher accessed protected health information on or about November 27, 2023, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Battle Creek, Michigan. If convicted, she could face up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000.
Gregory Billingsley, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Veterans Affairs OIG’s Central Field Office, remarked on the importance of protecting patient privacy: "Unlawfully accessing patient records erodes trust in VA’s programs and services." He assured that the VA OIG would thoroughly investigate any employee who breaches this trust.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General with help from the Battle Creek VA Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Stella is prosecuting the case.
It should be noted that charges filed in a misdemeanor information are merely accusations; a defendant remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.
