Doe v. Medlantic Health Care Group, Inc.
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
814 A.2d 939 (2003)
John Doe (plaintiff), who had not disclosed his HIV status to his employer, was treated at Washington Health Center (WHC), owned by Medlantic (defendant). A hospital receptionist who also worked at Doe's employer learned of his HIV status during his visit and told his coworkers, leading Doe to be ridiculed and shunned at work. A jury found Medlantic liable for breach of confidential relationship and awarded Doe $250,000, while clearing the receptionist individually because her disclosure fell outside her hospital job duties. The trial court later granted Medlantic judgment on statute-of-limitations grounds.
Whether the special hospital-patient relationship creates a stricter-than-reasonable-person duty on a hospital to protect the confidentiality of a patient's medical information.