Patient privacy continues to make headlines. A search of today’s Google News revealed an article about a breach at the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) in Ontario and another one in North Carolina about a doctor who received a $40,000 fine. In the case of the NBRHC, during a privacy audit, the facility discovered that an employee improperly accessed files of up to 5,800 patients. The breach in North Carolina occurred when the practice was moving offices, and a box of records containing confidential information was accidentally discarded at a recycling center! As both of these incidents demonstrate, whether caused by malicious intentions or carelessness, these breaches generate negative media coverage, expensive fines, and most importantly, jeopardize a patient’s privacy. By making privacy protection a priority today, you can avoid being tomorrow’s health care news.