Athletic trainer involved in lawsuit against LMH and KU Health System admits …

An athletic trainer from Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the University of Kansas Health System has recently lost his license after admitting to accessing confidential medical records of women who underwent breast augmentations. Jeremy A. Goates, the athletic trainer in question, admitted that he accessed hundreds of files, many of which contained sensitive images, including before and after pictures of women who had undergone breast augmentations. These actions were found to be a violation of the Kansas Athletic Trainers Licensure Act, leading to the revocation of his license, which had been inactive for about two years. Through a consent order, Goates surrendered his license, effective as a revocation.

This incident involving Goates has led to a class action lawsuit filed by multiple women against LMH Health and the KU Health System, alleging that their personal information, including nude medical photos, was improperly accessed by the athletic trainer at the University of Kansas Health System. Goates, who had remained unnamed in court records until now, has not faced any criminal charges related to these actions.

In a court exhibit, a memo titled “Jeremy Goates interview,” which took place on March 3, 2023, Goates initially denied accessing medical records but later confessed to doing so to help a doctor remember and for cross-referencing in his job. He specifically mentioned accessing files related to plastic surgery cases and expressed remorse over his actions, stating that it was a problem he was dealing with and that it was causing issues in his personal life.

During the interview with two KU Health System employees, Terri Thompson and Cherie Smith, Goates admitted to viewing images for his personal use and denied printing, downloading, or sharing any of the photos. He expressed concerns about potential legal consequences and was informed that patients affected by the breach would be notified without his name being disclosed in the notification letter.

The situation involving Goates has prompted legal action from affected patients, with a putative class action lawsuit demanding over $5 million on behalf of at least 425 patients who had their medical records accessed. The lawsuit includes allegations of several legal violations, such as computer fraud and abuse, negligence, breach of contract, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Goates, who had been using his KU Health credentials to access patient records, was eventually terminated from his position. The complaint against KU Health and LMH Health criticizes the handling of the situation, claiming that the institutions failed to properly notify law enforcement about the breaches and the affected patients about the full extent of the breach. LMH Health, however, has stated that they notified all impacted patients of the breach of health records.

Furthermore, Goates’ LinkedIn page indicates his background as a certified athletic trainer with experience at the University of Kansas Health System and Lawrence High School. While Lawrence Public Schools could not confirm his past employment at the high school, it was noted that the district contracts for athletic training services. Despite the controversy surrounding Goates’ actions, the legal proceedings and investigations continue in response to the breach of patient privacy and medical records.