Former employee arrested after FBI investigation into hospital security breach

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — After a 10-month FBI investigation into a major security breach at Florida Hospital Celebration, WFTV learned agents have arrested a former hospital employee.

Dale Munroe is accused of accessing more than 700,000 patient records in two years and then selling them.

He worked in the emergency intake area, but investigators said he accessed patient records from several different hospitals across the state.

Last year Florida Hospital placed a nondescript ad in the newspaper, warning that employees had "inappropriate access" to patient records, including dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and even insurance information.

Investigators said Munroe helped himself to information mostly from car accident victims, and sold it to someone who passed it on to chiropractors and attorneys.

It was information that's supposed to be kept private under federal law.

Munroe's job was to help register patients in the emergency room. A typical employee in Munroe's position from 2009 to 2011 accessed 12,100 patient records, WFTV learned.

During that same time, Munroe accessed 760,000 patient records.

Federal agents said the patients whose information he sold usually received a call within a week from an attorney or chiropractor hoping to drum up business.

The hospital found the security breach after one of the phone calls was made to a hospital employee who knew the records shouldn't be public record.

WFTV tried to talk to Munroe on Friday, but no one answered at his Winter Haven home. Neighbors said they believe the family moved out last week.

Munroe's wife and another employee were also fired, but so far no one else has been arrested.

WFTV