Fifteen nurses at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Washington have been fired after administrators accused them of improperly accessing the medical records of 12-year-old Sarah Niyimbona, who died by suicide in April. The nurses insist they are being punished for speaking with the media about her death and have filed a grievance through the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA).
Sarah had been repeatedly admitted to Sacred Heart’s emergency department in late 2024 following multiple suicide attempts. On April 13, while under the care of Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, she left her room unsupervised and died after jumping from a parking garage. Her death has sparked questions about hospital safety and the care of children with severe suicidal ideation.
Providence maintains the terminations were solely for “patient privacy violations.” In a statement, spokesperson Jen York said, “Providence takes violations of our code of conduct and federal privacy laws that govern private health information very seriously… Patient privacy is one of our top priorities.” The hospital claims each nurse improperly accessed Sarah’s records without a medical purpose, reported the Spokesman-Review.
HIPAA, the federal privacy law at the center of the dispute, limits who can view or share patient health information. WSNA spokesperson Bobbi Nodell said the alleged access may have been limited to “hovering” over Sarah’s chart by “concerned nurses who worked with that patient.”
“In less than two months, Providence Sacred Heart fired 15 nurses over allegations of HIPAA violations following the suicide of a 12-year-old patient,” said WSNA director David Keepnews. He argued the nurses’ actions were part of their duties during the crisis, adding, “We reject Providence Sacred Heart’s claims that privacy was violated by nurses who were doing their jobs to assist in efforts to save the life of a 12-year-old girl in the hospital’s care.”
The union contends the firings were actually retaliation for media contact. Nodell said an audit of medical record access began only after InvestigateWest published a story on Sarah’s death, in which some of the fired nurses were quoted anonymously. Following closed-door meetings where they were asked if they had spoken to reporters, they were terminated.
The nurses declined to be interviewed or identified for this report. The grievance process to challenge the firings is underway, but Nodell noted it “could take a long time” to resolve. Meanwhile, the Washington State Department of Health is investigating Sarah’s death, and her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Providence. Sarah was remembered on a GoFundMe page as a “shining light” who “touched the hearts of everyone she met.”