Over the Fourth of July weekend, Jason Pierre-Paul had an accident with fireworks that ultimately resulted in the Giants defensive end having a finger amputated.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter not only spread word of Pierre-Paul’s amputation via his Twitter account, he also included a photo of Pierre-Paul’s medical records. Shortly after, many were questioning why Schefter would choose to make that information public. Also, HIPAA became a hot topic and whether its laws apply to the media. They do not. However, Schefter received a decent amount of criticism for his decision.
As far as the reasoning behind posting the image, Schefter spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch and shed some light on the subject.
“This was a public figure and franchise player involved in a widely speculated accident with potential criminal behavior in which there was a cone of secrecy that surrounded him for five days that not even his own team could crack, Schefter told SI.”
“The extent of his injuries were going to come to light, maybe that day or later that week, but soon. They’re horrific injuries, incredibly unfortunate for the player. But in a day and age in which pictures and videos tell stories and confirm facts, in which sources and their motives are routinely questioned, and in which reporters strive to be as accurate as possible, this was the ultimate supporting proof.”
While Schefter is one of the best in the business, he also mentioned that, in hindsight, he could have made better use of the resources available to him by ESPN and had more discussion given the sensitive nature of the story. Schefter also said he did not request the photo and that it was sent to him.
According to Jackson Memorial Hospital CEO Carlos Migoya, an internal investigation is underway to determine the source of the leak.
“If we confirm Jackson employees or physicians violated a patient’s legal right to privacy,” Migoya said via the Miami Herald, “they will be held accountable, up to and including possible termination. We do not tolerate violations of this kind.”
