Northwestern Memorial Hospital workers were fired after reportedly gaining access to Jussie Smollett’s medical records. Per CBS Chicago, a nurse said she was fired and escorted out of the hospital last Tuesday without explanation. She believes the termination, which included several other nurses and staffers, was a mistake.

During Smollett’s stay at the hospital, the nurse explained she simply scrolled past the Empire actor's name. However, sources claim workers like her improperly reviewed Smollett’s medical chart. She plans to appeal the discharge.

The news publication reached out to the hospital for a comment, but a spokesperson said company policy prevents them from speaking on employment status.

According to the Chicago-Sun Times, nearly 50 employees were fired from their positions. The nurse identified as Susan, spoke with the Times, revealing she searched for Smollett’s name out of curiosity but never opened his chart.

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"Simply put, it was just morbid curiosity. I went into the charting system and started to search his name," she said. "I clicked just once. I never clicked into his chart."

Susan apologized for looking past his name, but other employees noted the act is common in their line of work. She and colleagues reportedly violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which upholds patient privacy and confidentiality.

"Officially, we have been told that every employee involved in the breach of Mr. Smollett’s HIPAA information was terminated," another nurse said.

As Blavity previously reported, Smollett was charged with filing a false police report, claiming two men assaulted him in late January. The 36-year-old has since been released from jail after posting $10,000 of the $100,000 bond set by a Chicago judge.

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