The California Department of Public Health has fined Bellflower Hospital in Los Angeles County $250,000 for numerous violations of the privacy of Nadya Suleman, the mother of octuplets.

The fine is the maximum under privacy legislation enacted last year in California. The hospital, part of Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente, is the first organization to be fined under the new laws. The department assessed the fine after determining the hospital failed to prevent unauthorized access to medical records. "This fine should be a reminder that there are consequences for violations of medical privacy," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said in a statement.

All total, 21 employees and two physicians, some from other Kaiser facilities, improperly accessed Suleman's medical records. The organization in March fired 15 employees and disciplined eight others.

California Senate Bill 541, enacted last fall, authorizes fines against health facilities for privacy breaches. Companion legislation signed at the same time, AB 211, authorizes fines against individuals. It also authorizes referral of licensed practitioners to appropriate licensing boards.

Text of the bills is available at leginfo.ca.gov. Click on Prior Session, and then click on the Chaptered version of the bills.