Protecting Patient Medical Data The C-Suite’s Role By Susan Birk James A. Diegel, FACHE, president and CEO of St. Charles Health System, Bend, Ore., had his own protected health information identified as part of a security breach investigation not long ago. The issue was quickly resolved, and Diegel’s health information had not been at risk. Even so, Diegel admits he felt violated. Not all healthcare executives experience a security breach that hits as close to home as Diegel’s, but the incident helps illustrate an important reality: Patient information in the electronic realm is information that is vulnerable. The