Medical records found in dumpster

Ansonia, Conn. (WTNH) - Medical documents, intact and completely legible, came out of a dumpster along a busy street and they're clearly marked with names, dates and even details about patients' injuries.

Jeff Gould never imagined News Channel 8 would be showing him own medical records after a routine physical he had long forgotten.

"And then, five years later, you get a phone call stating that your records were found in a dumpster," said Gould.

News Channel 8 tracked down Gould when he found his X-ray in an Ansonia dumpster.

"I find it very shocking and upsetting to know that your medical records are found in a dumpster, let alone in your home city," Gould said.

The dumpster he's talking about is in the parking lot outside of 44 Bridge Street in Ansonia. Mixed in with the old building materials, are dozens of peoples' X-rays all marked with the patients' names, and other personal information, along with the doctors' names.

News Channel 8 even found some that came from Griffin Hospital in Derby.

A spokesman for Griffin Hospital said,"The X-rays were most likely given to the patient to carry to the doctor's office in Ansonia. And once there, they become the doctor's responsibility."

The office is locked up and neighbors say it's been this way for quite a while.

News Channel 8 spent much of the day trying to find out who chucked the records in the dumpster.

This now empty space was recently listed by commercial Realtor Dina Nocerino, but our phone calls to Nocerino construction were not returned.

As for Gould, he's angry and he wants answers.

"Hopefully we can find out how they got there, why they got there and get some conclusion to this," said Gould.