FARMINGTON – Franklin Memorial Hospital (FMH) announces that it will begin destroying x-ray films of patients who were born before 1980 and who haven’t had an x-ray performed at Franklin Community Health Network since 2008.
Maine law requires that hospital x-ray films be retained in the original or electronic form for five years, or in the case of a minor, five years past the age of majority. After that time, films may be presented to the patient or destroyed. Written x-ray reports, however, are retained permanently in the patient’s medical record.
According to Linda Dunham in Diagnostic Services, “The destroyed films will also include mammogram films in those women who haven’t had a mammogram here since 2004.”
“Public notification is a medical record regulation,” said Dunham. “Previously films were destroyed without notification, so many films done prior to 2000 at Franklin Community Health Network may have already been destroyed. The affected films include those produced at Franklin Memorial Hospital, FMH Outpatient Services in Livermore Falls, Franklin Orthopaedics, and Rangeley Region Physical Rehabilitation.
In August, a company specializing in disposing of confidential information will be at Franklin Memorial Hospital to destroy the films.
Anyone wanting to retain his or her x-ray films should leave a message at 779-2105 or 1-800-398-6031, ext. 2105.
