Opinion ID: 2549455
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Goodman next argues that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that she breached Wesley's confidentiality policy. Indeed, Goodman argues that she did not breach Wesley's confidentiality policy when she provided the documents to Prochaska because the documents were communications between herself and Prochaska, her attorney. Goodman argues that such communications were protected by the attorney/client privilege. Goodman's claim of attorney/client privilege belies a lack of understanding of what that privilege entails. Goodman has no standing to claim a privilege for another person's confidential information or to waive the other person's statutory privilege provided by K.S.A. 65-5602. Goodman fails to offer any legal authority for her arguments. Issues without supporting authority need not be addressed by appellate courts. McCain Foods USA, Inc. v. Central Processors, Inc., 275 Kan. 1, 15, 61 P.3d 68 (2002). Goodman also argues that she did not breach the confidentiality policy because Prochaska was entitled to the information. Goodman fails to supply, nor are we able to locate, any legal authority to support her proposition that Prochaska was entitled to treatment information about patients who were not related to the Keck lawsuit. K.S.A. 65-5602 specifically prohibits the disclosure of confidential information by treatment personnel and requires treatment personnel to claim the privilege on behalf of the patient unless the patient has made a written waiver of the privilege. Goodman has admitted that she did not have any patient's consent for releasing their confidential information to anyone, including an attorney. Goodman asserts that it must be permissible to speak with an attorney about confidential matters without danger that the conversation will become a breach of confidentiality. This assertion is wholly without foundation in the law. Goodman further claims that there was no breach of confidentiality because no one saw the documents other than Prochaska. This overlooks the fact that the documents were filed with the district court and that Prochaska saw the documents when he was not involved in treating those patients and did not have a waiver of their confidentiality. Goodman had no authority to share such documents with Prochaska.