A patient this week sued the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a doctor who she alleged snooped in her medical records after she began dating the doctor’s ex-husband.
Julie Bendon alleges in her lawsuit, filed Monday in Adams County District Court, that she suspected Dr. Karen Ashbeck had looked into records of gynecological care that she received at CU Medicine’s East Denver office based on information Ashbeck shared with her ex-husband — Bendon’s then-boyfriend — and mutual acquaintances.
In the lawsuit, Bendon said CU reported Ashbeck had looked at the records twice in 2023, though Bendon wasn’t her patient.
Bendon also alleged that Ashbeck falsely accused her of stalking. She said CU initially responded by ordering Ashbeck to complete training, but fired her after Bendon hired a lawyer.
“Ms. Bendon has lost sleep, impacting her ability to focus at her job, has pursued medical treatment and constantly fears learning of additional disclosures of her sensitive, private information,” the lawsuit said.
Caleb Meyer, Ashbeck’s attorney, said his client had seen the complaint.
“Due to the pending nature of the litigation, she cannot comment on the specifics of the case, but looks forward to defending herself in a court of law against the many false allegations that have been asserted,” he said in an email.
The University of Colorado declined to comment on pending litigation. It confirmed Ashbeck no longer worked there, but didn’t say whether it fired her or she chose to leave.
The lawsuit also named UCHealth as a defendant, based on Ashbeck working at its Highlands Ranch campus and that CU Medicine employees can apparently access patient records through its electronic systems.
UCHealth said it never employed Ashbeck and Bendon didn’t receive care from its facilities, so it doesn’t belong in the lawsuit. Regardless, the health system “constantly” checks records for improper access, spokeswoman Kelli Christensen said.
