Two employees of Jackson Memorial Hospital have been fired for accessing and leaking the medical records of New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul after the football star lost part of his hand in a July 4, 2015 fireworks accident.

The hospital, in its statement, said it had chosen not to comment earlier due to litigation surrounding the incident that has since been settled.

[Also: Hospital draws HIPAA heat after NFL medical record tweet]

"As part of our investigation into the breach, it was discovered that two employees inappropriately accessed the patient's health record. That finding resulted in the termination of both employees,” officials said in the statement. 

“Protecting the privacy of our patients is a top priority at Jackson Health System. Any time we have allegations of a breach, we immediately and thoroughly investigate."

Pierre-Paul’s medical records were reportedly leaked to an ESPN reporter in July, who then posted a portion of the player's info on Twitter. The record showed that Pierre-Paul had his right finger amputated after the July 4 fireworks accident.

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HIPAA laws only apply to healthcare providers, which means the ESPN reporter did not violate HIPAA in posting the leaked record on Twitter. However, the reporter’s ethical judgment was heavily debated after he posted Pierre-Paul’s protected patient data.

Pierre-Paul missed much of the 2015 NFL season due to the injury. He has since returned and plays with a protective glove over his injured hand.

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