Entertainment

LOS ANGELES — UCLA Medical Center has disciplined an employee for accessing Farrah Fawcett’s medical records, officials said Wednesday. Fawcett expressed concern to a doctor in May that details of her condition were being leaked to tabloids, and he reported it to hospital executives, UCLA spokeswoman Roxanne Moster said.

Fawcett’s attorney, Kim Swartz, said an employee at the hospital accessed Fawcett’s medical records without authorization, and details about her cancer treatment later showed up in the National Enquirer. The tabloid published details about a recurrence in Fawcett’s cancer before she had a chance to tell family and friends, Swartz said.

“She’s a very private person and she’s reluctant to go public about this, let alone take legal action,” Swartz said. “She’s fighting for her life.”

The Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site Wednesday that hospital officials fired an employee who reviewed Fawcett’s records without authorization.

The UCLA spokeswoman would not confirm a firing and would not specify the disciplinary action.

Moster said the hospital requires all staff to complete training on patient privacy issues and sign confidentiality agreements.

Doctors declared Fawcett, 61, cancer-free in February 2007, but her cancer returned a few months later.

“It’s disturbing to her when there are false reports that she’s given up and wants to die, when the opposite is true,” said Swartz. “She’s a strong person and a fighter.”

The 1970s television icon is currently being treated for cancer in Germany.

Last month, UCLA Medical Center announced the firing of 13 workers and disciplined several others for snooping into the electronic medical records of Britney Spears.

Los Angeles — U.S. actress Morgan Fairchild, whose mother suffered a series of strokes before she died, is campaigning to raise awareness about warning signs of stroke.

Fairchild, who is featured in the “Give Me 5: Walk, Talk, Reach, See, Feel” campaign, is emphasizing the importance of getting to the emergency room quickly once symptoms present themselves. The campaign is a collaboration among the American Academy of Neurology, the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Stroke Association.

Fairchild was a caregiver for her mother, who died in 1999.

“I witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of stroke on my mother,” Fairchild said in a statement. “Stroke is a killer, but for too many people it doesn’t need to be. If you know the warning signs and get medical help right away, you have an excellent chance of making a good recovery.”

The phrase “Give Me 5″ refers to the series of questions one can ask when assessing if someone might be having a stroke: Is one’s balance off? Is speech slurred or the face drooping? Is one side weak or numb? Is there any loss of vision? Is there a severe headache?