Is it a HIPPA violation for a hospital employee to tell a family member or friend where a patient went if they were transferred to another hospital?

No it isn't a HIPPA violation. The employee is only directing not divulging medical information.

It is not a HIPAA violation unless the patient was on a No Publication status.

I beg to differ. I think it IS a violation. From past experience, if I was trying to locate anyone in a hospital I got NO information unless I was on a "patient approved" list. If I didn't know the room number then so sorry so sad. As far as being transferred? If it were me that was transferred and the word got out I would NOT be a happy camper.

HIPAA prevents the release of medical treatment and diagnosis information to unauthorized parties.

Its an iffy point whether a transfer to another facility constitutes treatment or diagnosis information. So it would be better to err on the side of caution to not reveal this information unless there is authorization from the patient.