If one person asks if another person is in our clinic and being treated, is it a HIPAA violation for a clinic nurse to acknowledge that the person is in fact there and being treated? The person asking was a co-worker of the person being treated but did not come in with the patient, nor did they say they were a co-worker, this is just known information by the nurse (we live in a very small town). And then the nurse offered to take the co-worker back to see the patient. Before entering the room, the nurse did knock and ask the patient if it was OK for the co-worker to come in but were the patient's rights violated by even admitting they were there and being treated?