Actress, 25, sues Northwestern Hospital after doctor 'took photos of her while she was being treated for alcohol intoxication in the ER and posted them on Facebook

23 April 2016

An aspiring actress is suing Northwestern Memorial Hospital after a doctor allegedly took pictures of her while she was being treated for alcohol intoxication and then posted them on social media.

Elena Chernyakova, 25, was receiving emergency care when she said Dr Vinaya Puppala, who she knew through a mutual friend, came to her hospital room. 

She said he then took photographs as she tried to hide from him, at one point even covering her head with a towel, according to CBS 2. 

Elena Chernyakova, 25, is suing Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after Dr Vinaya Puppala allegedly took pictures of her while she was being treated for alcohol intoxication (right) and posted them on Facebook

Chernyakova alleges he then posted the pictures on Facebook and Instagram with captions such as '#bottle #service #gone #bad'. 

'It was the worst experience of my life,' Cherynakova told CBS 2. 'I felt extremely betrayed because a hospital is the once place where any patient should feel safe.' 

Cherynakova said the June 2013 incident wasn't the first time Puppala, then a fellow at the Chicago hospital, had acted inappropriately toward patients. 

The lawsuit alleges Puppala, now a board-certified anesthesiology pain specialist, came to work smelling of alcohol and walked in on patients while they changed clothes. 

It also claims other physicians had accused Puppala of treating his patients 'like goats' and created fake business guards to misrepresent his position. 

Northwestern obtained a protective order to seal Puppala's fellowship documents and said it had 'zero tolerance' toward disclosing the private health information of patients, including photographs.

'The allegations detailed in this complaint indicate this person was acting entirely on his own and had no treatment relationship with the plaintiff,' the hospital said in a statement. 

'Any invasion of privacy at the hands of our trusted health personnel or extended care team of training fellows is unacceptable and not indicative of the Patients’ First culture of Northwestern Memorial Hospital.' 

Chernyakova alleges Puppala (pictured) then posted the pictures on Facebook and Instagram with captions such as '#bottle #service #gone #bad' and called it the 'worst experience' of her life