MINNEAPOLIS — Allina Hospitals and Clinics has fired nearly three dozen employees for going into the records of those hospitalized following the mass overdose in Blaine in March.

The 28 Unity Hospital and four Mercy Hospital employees were found to have violated the federal patient privacy rule known as HIPAA. Although they were patient-care providers, none of them were caring for the 11 people hospitalized in the overdose.

Allina spokesman David Kanihan says he doesn’t believe the employees planned to disclose the information to anyone, including the media. He says one could speculate that curiosity motivated the violations.

Allina officials began an investigation shortly after the overdose incident. The electronic system keeps track of each patient file viewer. In high-profile cases like the overdose, officials check who views each patients’ records.