Asurgeon practices at community hospital on the private patients he admits there. he makes rounds every day after surgery and makes notes in his patients' "charts" (paper records kept at the nursing station). who owns these medical records?

The hospital or medical group practice owns the medical records of the patient. Although the physician created the original medical record, this does not mean that the said physician owns the medical record of the patient. Instead, it must belong to the hospital because they are the ones who prepare them.

In addition to this, according to the HIPAA privacy rule, the patient can inspect, review and receive a copy of his/her own medical record but it the said ownership goes to the hospital.