Within the past week, health care providers from Tennessee, Maryland and Georgia have reported data breaches affecting more than 100,000 patients.
Two of the data breaches were caused by stolen computers; the third was caused by the theft of computer back-up tapes. All of the compromised patient information included Social Security numbers, which are frequently referred to as the keys to the castle; none of stolen information was encrypted.
- April 11
Peninsula Orthopaedic Associates (Salisbury, MD) reported backup computer tapes were stolen while being transferred to an off-site storage facility. Information on the tapes included names, Social Security numbers, employers and health insurance plan numbers for 100,000 patients. - April 12 CBIZ Medical Management Professionals (Chattanooga, Tenn.) reported a computer stolen from their offices. CBIZ provides billing services for Lakeland Radiologists, which provides radiology services to patients referred by Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center. CBIZ has not released the number of patients affected, but SMRMC is notifying patients referred to Lakeland Radiologists between December 2007 and February 2009. CBIZ has not released type of information stolen, but most likely included patients’ personal, financial, insurance and health information.
- April 13 Moses Cone Hospital (Greensboro, NC) reported a laptop computer was stolen from a car belonging to an employee of VHA Inc., one of the hospital’s vendors. Names and Social Security numbers of 14,380 patients were stored on the stolen computer. Patients affected include those who received cardiologic or orthopedic treatment between February 2004 and February 2009.
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No exaggerating, when I read this I wanted to vomit. I got physically ill. But no matter how sick I get, I will never feel safe in a doctor’s office or hospital again.
and if they’re that good at securing info, just think how good they must be at medicine! leave protecting your identity to the professionals, cause the IT guys are a bunch of chimps.
Hi, good post. I have been woondering about this issue,so thanks for posting. I’ll definitely be coming back to your site.
gr8 resrch bro
It’s a pity that people don’t realize the importance of this information. Thanks for posting it.