Jamie Doward reports: Private firms will soon be able to buy people’s medical and genetic data without their consent and, in certain cases, acquire personal information that might enable them to identify individuals. The revelation, which contradicts government claims that such material would be completely anonymous, has raised fears that pharmaceutical firms and insurance companies…
Month: February 2013
Sierra View District Hospital computers possibly compromised
Esther Avila reports: A possible security breach within Sierra View District Hospital’s network system was identified late Wednesday after the hospital’s Information Technology Department observed unusual activity on the network. “At this time we have no indication that patient information has been compromised,” said Ramona Contreras, hospital spokesperson, on Friday. “However, the hospital is working…
Heyman HospiceCare notifies patients after laptop stolen from employee's car
The Rome News-Tribune in Georgia reports: Heyman HospiceCare is offering patients who may have had their personal information on a stolen and still-missing laptop a free one-year membership to a credit monitoring service, according to a news release from Floyd Medical Center. According to the news release: A password-protected laptop was stolen Jan. 4 from…
CO: FBI asked to aid probe of Iron Horse breach (updated)
Shane Benjamin reports: The Durango Police Department has requested the FBI’s help to investigate widespread credit card fraud that targeted numerous people registered for this year’s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. Meanwhile, race officials worked Friday to identify the source of the security breach, said Gaige Sippy, director of the event. “We are still trying to…
Ca: West Nile patients told about potential privacy breach
CBC News reports: The Saskatchewan Health Ministry is writing to 58 West Nile virus patients about a potential breach of their private health information. It happened during a health management class in 2005 and 2006 at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology. Up to 140 students in a health information management course were…
Woman loses her life and then her privacy after an abortion
Last week I noted an abortion case in New Mexico where the woman’s records became public fodder in the highly politicized abortion debate. Petual Dvorak describes another abortion case where a woman’s medical and personal details were made public after she died within a day of a late-term abortion: Her name and photo have appeared…