Statement on their website:
Albuquerque, New Mexico (December 31, 2013) – On November 13, 2013, New Mexico Oncology and Hematology Consultants, Ltd. (NMOHC) discovered that a laptop computer was stolen from an employee’s office.
The stolen laptop computer may have contained the following types of unsecured protected health information (PHI): names, dates of birth, and in some cases addresses, diagnostic results or information related to treatment and insurance information. However, information such as Social Security Numbers or driver license numbers was not on the laptop.
In compliance with federal law, patients affected by the security breach are being notified of the incident, and, although the company is not aware of any access or misuse of the PHI by any unauthorized individual, patients are strongly encouraged to take steps to eliminate or minimize any potential harm that could be caused by the theft. This includes, but is not limited to, obtaining credit reports from one or more of the major credit reporting agencies, and monitoring financial and banking accounts for unauthorized activity.
By law, consumers may request a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months from each of the three major credit reporting agencies (i.e., Equifax, Experian, Trans Union). These agencies have set up a central website that patients can use to order a free credit report. The free report can be requested online atwww.annualcreditreport.com, by phone at 1-877-322-8228, or by mail addressed to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
The above matter has been reported to the local police department. While NMOHC hopes to recover the stolen computer and PHI, that may not be possible. In an attempt to prevent further breaches of PHI, NMOHC has increased physical security safeguards as well as implementing additional security safeguards on all laptops. NMOHC is also strengthening other aspects of its internal HIPAA security program.
NMOHC is committed to providing quality care, including the preservation of the confidentiality of protected health information. For further questions or concerns, please contact us for additional information by contacting Nina Chavez at 1-800-259-2967 or privacy@nmohc.com.
NMOHC, Inc. is a leader in cancer diagnosis and care, and is committed to providing quality care, including the preservation of the confidentiality of its patients’ protected health information.
h/t, @VERISDB