Joseph Conn reports: There is some good news on the healthcare data-breach front. According to data compiled on the larger breaches of patient-identifiable medical records reported to HHS’ Office for Civil Rights, 2012 is on track to record fewer breaches than any full year since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 required such…
Category: Health Data
Couple Stole the Identities of Doctors Who Applied for Fellowships at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Patients at Highlandtown Community Health Center
Another scheme involving insider breaches comes to light in Baltimore. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland reports: Ringleader Derrick Hill, age 52, and his girlfriend Renee Cabell, age 51, both of Woodlawn, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to their plea agreements, from August to October, 2009,…
OH: Boardman dermatologist reports potential patient ID theft
Because of the number of patients involved, we won’t see this on HHS’s breach tool, but it serves as a useful reminder that the risk of ID theft is everywhere, still: A dermatologist at 755 Boardman Canfield Road told police someone forced open a box that holds lab specimens outside the rear door of his…
Gulf Coast Health Care Services network incident affected 13,000 patients, but what happened?
Gulf Coast Health Care Services in Florida suffered a network compromise on August 17 that reportedly affected 13,000 patients. The incident was reported to HHS as “Theft, UnauthorizedAccess/Disclosure, Hacking/IT Incident”,Network Server. I really wish HHS would refine their response categories. And no, no media coverage to be found at this point and no notice on…
Kentucky neurologist notifies patients after device lost
Alexander J. Tikhtman, M.D. of Kentucky notified HHS that 2,376 patients had information on a device lost on August 15th. Once again, I can find no substitute notice nor any statement on the web site of Baptist Physicians Lexington. Dr. Tikhtman is associated with Baptist Neurology Consultants. If anyone spots one, please let me know…
Update on Women & Infants Hospital breach
The breach involving missing backup tapes at Women & Infants Hospital was reported to HHS as affecting 14,004 patients.