KPTV reports: Dozens of patients at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center could be at risk for identity theft after their identity cards were lost. Medical center staff say 50 to 75 patient ID cards were lost in late January. The cards were being held by the hospital after they had been returned due to…
Category: Health Data
(follow-up) Leader of Hacker Gang Sentenced to 9 Years For Hospital Malware
Kevin Poulsen reports that Jesse William McGraw, aka “GhostExodus,” has been sentenced for trying to install malware on the computer network at Northern Central Medical Plaza in Dallas, Texas. As reported previously, McGraw worked the medical facility as a night security guard and was caught, in part, because he videotaped himself and uploaded it to…
2 University of Iowa employees disciplined for snooping with baby monitor
The Associated Press has more on a situation that I mentioned yesterday: A University of Iowa hospital supervisor abruptly left employment Thursday as the school announced it had disciplined two employees over a plan to use a baby monitor to listen to subordinates’ conversations. Pamela Snider, an office coordinator in the Department of Urology, no…
(follow-up) Saint Francis Health System Notifies Customers and Patients after Security Breach
On Feb. 12, following up on a lead from HHS’s breach tool, I learned about a breach at Saint Francis – Broken Arrow Hospital in Oklahoma, which I reported on this blog, here. Over a month later, the hospital has issued a press release. It says, in part: Recently, Saint Francis Health System reported security…
Mailing error exposes over 3,000 cancer patients' names to each other
A mailing error resulted in Cancer Care Northwest sending routine mailings that exposed patient names to other patients. A statement on their web site explains: In compliance with federal HIPAA and HITECH Regulations, Cancer Care Northwest is required to notify patients and the media when a breach of information occurs. Cancer Care Northwest became aware…
Papers with patient info stolen from Jefferson Center for Mental Health employee's car
Jefferson Center for Mental Health in Colorado recently notified HHS of a breach affecting 546 patients. A statement on their web site explains: On December 13, 2010, a paper list with brief demographic information was stolen from a locked vehicle. The thief stole a purse containing cash and a work bag of a Jefferson Center…