HHS has updated its public breach tool again. Let’s start with the ones we already knew about: The Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VAMC breach involving a laptop lost in February affected 7,405. The patient data theft involving an employee at South Shore Physicians in New York resulted in notification to 8,000, although the employee was charged with stealing 80…
Category: Health Data
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center notifying patients after laptop stolen from audiology department
We’re finding out about some healthcare sector breaches from state attorneys general sooner than from HHS, it seems. Sometime during the weekend of September 14 – 15, a laptop with unencrypted patient information was stolen from the Audiology Department at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. The theft was discovered on September 16. The laptop, which…
Details emerge on Holy Cross Hospital breach
Last week, we noted that Holy Cross Hospital in Florida was notifying 9,900 patients that an employee had stolen their information – possibly for a tax refund fraud scheme. A letter to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office provides some additional details on the breach that makes the tax refund fraud scheme more probable, and not just…
OH: Psychologist office robbery leads to risk of identity theft
LimaOhio.com reports: The office of clinical psychologist Dr. Carol L. Patrick is alerting clients of the possibility of identity theft as a result of an Aug. 8 robbery. All working computers in the office were stolen, with the possible intention of gaining personal information of clients. According to the office, all client information regarding names,…
NY: Guards allege privacy breach related to Samaritan Hospital records
Brendan J. Lyons reports an update to a breach allegation noted previously on this blog involving Samaritan Hospital and Rensselaer County jail personnel: Two correction officers have filed a federal lawsuit accusing Rensselaer County jail officials, including Sheriff Jack Mahar, of illegally accessing their medical records after they missed work due to injuries or illness. A third plaintiff…
Was employee terminated for whistleblowing or privacy breach?
A nurse practitioner claimed she was wrongfully terminated after lodging an internal whistleblower complaint. However, her former employer said she violated privacy policies. hr.blr.com has a write-up of Worley v. Providence Physician Services, Co., Court of Appeals of the State of Washington, Division Three, No. 30950-9-III (7/23/13).