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Community Corner

Medical Records Privacy Breaches

Love, Grandma

*I tried to edit this but the spacing isn't working correctly for this type of post.

Here are a few links to shocking medical records privacy breaches and a few links for privacy protection tips:

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Regional medical center Bayonet Point Hospital sends records of multiple patients without permission http://seclists.org/dataloss/2013/q3/46 

 William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA medical center alerted 7,405 patients that an unprotected laptop with their personal information on the device had been stolen http://healthitsecurity.com/2013/07/22/va-motions-for-patient-data-breach-case-dismissal/

X Rays of more than 15,000 Henry Ford Health System patients stolen from warehouse http://www.freep.com/article/20130722/NEWS05/307220105/X-rays-stolen-from-Henry-Ford-Health-System-Detroit 

Bridgewater Associates recently began notifying former and rehired employees that a database containing information on former employees was breached  http://www.esecurityplanet.com/network-security/bridgewater-associates-admits-security-breach.html 

CA Patient Info Breached At Bay Area Hospitals - a computer was stolen containing data for 4.24 million patients   http://berkeley.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/computer-stolen-from-sutter-health-contained-patient-aed62bd74f 

Foundations Recovery Network Patients Alerted To Possible Security Breach http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130816/BUSINESS05/308160099/Foundations-Recovery-Network-patients-alerted-possible-security-breach   *Update 3 arrested http://www.phiprivacy.net/update-on-foundation-recovery-network-breach/

State's Hospital Data For Sale Puts Privacy In Jeopardy http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-05/states-hospital-data-for-sale-puts-privacy-in-jeopardy.html

CA Norfolk Hospital Notifies 1,3000 Patients of Privacy Breach  http://www.phiprivacy.net/ca-norfolk-general-hospital-notifies-1300-of-privacy-breach/ 

So. Carolina Health Insurance Reports Breach After Laptop Stolen From Auditor's Car    https://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/doit/Cyber/Documents/Stolen%20laptop%20impacts%203,500%20indi...   

Orthopedic Surgeon's Laptop Stolen; 8,900 Patients Notified of Data Theft http://www.phiprivacy.net/orthopedic-surgeons-laptop-stolen-in-home-burglary-8900-patients-notified-of-data-theft/

The L.A. Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center has begun notifying individuals after an attack on their system may have compromised personal, medical, and credit card information.   http://www.phiprivacy.net/l-a-gay-and-lesbian-community-services-center/

The CA Attorney General released Kaiser's letter to patients about personal info on missing flash drive     http://healthitsecurity.com/2013/12/10/kaiser-permanente-sends-patient-data-breach-notifications/

Nearly 840,000 members of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield are being notified that their personal information may have been on a pair of laptops stolen from the insurer’s Newark headquarters with names, addresses, dates of birth Social Security numbers and clinical information, http://www.phiprivacy.net/horizon-bcbs-notifying-840000-members-after-laptops-stolen-with-personal-data/

Sensitive information for about 1,300 transplant patients is missing after a laptop and files were reported stolen, officials with Houston Methodist Hospital said. The encrypted laptop and files held personal information, including names, Social Security numbers and birth dates. http://www.phiprivacy.net/tx-laptop-with-houston-methodist-hospital-patient-info-stolen/

Fears of open access to patient records as a database of patient's conditions, treatment and medical histories could be sold to private companies http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/24/fears-grow-open-access-patient-records?CMP=twt_gu

A breach of personal health information that affects more than 18,000 clients who participated in Peel Public Health's Healthy Babies Healthy Children program is announced: http://www.phiprivacy.net/region-of-peel-announces-breach/

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse - patient's privacy rights https://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fsC1/CA-medical-privacy-basics Theft of

Medical records from Northern Inyo Hospital Privacy Breach  http://www.phiprivacy.net/privacy-breach-at-northern-inyo-hospital-could-result-in-criminal-charges/   
 
Psychologist's laptop stolen with info on 653 clients of Washington Department of Social and Health Services  http://www.phiprivacy.net/washington-psychologist-whose-laptop-was-stolen-from-his-has-license-to-practice-suspended/

Reasons med records are not encrypted: http://privacyguidance.com/blog/top-4-reasons-encryption-is-not-used/ 

Couple plead guilty in federal court to stealing identities and using trickery to obtain confidential medical, tax and employment information for private investigators who paid them fees for the information. http://www.phiprivacy.net/sentara-employees-plead-guilty-to-stealing-patient-information-for-tax-refund-fraud-scheme/

Privacy Rights; https://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs8-med.htm

Personal information of approximately 1,800 hospital patients from across UnityPoint Health's operating regions may be at risk from the security breach http://www.businessrecord.com/Content/Default/-All-Latest-News/Article/UnityPoint-Health-reports-health-data-breach/-3/248/60268            

Willing submission of medical records: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-steves/getting-to-know-the-famil_b_4005444.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is notifying 9,900 patients that a former employee inappropriately accessed their records http://www.databreachtoday.com/insider-incident-leads-breach-roundup-a-6100

Citizens whose medical records are handed over to a pharmacy — or any other third-party — have "no expectation of privacy" for that information. http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/24/4766506/dea-argues-against-constitutional-protection-medical-records

The ongoing and continuous publication of photographs ridiculing sick and infirmed persons to whom the New York City Fire Department Emergency Medical Services responded has humiliated the victims:  http://www.phiprivacy.net/fdny-ems-sued-over-photos-that-violated-privacy-and-humiliated-people/  

Burglars managed to steal five laptop computers containing the unencrypted information containing names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, benefits information, and limited health information. http://www.databreaches.net/failure-to-encrypt-results-in-epic-breach/  

Blackhawk Consulting Group records were compromised. Hackers obtained credit card info for patients who used their credit cards to pay medical bills http://www.phiprivacy.net/medical-university-of-south-carolina-notifies-patients-of-breach-at-credit-card-processing-vendor/ 

British Columbia: Medical Lab Loses Thousands Of Patient Records When Hard Drive Went Missing  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/medical-lab-loses-thousands-of-b-c-patient-records-1.1340973

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