HIPAA Breach News

Phishers Gain Access to 23 L.A. County Department of Health Services Email Accounts

Posted April 26, 2024 by Steve Alder

Los Angeles County Department of Health Services’ employees were targeted in a recent phishing campaign, and almost 2,800 Catholic Medical Center patients have been affected by a data breach at one of its vendors.

Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Phishing Attack

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services was recently targeted in a phishing campaign that saw 23 employees tricked into disclosing their email account credentials after clicking a hyperlink in an email that appeared to have been sent by a trusted sender. The email accounts were accessed by an unauthorized third party between February 19, 2024, and February 20, 2024.

The Department of Health Services said the attack was reported to law enforcement which recommended delaying notifying the affected individuals so as not to interfere with the investigation. Notification letters have now been mailed to the affected individuals who have been provided with information on the steps they can take in response to the breach. The types of data exposed varied from individual to individual and may have included one or more of the following: first and last name, date of birth, home address, phone number(s), e-mail address, medical record number, client identification number, dates of service, and/or medical information (e.g., diagnosis/condition, treatment, test results, medications), and/or health plan information.

The Department of Health Services has sent awareness notifications to all members of the workforce reminding them to be vigilant when opening emails, has enhanced its training regarding identifying and responding to phishing emails, and has implemented further controls to minimize the risk of further successful attacks.

The breach has been reported to the HHS Office for Civil Rights but is not yet showing on the OCR breach portal, so it is currently unclear how many individuals have been affected.

Catholic Medical Center Patients Affected by Email Breach at Business Associate

Almost 2,800 patients of Catholic Medical Center (CMC) in New Hampshire have been affected by a data breach at one of its vendors, the accounts receivable management service provider Lamont Hanley & Associates. Lamont Hanley & Associates notified CMC on March 6, 2024, that there had been unauthorized access to an employee’s email account. The breach was detected on June 20, 2023, and it was determined that patient data may have been accessed or acquired by the unauthorized third party, although no specific evidence of data access or data theft was identified.

The account contained the protected health information of 2,792 CMC patients, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical and claim information, health insurance information, individual identification information, and financial account information. Lamont Hanley & Associates is offering complimentary credit monitoring services to eligible individuals and has taken steps to improve security to prevent similar breaches in the future.

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Kaiser Permanente Website Tracker Breach Affects 13.4 Million Individuals

Posted April 26, 2024 by Steve Alder

Kaiser Permanente Health Plan Inc. is notifying 13.4 million individuals that some of their personal data has been disclosed to third parties such as Microsoft (Bing), Google, and X (Twitter) via tracking technologies on its websites and apps. This is the largest healthcare data breach to be reported so far in 2024 and the largest confirmed healthcare data breach to date involving website tracking technologies.

Kaiser Permanente said the tracking technologies were identified during a voluntary internal investigation and they have now been removed from its websites and mobile applications. Additional measures have been implemented to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Notifications are being sent to all individuals who have potentially been affected “out of an abundance of caution,” including current and former health plan members in all markets that Kaiser Permanente operates, and individuals who used its websites and mobile apps. Notifications are expected to be issued in May 2024.

The types of data potentially disclosed to tech companies included names, IP addresses, sign-in statuses, and information about users navigated through the websites and apps. Other information was potentially disclosed based on individuals’ usage of the websites and apps, including search terms when using its health encyclopedia such as symptoms, drugs, injuries, and exercises. No highly sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, financial information, and usernames/passwords were disclosed. Kaiser Permanente said it is not aware of any misuse of the disclosed data; however, it is possible that individuals may have been served targeted ads based on their interactions on Kaiser Permanente’s websites and apps.

The privacy violation has been reported to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) as a breach of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In December 2022, OCR published guidance on HIPAA and tracking technologies and recently updated its guidance to clarify when these technologies can be used and how they can be made HIPAA-compliant. OCR and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have been cracking down on the use of these technologies and sent around 130 warning letters to hospitals and telehealth companies last year reminding them of their obligations under HIPAA and the FTC Act, and the FTC has settled 5 complaints – Easy Healthcare (Premom), GoodRx, BetterHelp, Monument, and Cerebral – that alleged violations of the FTC Act related to the use of these technologies without consumers’ consent. State attorneys general have also investigated privacy violations related to the use of tracking technologies, including the New York Attorney General, who settled alleged violations of HIPAA and state laws with New York Presbyterian Hospital over the use of these tools.

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BianLian Threat Group Claims Responsibility for Cyberattack on Tennessee Eye Clinic Network

Posted April 25, 2024 by Steve Alder

Politzer and Durocher, PLC, which does business as Optometric Physicians of Middle Tennessee (OPMT), has recently reported a hacking incident to the HHS Office for Civil Rights involving the personal and protected health information of 29,000 individuals. The Lebanon, TN-based eye clinic chain said it detected unauthorized access to its network on March 25, 2024. The attackers had circumvented its security controls, and accessed one of its servers and exfiltrated files containing “a very limited amount of healthcare information.” The investigation confirmed that other identifying information may have been accessed in the attack. A forensic investigation is currently underway to determine the exact types of information involved and notification letters will be mailed to the affected individuals when that process is completed. OPMT said, “Even though it is not specifically required by HIPAA, we will offer identity theft protection services to all affected individuals; we feel that this is an important precaution to protect our patients.”

The BianLian group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Like several other cybercriminal groups, BianLian tends not to use ransomware anymore and just steals data and demands payment to prevent the exposure or sale of the data. The BianLian has added OPMT to its leak site and claims to have exfiltrated 1.5TB of data in the attack, including financial information, HR data, biometric data, contracts and confidential agreements, SQL databases, and patients’ PII and PHI.

Moffitt Cancer Center Affected by Data Breach at Advarra

Moffitt Cancer Center has recently announced that it has been affected by a security breach at one of its vendors, Advarra. Advarra provided services to Moffitt Cancer Center related to the care and treatment of patients and a research study. On October 26, 2023, Advarra discovered suspicious activity in an employee’s user account. The forensic investigation confirmed it had been accessed by an unauthorized individual on October 25, 2023, who acquired a limited amount of data. On or around February 8, 2024, Advarra completed its file review and confirmed that the compromised data belonged to Moffitt Cancer Center.

Moffitt Cancer Center was notified about the breach by Advarra on February 21, 2024, and completed its review of the affected data on March 13, 2024. Moffitt Cancer Center has confirmed that its own systems were not accessed and that the information exposed was limited to names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. Advarra is notifying the affected individuals on behalf of Moffitt Cancer Center.

Advarra has recently reported the breach to the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights as affecting 596 individuals and Moffit Cancer Center has reported the breach to the Maine Attorney General as affecting 26,577 individuals. Advarra said it has implemented additional measures to further strengthen its internal files system and is offering the affected individuals complimentary identity theft monitoring through Kroll. Moffitt Cancer Center also recently announced that it was affected by a data breach at another vendor, the law firm Gunster, Yoakley, and Stewart.

Patient Data Stolen in Cyberattack on Somerset Dental Las Vegas

Somerset Dental Las Vegas in Nevada has notified 11,321 patients that some of their protected health information has been exposed. The security breach was detected on February 16, 2024, and a third-party forensic investigation confirmed that certain files were exfiltrated from its network in the attack. The stolen data varied from individual to individual and may have included names, dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, health information, and dental insurance information. Somerset Dental Las Vegas said it is reviewing its security safeguards and will strengthen security. Complimentary identity protection and credit monitoring services have been offered to individuals whose Social Security numbers and/or driver’s license numbers were involved.

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Multiple Class Action Lawsuits Filed Against City of Hope National Medical Center Over Data Breach

Posted April 25, 2024 by Steve Alder

Several class action lawsuits have been filed against City of Hope National Medical Center, a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer treatment and research center, over a recently disclosed data breach that exposed the protected health information of more than 827,000 individuals.

City of Hope National Medical Center identified suspicious activity within its network on October 13, 2023, and the forensic investigation confirmed there had been unauthorized access by a third party between September 19, 2023, and October 12, 2023. During that time, files containing patient data were exfiltrated from its network. The exposed and stolen data included contact information, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial information, health insurance information, medical records, medical histories, diagnoses/conditions, and health insurance information. City of Hope National Medical Center issued notification letters on April 2, 2024, and offered the affected individuals complimentary credit monitoring services.

Class action lawsuits started to be filed soon after notification letters were mailed. The lawsuits make similar claims, that City of Hope National Medical Center failed to implement reasonable and appropriate cybersecurity safeguards, did not follow industry best practices for cybersecurity, and that the cyberattack that exposed their sensitive data could have been prevented. The plaintiffs allege that City of Hope National Medical Center should have been aware that it was a likely target for cybercriminals due to the high value of healthcare data on the black market and numerous warnings from federal agencies about the high risk of cyberattacks on the sector. The plaintiffs also allege an unnecessary delay in issuing notifications – five months after the cyberattack was detected.

The plaintiffs allege that injuries have been sustained as a result of the data breach. They face an imminent and increased risk of identity theft and fraud since their sensitive data is now in the hands of cybercriminals, and have and will continue to need to spend time and money protecting themselves from fraud, identity theft, and medical identity theft. At least 8 lawsuits have been filed to date in response to the data breach that make claims of negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of implied contract, and invasion of privacy. The lawsuits seek class action certification, a jury trial, damages, and injunctive relief.

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March 2024 Healthcare Data Breach Report

Posted April 23, 2024 by Steve Alder

March was a particularly bad month for healthcare data breaches with 93 branches of 500 or more records reported to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR), a 50% increase from February and a 41% year-over-year increase from March 2023. The last time more than 90 data breaches were reported in a single month was September 2020.

The reason for the exceptionally high number of data breaches was a cyberattack on the rehabilitation and long-term acute care hospital operator Ernest Health. When a health system experiences a breach that affects multiple hospitals, the breach is usually reported as a single breach. In this case, the breach was reported individually for each of the 31 affected hospitals. Had the breach been reported to OCR as a single breach, the month’s breach total would have been 60, well below the average of 66.75 breaches a month over the past 12 months.

While the breach total was high, the number of individuals affected by healthcare data breaches fell for the fourth consecutive month to the lowest monthly total since January 2023. Across the 93 reported data breaches, the protected health information of 2,971, 249 individuals was exposed or impermissibly disclosed – the lowest total for March since 2020.

Biggest Healthcare Data Breaches in March 2024

18 data breaches were reported in March that involved the protected health information of 10,000 or more individuals, all of which were hacking incidents. The largest breach of the month was reported by the Pennsylvanian dental care provider, Risa’s Dental and Braces. While the breach was reported in March, it occurred 8 months previously in July 2023. A similarly sized breach was reported by Oklahoma’s largest emergency medical care provider, Emergency Medical Services Authority. Hackers gained access to its network in February and stole files containing names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers.

Philips Respironics, a provider of respiratory care products, initially reported a hacking-related breach to OCR involving the PHI of 457,152 individuals. Hackers gained access to the network of the Queens, NY-based billing service provider M&D Capital Premier Billing in July 2023, and stole files containing the PHI of 284,326 individuals, an August 2023 hacking incident was reported by Yakima Valley Radiology in Washington that involved the PHI of 235,249 individuals, and the California debt collection firm Designed Receivable Solutions, experienced a breach of the PHI of 129,584 individuals. The details of the breach are not known as there has been no public announcement other than the breach report to OCR.

Name of Covered Entity	State	Covered Entity Type	Individuals Affected	Breach Cause
Risas Dental & Braces	PA	Healthcare Provider	618,189	Hacking Incident
Emergency Medical Services Authority	OK	Healthcare Provider	611,743	Hacking Incident
Philips Respironics	PA	Business Associate	457,152	Exploited software vulnerability (MoveIT Transfer)
M&D Capital Premier Billing LLC	NY	Business Associate	284,326	Hacking Incident
Yakima Valley Radiology, PC	WA	Healthcare Provider	235,249	Hacked email account
Designed Receivable Solutions, Inc.	CA	Business Associate	129,584	Hacking Incident
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority	WI	Healthcare Provider	85,902	Compromised email account
Aveanna Healthcare	GA	Healthcare Provider	65,482	Compromised email account
Ezras Choilim Health Center, Inc.	NY	Healthcare Provider	59,861	Hacking Incident (data theft confirmed)
Valley Oaks Health	IN	Healthcare Provider	50,034	Hacking Incident
Family Health Center	MI	Healthcare Provider	33,240	Ransomware attack
CCM Health	MN	Healthcare Provider	28,760	Hacking Incident
Weirton Medical Center	WV	Healthcare Provider	26,793	Hacking Incident
Pembina County Memorial Hospital	ND	Healthcare Provider	23,811	Hacking Incident (data theft confirmed)
R1 RCM Inc.	IL	Business Associate	16,121	Hacking Incident (data theft confirmed)
Ethos, also known as Southwest Boston Senior Services	MA	Business Associate	14,503	Hacking Incident
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center	CA	Healthcare Provider	13,345	Ransomware attack on subcontractor of a vendor
Rancho Family Medical Group, Inc.	CA	Healthcare Provider	10,480	Cyberattack on business associate (KMJ Health Solutions)

Data Breach Causes and Location of Compromised PHI

As has been the case for many months, hacking incidents dominated the breach reports. 76 of the month’s breaches were classed as hacking/IT incidents, which involved the records of 2,918,585 individuals, which is 98.2% of all records compromised in March. The average breach size was 38,402 records and the median breach size was 3,144 records. The nature of the hacking incidents is getting harder to determine as little information about the incidents is typically disclosed in breach notifications, such as whether ransomware or malware was used. The lack of information makes it hard for the individuals affected by the breach to assess the level of risk they face. Many of these breaches were explained as “cyberattacks that caused network disruption” in breach notices, which suggests they were ransomware attacks.

There were 11 unauthorized access/disclosure incidents reported involving a total of 36,533 records. The average breach size was 3,321 records and the median breach size was 1,956 records. There were 4 theft incidents and 1 loss incident, involving a total of 15,631 records (average: 3,126 records; median 3,716 records), and one improper disposal incident involving an estimated 500 records. The most common location for breached PHI was network servers, which is to be expected based on the number of hacking incidents, followed by compromised email accounts.

Where Did the Data Breaches Occur?

The OCR data breach portal shows there were 77 data breaches at healthcare providers (2,030,568 records), 10 breaches at business associates (920,522 records), and 6 data breaches at health plans (20,159 records). As OCR recently confirmed in its Q&A for healthcare providers affected by the Change Healthcare ransomware attack, it is the responsibility of the covered entity to report breaches of protected health information when the breach occurs at a business associate; however, the responsibility for issuing notifications can be delegated to the business associate. In some cases, data breaches at business associates are reported by the business associate for some of the affected covered entity clients, with some covered entities deciding to issue notifications themselves. That means that data breaches at business associates are often not abundantly clear on the breach portal. The HIPAA Journal has determined the location of the breaches, with the pie charts below show where the breaches occurred, rather than the entity that reported the breach.

Geographical Distribution of Healthcare Data Breaches

In March, data breaches were reported by HIPAA-regulated entities in 33 U.S. states. Texas was the worst affected state with 16 breaches reported, although 8 of those breaches were reported by Ernest Health hospitals that had data compromised in the same incident. California experienced 10 breaches, including 3 at Ernest Health hospitals, with New York also badly affected with 7 reported breaches.

State	Breaches
Texas	16
California	10
New York	7
Pennsylvania	6
Indiana	5
Colorado & Florida	4
Illinois, Ohio & South Carolina	3
Arizona, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma & Utah	2
Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin & Wyoming	1

HIPAA Enforcement Activity in March 2024

OCR announced one settlement with a HIPAA-regulated entity in March to resolve alleged violations of the HIPAA Rules. The Oklahoma-based nursing care company Phoenix Healthcare was determined to have failed to provide a daughter with a copy of her mother’s records when the daughter was the personal representative of her mother. It took 323 days for the records to be provided, which OCR determined was a clear violation of the HIPAA Right of Access and proposed a financial penalty of $250,000.

Phoenix Healthcare requested a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, who upheld the violations but reduced the penalty to $75,000. Phoenix Healthcare appealed the penalty and the Departmental Appeals Board affirmed the ALJ’s decision; however, OCR offered Phoenix Healthcare the opportunity to settle the alleged violations for $35,000, provided that Phoenix Healthcare agreed not to challenge the Departmental Appeals Board’s decision.

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Kisco Senior Living & Island Ambulatory Surgery Center Disclose Summer 2023 Cyberattacks

Posted April 23, 2024 by Steve Alder

Notification letters have been sent to more than 34,500 individuals about ransomware attacks that occurred more than 9 months ago. Kisco Senior Living experienced its attack in June 2023, and Island Ambulatory Surgery Center suffered an attack in July.

Kisco Senior Living

Kisco Senior Living is a Carlsbad, CA-based operator of 20 senior living communities in 6 U.S. States. According to the notification letters mailed to the affected individuals in April 2024, a cyberattack was detected on June 6, 2023, when its network was disrupted. A cybersecurity firm was engaged to investigate the disruption and confirmed that unauthorized individuals accessed its network and exfiltrated files containing the personal information of residents. It took more than 10 months (April 10, 2024) to determine the types of information involved and the number of individuals affected.

According to the notification sent to the Maine Attorney General, the breach included names and Social Security numbers and affected 26,663 individuals. Kisco Senior Living said additional security features have been implemented to prevent similar breaches in the future and the affected individuals have been offered 12 months of complimentary credit monitoring services, which include a $1 million identity fraud loss reimbursement policy.

Island Ambulatory Surgery Center

Island Ambulatory Surgery Center in Brooklyn, NY, has recently notified 7,900 individuals about a cyberattack that was detected on or around July 31, 2023. Cybersecurity experts were engaged to investigate the breach and determined that an unauthorized actor had access to its network and acquired certain files, some of which contained patients’ personal and health information.

The review of the affected files was completed on February 7, 2024, and confirmed some or all of the following information was compromised: name, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, medical information, and/or health insurance information. Notification letters were mailed to the affected individuals on April 5, 2024. Island Ambulatory Surgery Center said it takes privacy and security seriously and has implemented measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

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Email Accounts Compromised at UW Health and Medical Home Network

Posted April 22, 2024 by Steve Alder

Email accounts have been compromised at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority and the Medical Home Network in Illinois.

University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority Email Account Breach

The University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority (UW Health) recently provided an update on a security incident that was detected in late 2023. Suspicious activity was detected in an employee’s email account and the password was immediately changed to prevent further unauthorized access. A third-party cybersecurity firm was engaged to investigate the breach and it was determined on January 5, 2024, that the email account had been accessed by an unauthorized individual at various times between Sep. 20, 2023, and Dec. 5, 2023. Some of the emails in the account were viewed, and data may have been stolen.

The account was reviewed to determine the individuals affected and the types of information that had been exposed. The review was completed on February 9, 2024, and confirmed that the account contained names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, and clinical information, such as dates of service, provider names, and diagnoses. The emails did not contain any Social Security numbers, health insurance ID numbers, or financial information. The breach was recently reported to the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights as affecting 85,902 individuals.

The affected individuals have now been notified and while UW Health has not found any evidence of misuse of patient data, patients have been advised to exercise caution regarding any emails they receive that claim to be from UW Health or other healthcare providers, and to monitor their billing statements and to report any charges for services that have not been received. UW Health also said users of the UW Health MyChart portal have been targeted in the past with scams through the use of fraudulent websites and has urged all patients to be vigilant when callers or emails request personal information. Scammers may claim to be UW Health employees when contacting people by phone, may send phishing emails using stolen UW Health logos, or may send phishing text messages requesting login credentials or linking to malicious URLs.

Medical Home Network Email Environment Compromised

MHNU Corporation, which does business as Medical Home Network (MHN) in Illinois, has recently notified 681 individuals about the exposure of some of their protected health information. Suspicious activity was identified in MHN’s email environment on or around October 11, 2023. After securing its email accounts, independent cybersecurity experts were engaged to investigate and determine the cause of the activity. The forensic investigation confirmed that an unauthorized actor gained access to the email accounts of two employees between October 4, 2023, and October 12, 2023, and emails and attached files may have been viewed or acquired.

On April 12, 2024, MHN learned that the protected health information of current and former members of CountyCare, Wellness West, and NeueHealth were stored in the compromised accounts. Those companies were notified about the incident on February 16, 2024, and MHN coordinated with the companies to effectuate notification to the affected individuals. MHN said the breached information included first and last names, patient IDs, phone numbers, dates of birth, and medical information; however, no evidence of misuse of that information had been identified at the time of issuing notifications. MHN said it takes privacy and security seriously and has taken steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.

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Cyberattacks Reported by Healthcare Providers in North Carolina, Rhode Island, & California

Posted April 22, 2024 by Steve Alder

Knowles Smith & Associates, which does business as Village Family Dental and operates 7 dentistry offices in North Carolina, recently notified 240,214 current and former patients that some of their protected health information was exposed in a November 2023 cyberattack.

Village Family Dental said anomalous activity was detected within its network on November 17, 2023. The affected systems were immediately taken offline and third-party cybersecurity experts were engaged to investigate the activity. The forensic investigation confirmed that there had been unauthorized access to its network, and on February 8, 2024, it was confirmed that files containing patient data were potentially viewed or acquired.

Dental records and other health information were not exposed, with the compromised data limited to names, patient ID numbers, provider names, addresses, dates of birth, chart numbers, telephone numbers, and email addresses. Village Family Dental said no evidence has been found to indicate any attempted or actual misuse of patient data. Notification letters were mailed to the affected individuals on April 8, 2024.

Village Family Dental said it has been working with third-party cybersecurity experts to evaluate and enhance its security practices to prevent similar incidents in the future and confirmed that “significant steps” have been taken to mitigate the risk to persons impacted by the cyberattack.

Valley Mountain Regional Center

On April 19, 2024, Valley Mountain Regional Center in California announced a data security incident that was detected on August 1, 2023. Unusual activity was detected within its network and immediate action was taken to secure its systems. The forensic investigation confirmed that unauthorized individuals had access to its network and exfiltrated files containing patient information on or around July 29, 2023.

A third-party vendor was engaged to review the affected files, and on February 20, 2024, confirmed that personal and protected health information was involved. The types of data involved varied from individual to individual and may have included names, Social Security numbers, taxpayer identification numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, username and password, biometric data, medical treatment and/or diagnosis information, and/or health insurance information. Valley Mountain Regional Center said it is unaware of any misuse of patient data. The affected individuals have been offered complimentary identity protection services through Cyberscout.

The breach has been reported to the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights, but it is not yet displayed on OCR’s breach portal, so it is currently unclear how many individuals have been affected.

Blackstone Valley Community Health Center

Blackstone Valley Community Health Center in Pawtucket, RI, has announced a cyberattack that occurred on November 11, 2023, which disrupted its computer network. After securing its network, third-party cybersecurity experts were engaged to investigate the cause of the disruption and determined that an unauthorized third party had access to its network.

The review of the exposed files was concluded on March 11, 2024, and confirmed that they contained patient data including names, Social Security numbers, and medical information. Notification letters were mailed to the affected individuals on April 18, 2024. The affected individuals have been offered single bureau monitoring, credit reporting, and credit score services at no charge, and network security has been enhanced to prevent similar breaches in the future. The breach was recently reported to the Maine Attorney General as affecting up to 34,416 individuals.

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Cyberattacks Reported by UT Health Science Center; SysInformation Healthcare Services; Jackson Medical Center

Posted April 19, 2024 by Steve Alder

Cyberattacks have been reported by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, SysInformation Healthcare Services (EqualizeRCM/1st Credentialing), and Jackson Medical Center. Moveable Feast has discovered the improper disposal of documents containing PHI.

University of Tennessee Health Science Center – Ransomware Attack

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UT-HSC) said a cyberattack on one of its vendors has resulted in the exposure and possible theft of the protected health information of 19,353 patients who received obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) services at Regional One Health (ROH).

UT-HSC contracted with a company called KMJ Health Solutions which provided patient handoff software that is used to support OB/GYN patients and ensure they receive the appropriate care when they are transferred to another healthcare provider. UT-HSC was notified by KMJ on or around November 29, 2023, about a security incident discovered while investigating a server outage. KMJ erased and reformatted the server and hired a cybersecurity firm to investigate the incident but was unable to make a definitive determination about whether there had been unauthorized access. On January 18, 2024, KMJ’s hosting provider, Liquid Web, found evidence of a ransomware attack but could not determine whether the attackers downloaded a copy of the data stored in the eDocList.

The potentially affected individuals had received OB/GYN services at ROH between November 2014 and November 2023. The information potentially compromised included first and last name, medical record number, age, date of admission, allergies, service, resident assigned, parity, diagnoses, prenatal provider, laboratory results, medications, fetal or delivery details, contraception, type of infant feeding, and information regarding follow up care.

KMJ has implemented new technical safeguards including vulnerability scans, penetration testing, and configuration reviews. Due to the nature of the exposed data, UT-HSC does not believe there is any significant risk of identity theft or harm to credit; however, the affected individuals have been advised to be on the lookout for any letters, emails, or phone calls, and other communications from unknown individuals wanting to discuss any of the services received from ROH.

SysInformation Healthcare Services (EqualizeRCM/1st Credentialing) – Cyberattack

SysInformation Healthcare Services (SysInformation), an Austin, TX-based provider of revenue cycle support to medical billing companies and hospitals that does business as EqualizeRCM and 1st Credentialing, has experienced a cyberattack that caused a network outage. SysInformation said suspicious activity was detected within its network in June 2023. IT systems were secured, and third-party forensics experts were engaged to investigate the incident. The investigation revealed unauthorized access to its network between June 3, 2023, and June 18, 2023, and certain files had been exfiltrated.

SysInformation said an extensive review was conducted to determine the types of information involved and the individuals affected and notification letters were mailed to the affected individuals on April 17, 2024. The types of data involved varied from individual to individual and may have included one or more of the following: name, government identification number, date of birth, Driver’s license number, employer identification number, electronic signature, financial account information, health insurance information, medical history/treatment information, login information, mother’s maiden name, government-issued identification number, passport information, Social Security number, and/or tax identification number.

Complimentary credit monitoring services have been offered to the affected individuals, security policies and procedures have been reviewed, and additional safeguards have been implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future. The breach has been reported to regulators; however, it is not yet shown on the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights breach portal, so it is currently unclear how many individuals have been affected.

Jackson Medical Center – Cyberattack

Jackson Medical Center in Alabama has notified 509 patients about the exposure of some of their protected health information in a cyberattack that disrupted some of its IT systems. The attack was detected on February 22, 2024, and third-party forensics experts were engaged to investigate the incident and confirmed that an unauthorized third party had access to its network between February 17, 2024, and February 22, 2024. During that time, files were accessed or removed from its network.

A review of the affected files confirmed on March 8, 2024, that they contained patients’ protected health information including names and one or more of the following: contact information, dates of birth, driver’s license or state identification numbers, diagnoses, treatment information, and/or health insurance information. Notification letters have been mailed to the affected individuals and complimentary identity monitoring services have been offered to patients whose Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, or state identification numbers were potentially involved. Jackson Medical Center said additional safeguards and technical security measures have been implemented to further protect and monitor its systems.

Moveable Feast – Improper Disposal of Documents

Moveable Feast, a Baltimore, MD-based non-profit that provides care to individuals living with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses, has discovered that documents containing sensitive data were disposed of incorrectly. Moveable Feast’s policies require sensitive documents to be placed in shredding bins, but some were inadvertently disposed of in regular recycling bins. The HIPAA violation was discovered when a recycling bin awaiting curb pickup was blown over, scattering its contents.

Staff collected most of the documents, but some pages could not be retrieved. The missing pages contained the information of 568 individuals such as their client number, name, gender, race, and age, and for a subset of Moveable Feast clients, the last 4 digits of their Social Security numbers. Notification letters have been sent to all affected individuals and 12 months of credit monitoring services have been made available at no cost. Staff members have also been retrained on handling sensitive information.

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