Wayne Memorial Hospital Notifies 163,000 Patients About May 2024 Ransomware Attack

Wayne Memorial Hospital patients have recently been notified that some of their protected health information was stolen by a ransomware group fifteen months ago. Wayne Memorial Hospital, a rural 84-bed hospital in Jessup, Georgia, has recently mailed individual notifications to the 163,400 patients affected by the incident. The ransomware attack was first identified on June 3, 2024, and the forensic investigation revealed that the ransomware group had access to its network from May 30, 2024, to June 3, 2024.

The ransomware group exfiltrated files containing patient data, encrypted files on its network, and demanded a ransom payment to prevent the publication of the data and to obtain the keys to decrypt data. When the attack was identified, the network was disconnected, and systems were taken offline to contain the attack. The ransom was not paid, and files were successfully recovered from backups. The Monti ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack and added Wayne Memorial Hospital to its data leak site. While the leak site is not currently accessible, the posting received almost 300,000 views while it was live.

The breach notification letters explain that the information involved varies from individual to individual and includes names in combination with some or all of the following: name, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, state identification number, user identification and password, financial account number, credit or debit card number, credit card expiration date or CVV code, Medicare or Medicaid number, health insurance member number, healthcare provider number, diagnoses, medical history, treatment information, prescription information, and lab test results or images.

Wayne Memorial Hospital said its systems were quickly secured, and additional cybersecurity measures have been implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future. The data breach was first announced more than a year ago on August 2, 2024, and a press release was issued to local media to put patients on alert that their sensitive data had been exposed; however, it has taken a considerable amount of time to review the affected files and issue notifications.

Individual notification letters started to be mailed on August 27, 2025, and complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services have been offered to the affected individuals. The data breach was initially reported to the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights as affecting up to 2,500 individuals; however, the breach turned out to be more severe than that initial estimate, based on the notification to the Maine Attorney General. The HHS’ Office for Civil Rights breach portal has yet to be updated with the latest figure.

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Somerset County Children and Youth Services Department Data Breach

Officials in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, have confirmed an email hacking incident affecting Children and Youth Services patients. Beech Acres Parenting Center in Cincinnati has notified more than 19,000 clients that their personal information was compromised in a November 2024 hacking incident.

Somerset County Children and Youth Services

Officials in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, have identified unauthorized access to the email accounts of certain employees of the Department of Children and Youth Services. Suspicious activity was identified in an employee’s email account on June 26, 2025. Third-party cybersecurity experts were engaged to investigate the activity and confirmed that multiple email accounts had been accessed by an unauthorized third party between June 26 and June 30, 2025.

Some of the emails and attachments in the compromised accounts contained patients’ protected health information. The data review confirmed that the affected individuals had some or all of the following exposed: name, date of birth, Social Security number, date(s) of service, information related to the services received, physician/facility information, medical condition/diagnosis, treatment information, health insurance information, and/or Medicare/Medicaid number. A small subset of individuals may also have had financial information exposed or information related to paternity tests.

The review is ongoing, so it is not yet possible to say how many individuals have been affected. Notification letters will be mailed to the affected individuals when the review is completed, and complimentary credit monitoring services will be offered, where appropriate. County officials have confirmed that several steps have been taken in response to the incident, including changing email passwords, strengthening authentication requirements, providing further cybersecurity training for the workforce, communicating with staff about the risks from phishing emails, and enhancing email security procedures. Additional tools, training, and third-party monitoring partnerships are also being evaluated.

Beech Acres Parenting Center

Beech Acres Parenting Center, a provider of support services to parents and caregivers in the Greater Cincinnati area in Ohio, has started notifying 19,315 individuals about a November 2024 security incident. Unusual activity was identified within its network on November 24, 2024. Immediate action was taken to contain the incident and prevent further unauthorized access, and third-party cybersecurity experts were engaged to investigate the activity.

The forensic investigation confirmed unauthorized access to its network, and the threat actor may have viewed or acquired files containing sensitive information. The review of the affected files confirmed that the exposed data included the names of current and former clients in combination with one or more of the following: date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, bank account and routing number, health insurance information, and medical or treatment information. The affected individuals were notified by mail on August 22, 2025.

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Cybercriminals Hit Washington Laboratory and New York Pharmacies

Hacking-related data breaches have been reported by Meridian Valley Laboratories in Washington, and College Parkside Pharmacy and College Hometown Pharmacy in New York state.

College Parkside Pharmacy & College Hometown Pharmacy

Certain patients who received services from College Parkside Pharmacy and/or College Hometown Pharmacy in New York state are being notified about a recent security incident that potentially involved unauthorized access to their protected health information. The pharmacies are operated by Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, which previously announced the security breach; however, the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights has only recently been notified. The OCR breach portal indicates the incident affected 9,742 individuals who received services from College Hometown Pharmacy and 5,736 individuals who received services from College Parkside Pharmacy.

According to the breach notice, unusual activity was identified within its computer network on or around September 14, 2024. External cybersecurity specialists were engaged to assist with the investigation and confirmed unauthorized network access between August 31, 2024, and September 14, 2024.  A limited amount of data was exfiltrated during that time, in what was described as “a sophisticated cybersecurity incident”.

The delay in issuing notifications was due to the time taken to review the affected files. That process was completed on May 30, 2025, and notification letters started to be mailed on June 16, 2025. No evidence of data misuse has been identified; however, the following data was exposed and potentially stolen: First and last name, plus one or more of the following: date of birth, birth certificate, account number, routing number, security code, marriage certificate, mother’s maiden name, digital signature, passport number, government identification number, Social Security number, taxpayer ID number, driver’s license number, payment card number, payment card expiration date, alien registration number, username and password, health insurance information, medical record number, mental or physical condition, diagnosis/treatment information, procedure type, provider name, prescription information, biometric data, and student information.  Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences said additional cybersecurity safeguards are being implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Meridian Valley Laboratories

Meridian Valley Laboratories in Tukwila, Washington, is investigating a security incident that was discovered on July 3, 2025. The investigation has so far revealed that there was unauthorized access to its network between May 30, 2025, and July 3, 2025. During that time, files were copied from its network. They are currently being reviewed to determine the individuals affected and the types of information involved.

At this stage of the investigation, it is too early to tell how many individuals have been affected. The breach has been reported to the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights using a placeholder figure of 501 affected individuals. Meridian Valley Laboratories said notification letters will be mailed to the affected individuals as quickly as possible when the file review is completed, and they will be informed about the exact types of information involved.

In the meantime, all individuals who used Meridian Valley Laboratories have been advised to remain vigilant against identity theft and fraud by reviewing their accounts, explanation of benefits statements, and credit reports for suspicious activity.

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Florida Pediatric ENT Specialists Confirm Data Breach Affecting 44,000 Individuals

Pediatric Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Associates has reported a data breach affecting almost 44,000 patients. Anchorage Neighborhood Health Clinic in Alaska is investigating a potential security breach that may have affected up to 10,000 patients, and Valley Mountain Regional Center has exposed data over the Internet.

Pediatric Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Associates, Florida

Pediatric Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Associates (POHNS) in Florida recently reported a data breach to the HHS Office for Civil Rights affecting 43,446 individuals. POHNS first announced the data breach on April 25, 2025. Unusual activity was identified within its computer network on February 24, 2025. The forensic investigation confirmed unauthorized access between February 19 and February 24, 2025, including access to patients’ protected health information. The file review confirmed that a range of patient data had been exposed, although the information involved varied from individual to individual.

Data potentially compromised in the incident included names in combination with one or more of the following: address, email address, phone number, Social Security number, driver’s license/state ID number, financial account information, taxpayer ID number, digital signature, date of birth, medical diagnosis/treatment information, prescription information, date of service, patient ID number, provider name, medical record number, Medicare/Medicaid number, health insurance information, health insurance claim number, health insurance policy number, and/or treatment cost information. Notification letters have been mailed to the affected individuals who have been offered complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services.

Anchorage Neighborhood Health Clinic, Alaska

Anchorage Neighborhood Health Clinic, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Alaska, has confirmed to local media that it is investigating a claim from a hacker about unauthorized access to the personal and health information of 10,000 patients.

Notifications have been issued to patients warning them about a potential security incident after the health center learned that the hacker had contacted certain patients directly. In some cases, the emails sent to patients included information such as their name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, phone number, driver’s license, and health insurance information. Patients have been advised not to interact with any communications they receive from the hacker.

On August 26, 2025, the health center posted a notice on its Facebook page explaining that technical difficulties are being experienced with computer systems, which prevent appointment scheduling, and that phone lines are down. Some progress has been made restoring the affected systems; however, a follow-up post on September 2, 2025, warned that there was only limited computer access due to ongoing technical difficulties, and the phone lines had not been restored by September 9, 2025. The Facebook posts suggest that this was a ransomware attack. The investigation is ongoing, and the extent of any data theft has yet to be confirmed.

Valley Mountain Regional Center

Valley Mountain Regional Center, a Stockton, CA-based provider of support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, has recently notified 529 individuals about the accidental exposure of some of their protected health information. On July 14, 2025, a list of State Supplemental Payment (SSP) vendors was posted on its website.

An SSP is an additional payment from the state government that is used to help individuals with disabilities who are living independently. Valley Mountain Regional Center said it discovered that the list contained consumer information such as name, address, city, state, zip code, phone number, vendor name, service code, and service description.

The error was identified quickly, and the list was removed within 18 hours of posting. Valley Mountain Regional Center said it is unaware of any misuse of the exposed information and stressed that Social Security numbers and financial account information were not exposed. Steps have been taken to improve policies and protocols to ensure that similar errors are not made in the future.

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