Confidential Personal Health Data of 1.7 Million People Stolen
At Jacobi Medical Center and North Central Bronx Hospital
This is a Press Release edited by StorageNewsletter.com on February 24, 2011 at 3:32 pm
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) on February 9, 2011 began to notify 1.7 million patients, staff, contractors, vendors and others who were treated by and/or provided services during the past twenty years for or at Jacobi Medical Center, North Central Bronx Hospital, or their offsite clinics, which comprise the North Bronx Healthcare Network.
Jacobi Medical Center
The notification is about a recent reported theft of electronic record files that contained their personal information, protected health information (PHI), or personally identifiable employee medical information (PIEMI). Personal information can include social security numbers, names, addresses, and other information that may be used to identify individuals. PHI can include personal information and patients’ medical histories. PIEMI can include personal information and employees’ health information.
HHC values and protects individuals’ privacy and confidentiality and deeply regrets any inconvenience and concern this may create for patients, staff and others affected. The loss of this data occurred through the negligence of a contracted firm that specializes in the secure transport and storage of sensitive data. There is no evidence to indicate that the information has been inappropriately accessed or misused. However, HHC is taking responsibility and providing information and credit monitoring services to all affected individuals who may be worried about possible identity theft.
These individuals may have been affected:
- Patients
- Workforce members and the employees of contractors, vendors, and other third parties, who, due to the types of services or other functions performed for or at the hospitals, had access to the hospitals’ computer medical record system, QuadraMed.
- Workforce members and the employees of contractors, vendors, and other third parties, who, for various reasons, were examined, assessed, and/or screened by the hospitals’ Occupational Health Service.
Read also:
Data Theft Notification FAQs
Comments
This incident takes place on December 23, 2010 when computer tapes for two North Bronx computer systems were stolen from the truck of GRM Information Management Services while being taken to a secure storage location. The GRM truck was parked on the street in Manhattan at the time of the theft while the driver was making a pickup from another GRM customer.
On the web site of GRM, you can read:
- GRM's facilities are fully secure and utilize only the most state-of-the-art technology.
- Customer Service is the most important element to the success of GRM’s Information and Records Management platform.
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