On Aug. 29, the hospital learned that “post-COVID-19 testing patient instructions were mistakenly being discarded in a marked recycling bin at an outpatient COVID-19 testing facility,” according to an Oct. 13 breach notification from the Valley.
The documents contained names of the providers administering the COVID-19 test, labels with patient names, medical record numbers, service dates and location codes for the patients’ scheduled procedure.
Patient addresses, phone numbers, insurance identification numbers, Social Security numbers and positive or negative status were not included in the discarded documents.
An investigation was launched, but the hospital was unable to retrieve the discarded documents.
The Valley Hospital said it has found no evidence to indicate that the information has been misused, but is notifying all affected patients who tested at the facility between June 1 and Sept. 1.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.