Roper St. Francis employee email hack exposes 6,000 patient medical records

Charleston, S.C.-based Roper St. Francis Hospital began notifying 6,000 patients Sept. 3 that their medical records and information had been exposed after a hospital employee’s email account was hacked, according to local ABC affiliate WCIV

Advertisement

Roper St. Francis on July 8 discovered that an unauthorized individual gained access to the employee’s email account between June 13 and June 17, according to the statement on the hospital’s website. 

As a result of the incident, personal information of patients, including names, medical record or account numbers, dates of birth, diagnoses and limited clinical and/or treatment information was accessible to the unauthorized user. A limited number of patients’ health insurance information and Social Security numbers were exposed. 

Roper St. Francis said it is providing free credit-monitoring and identity protection services to patients whose Social Security numbers were exposed. 

“We regret any concern or inconvenience this incident may cause,” the hospital stated. “We remain committed to protecting the confidentiality and security of our patients’ information. To help prevent this from happening again, we are enhancing our email security and providing continued education to our staff on email protection.” 

More articles on cybersecurity: 
Blackbaud ransomware attack affects 108,483 individuals at Northwestern Memorial, Spectrum Health
Illinois nurse claims she was fired for refusing to violate HIPAA: 4 details
Texas hospital loses box with radiology images, exposing 1,768 patients’ info: 5 details

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.

Register to Attend Webinar

What clinicians need from AI after the pilot: Lessons from Adventist Health and Rady Children’s

Friday, July 24
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT

Presenters: Dr. Dieter Sumerauer, Rady Children’s HealthDr. Salman Naqvi, AdventistDr. Reid Conant, Abridge

Advertisement

Next Up in Cybersecurity

Advertisement

Comments are closed.