A bin of blue files containing protected health information belonging to patients at Allentown, Pa.-based Women's Health Consultants, a now-closed medical practice, was found in a dumpster at the Allentown Recycling Center by a community member doing a routine drop-off in August, The Morning Call reports.
About a dozen files appeared to have been dumped. They exposed both personal information commonly used to commit identity theft as well as sensitive medical histories.
"Patient has a history of herpes," read a sheet in one file, with a woman's name, date of birth and other identifying information clearly visible at the top, according to the report. "High risk HPV," read another that also listed the patient's name, address and birthdate. Social Security numbers, scanned images of driver's licenses and cancer histories were also included in some records.
All records were printed on letterhead from Women's Health Consultants, according to the report. However, that practice is currently closed and there have been no filings with the Pennsylvania Department of State since 2011. It's listing on CMS' National Provider Identifier database was last updated in 2012.
The Morning Call contacted former patients and physicians listed on the records, who were shocked to learn of the exposure. One patient had not visited the practice in four years, and former Women's Health Consultants physician Deborah Villeneuve, MD, said she had not worked for the practice in several years, adding she had no access to its records. She referred questions to Gazi Abdulhay, MD, whose name appears on public records as having held multiple roles at the practice.
However, in court records filed in 2015, Dr. Abdulhay denied being an "agent, servant and/or employee" of Women's Health Consultants and denied practicing there. He currently serves at Crozer-Keystone Health System but would not return The Morning Call's multiple requests for comment.
It's unclear who disposed of the records, and city spokesman Mike Moore told The Morning Call there was no video surveillance showing the container being dumped.