A bill collector used by a North Carolina hospital fell victim to a data breach, exposing some of that facility’s patient information.
In February, Nationwide Recovery Services notified Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger of the breach, the health system said in an online notice. Murphy (N.C.) Medical Center, now called Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, used the bill collector from 2009 to 2019.
In July 2024, a hacker accessed Nationwide Recovery Services’ network and copied certain files and folders, according to the notice. The information potentially included the names, addresses, dates of service and/or Social Security numbers of Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital patients.
Erlanger reported to HHS that 3,193 individuals were affected by the breach.
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