A Michigan federal judge has blocked Munson Healthcare’s attempt to transfer two class-action data breach lawsuits to Missouri, where dozens of similar cases against Oracle Health are consolidated.
Chief Judge Hala Jarbou of the Western District of Michigan denied Munson’s transfer motions June 3, ruling the Traverse City-based health system failed to show Missouri courts had jurisdiction, according to court records reviewed by Becker’s. The judge found that Munson’s contract with the company formerly known as Cerner, which was based in Kansas City, Mo., was insufficient on its own to establish the necessary legal connection to the state.
The two suits were originally filed in Grand Traverse County Circuit Court by patients who allege Munson negligently failed to protect their personal and health information when an unauthorized third party accessed data stored on Cerner’s systems beginning as early as January 2025.
Ms. Jarbou also ordered Munson to disclose by June 14 how many breach notices it sent and how many went to Michigan addresses — information that will determine whether a federal jurisdictional exception applies that could send both cases back to Michigan state court.
“Munson will cooperate with the information that the court has requested, and, regardless of venue, will vigorously defend its interests in court,” Munson Chief Legal Officer Rachel Roe told Becker’s. “Data security and patient safety remain a top priority.”
Editor’s note: Becker’s reached out to Oracle Health for comment and will update the story if the company responds.
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