Beaufort (S.C.) Memorial inadvertently mailed patient letters that enclosed the wrong patients' information, according to a statement from the hospital.
Cybersecurity
Ashtabula (Ohio) County Medical Center reopened its inpatient hospital unit Oct. 13, three weeks after a cyberattack that forced its computer system offline, according to a report from the Star Beacon.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner,D-Va., sent a letter to King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services filled with questions about a recent cyberattack that threatened operations at the health system's 400 locations.
About a third of healthcare organizations experienced a ransomware attack during the pandemic's early months, according to software company Netwrix's "2020 Cyber Threats Report."
Pontiac, Mich.-based McLaren Oakland discovered a file containing an unauthorized and unsecured link to a patient information file on a hospital computer desktop that contained patients' information, according to a Click on Detroit report.
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So far in 2020, 412 healthcare organizations reported to HHS a collective total of 20,659,038 individuals being affected by data breaches.
Philadelphia-based Einstein Health Network reported a cyberattack on employee email accounts that compromised patient information.
On Oct. 12, Microsoft took action to block ransomware distributor Trickbot, according to a company blog post.
The Office for Civil Rights announced its ninth settlement Oct. 9 for its HIPAA Right of Access Initiative, which requires providers to give patients access to their medical records quickly and without being overcharged.
Unity Health Toronto, a Catholic hospital network in Canada, is alleging that a transcriptionist stole medical records and attempted to extort money for their return, according to a CTV News report.