Cybersecurity news for hospitals and health systems

Irving, Texas-based Choice Cancer Care Treatment Center is notifying 14,673 patients of a data breach that may have exposed their protected health information.

Consumers' personal health information is vulnerable to access by third-party companies that track healthcare websites yet do not obtain direct consent from the individuals, according to a Dec.2 Tech Radar report.  

Flint, Mich.-based McLaren Health Plan began notifying members Nov. 27 of a phishing attack at one of the insurer's third-party vendors, according to mlive.com.

Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Hospitals has agreed to pay the Office for Civil Rights $2.175 million to settle alleged HIPAA violations, according to a Nov. 27 news release.

Numerous privacy incidents at hospitals, IT suppliers and other healthcare organizations captured public attention last month.

Minneapolis-based Children's Minnesota recently notified 37,942 patients about a system error that may have exposed their protected health information.

North Platte, Neb.-based Great Plains Health is working to restore its email, EHR and other computer services after being targeted in a ransomware attack Nov. 25, according to local NBC affiliate KNOP.

St. Louis-based Ascension and Google have made headlines over the past few weeks over Project Nightingale," an initiative designed to gather patient data to create healthcare solutions.

Google has terminated four employees for allegedly sharing sensitive information, including details of medical appointments, according to a memo confirmed by CNBC.

Staff at more 110 nursing homes and acute-care facilities have been unable to access patient records since Nov. 17 after internet security and data storage services provider Virtual Care Provider was hit with a ransomware attack, according to the Milwaukee…