Hundreds of patient records found in recycling dumpster on Thanksgiving

A Springfield, Ohio man’s Thanksgiving trip to a public recycling center was routine until he stumbled across hundreds of medical records — containing private health information and Social Security numbers — sitting in plain sight, according to WDTN.

Advertisement

The records belonged to Community Mercy Health Partners and after an investigation the organization determined one of its vendors was responsible for their unlawful disposal in a recycling dumpster, according to a statement from CMHP.

The records did not affect all CMHP patients and may have included names, health insurance data, clinical information and Social Security and driver’s license numbers. CMHP has established a call center for patients who have questions about the breach and has taken steps to re-inventory all locations where documents are stored and retrained contractors on privacy requirements. 

More articles on health IT:

8 CIO concerns for 2016
Centene missing hard drives with 950,000 members’ information
Behind the scenes of 10 startups working to change healthcare

At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.

Advertisement

Next Up in Health IT

Advertisement

Comments are closed.