Saint Anthony Hospital investigating breach of email system
Saint Anthony Hospital is investigating a breach of its email system that could have exposed the personal information of 6,679 people.
Little Village Hospital learned in February that an “unauthorized party” may have accessed a number of hospital employee email accounts, according to a notice posted on the hospital’s website.
Although the hospital is still investigating, with the help of cybersecurity experts, it has become known that information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, patient account numbers, prescription information and medical history may have been disclosed.
At this point, the hospital said it has no evidence that this information was used for identity theft or fraud. The hospital said it will notify individuals if it learns their information was affected.
The hospital encourages patients and employees to protect themselves by placing a fraud alert/security freeze on their credit reports, obtaining free credit reports, and reviewing their financial statements and credit reports. People with questions about the incident can call 877-580-4384 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Cybersecurity incidents have become increasingly common in recent years at hospitals and health systems, which are often targeted because of their size and the wealth of personal information they hold.
In May, UChicago Medicine revealed that the personal information of approximately 38,000 patients at a UChicago Medicine medical group may have been exposed in an incident involving one of the group’s providers. A month earlier, Loretto Hospital on the city’s West Side said it was the victim of a hacking incident that could have exposed the information of more than 500 people.
Ascension Health System and Lurie Children’s Hospital were also targeted last year.
Health systems must report breaches of protected health information affecting 500 or more individuals to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, which posts reports on a public website.
