The Medical Center at Bowling Green warns 5,418 patients of stolen health information
HIPAA Weekly Advisor, May 10, 2010
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By John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media
The Medical Center at Bowling Green (KY) is notifying 5,418 patients of a breach of personal health information after the theft of a computer hard drive from the hospital's mammography unit. The hard drive contained data on patients who underwent bone density testing at The Medical Center between 1997 and 2009.
"We have no reason at this point to believe the device was stolen for the information on it or that any personal information has been released or used," according to a statement on the hospital’s website.
The personal information on the hard drive was not encrypted, the hospital wrote in the statement.
The Medical Center staff discovered the theft April 1, then launched an internal investigation, and reported the theft to local police. Information in the hard drive includes each patient's full name, date of birth, address, medical record number, and physician name. Some patients' records also include Social Security numbers, weight, height, and menopause age.
The hospital is urging affected patients to monitor accounts and bank statements each month and check credit reports on a regular basis. The Medical Center has notified the Department of Health and Human Services about the breach.
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