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Stolen hospital computer returned

Healthcare Security Weekly, September 10, 2007

A computer stolen from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore that contained the records of 5,783 cancer patients was returned to security officials September 2.

A Baltimore attorney, Michael Mastracci, returned the computer to security staff after learning of its location from a client, reported The Baltimore Sun. The computer was stolen from an administrative building on Hopkins' main campus July 15. A person whom Mastracci declined to name, based on attorney-client privilege, contacted him for legal advice on returning the missing computer, the Sun reported. However, the lawyer didn't realize what was on the computer until he heard news reports about the theft from the hospital. Mastracci said the computer was not stolen with the knowledge that there was patient information on it.

Hopkins officials told the news media that initial analysis of the computer suggests the secure data-including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, medical histories and other personal information of patients with cancer-was not compromised while the computer was away from the hospital. The hospital has hired an independent information technology expert to investigate whether patient information was accessed.

The hospital sent out letters August 24 notifying the patients and their families of the security breach. The records were part of a tumor registry database required by state law, the Sun reported.

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