Hospital Data Breach Affects 3,000 People

Employee with access to hospital data servers improperly viewed private health information

By By Dan Hounsell


Healthcare IT managers continue fortifying defenses of their in-house technology and devices in an effort to stem the growing tide of cyber attacks seeking valuable patient information. Unfortunately, data breaches continue at a rapid pace.

The California Department of State Hospitals recently discovered that an employee data breach uncovered in February affected about 2,952 more individuals than initially believed, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. The department on Feb. 25 discovered that an employee who had access to Atascadero (Calif.) State Hospital data servers as part of their IT job responsibilities had improperly viewed the private health information of about 1,415 patients and 617 employees. Patient and employee data exposed in the breach included names, COVID-19 test results and information needed for COVID-19 tracking.

The additional data involved in the breach belonged to about 1,735 current and former hospital employees, as well as 1,217 hospital job applicants who never became employees.



April 8, 2021


Topic Area: Infection Control


Recent Posts

Rethinking Carpeting's Role in Senior Care Facilities

New research from the Carpet and Rug Institute finds that carpet supports healthier indoor environments.


Parkview Health Breaks Ground on New Hospital in West Lafayette, IN

The hospital is scheduled to open in June 2028.


Loma Linda University Health Experiences Data Breach via AI Tool

A file containing limited patient information was inadvertently uploaded to an external artificial intelligence (AI) platform.


Inside One of Healthcare's Most Ambitious Hospital Projects 

When someone faces a serious medical condition, having access to world-class care close to home can make all the difference. 


Turning Condensate Loss into a Systemwide Steam Efficiency Opportunity

Case study: How APM Steam helped Atrium Health Cabarrus uncover hidden steam system inefficiencies and build an actionable repair plan with a projected $144,949 in annual energy savings.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.