Saint Thomas Health has identified a recent breach of patient health information at Saint Thomas Rutherford in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The health system has notified 2,859 of its patients about the breach which was discovered in April.
The investigation revealed the hospital documents, which did not contain social security numbers or patient medical records, were found along a remote and rural road in DeKalb County. The documents contained the patient’s name, date of birth, admitting diagnosis, account number and physician’s name. The reports reflected a small sample of patient census reports or logs during 2009-2010. As of now, the investigation has not revealed who may be responsible.
“Protecting the privacy of our patient’s information is always a top priority for us at Saint Thomas Health and Ascension,” said Cynthia Figaro, Corporate Responsibility Officer and Corporate Privacy Officer, Saint Thomas Health. “Once we were made aware of this breach, we immediately investigated the incident to ensure that no further disclosures were made. Based on our investigation, we do not believe that there is a financial risk to our patients. We sincerely apologize for this incident,” said Figaro.
Saint Thomas Health has contracted with a vendor that will ensure that all storage files are properly secured and accounted for until destruction. There is a toll-free number to call if any patients have questions regarding this incident: 1-844-310-2955.
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