UMC: 18,000 patients’ information potentially compromised

The following is a news release from UMC Physicians:

UMC Physicians Offers Identity Protection to Patients Potentially Affected by Data Breach

• A UMC Physicians (UMCP) employee’s email account was hacked.
• UMCP has notified all affected parties and is providing those individuals with resources to protect from identity theft and fraud.
• Newer security measures were strengthened as a result.

UMC Physicians (UMCP) is notifying patients who may have been affected by a recent data breach. We are also providing patients, whose information may have been compromised, with information to safeguard against identity theft and fraud and are offering access to one year of credit monitoring and identity restoration services at no cost.

On May 18, the UMCP IT team discovered that an employee’s email account was hacked on March 15, potentially compromising the personal health information of more than 18,000 patients.

UMCP immediately started an investigation to determine the source and impact of the hack and notified the appropriate law enforcement agency. The UMC and UMCP IT teams also immediately took action to strengthen security efforts to decrease chances of another incident happening in the future

UMCP has no evidence of actual or attempted misuse of personal information at this time.

Patients’ personal information that could be affected includes: names, addresses, phone numbers, medical record numbers, diagnoses, social security numbers, date of birth, dates of service and health insurance information.

UMC and UMCP understand this incidence may create worry and inconvenience for patients, and the health system sincerely apologizes and regrets that this incidence has occurred.

UMC Health System maintains high standards for security and the protection of personal information we hold. To that end, UMC recently became the second hospital in Texas to receive a certification from the Health Information Trust Alliance. By achieving this designation UMC is recognized as a health care leader, demonstrating our commitment to protect the privacy of our patients’ information.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our toll-free dedicated assistance line at 844.446.6445, Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM. Any calls received after hours will be returned the following business day.

UMC Health System has developed a strong and enduring culture, adhering to the motto Service is Our Passion, our ‘why.’ This sustains UMC as the employer of choice— consistently ranking among the best places to work in Texas by the Best Companies Group – and the provider of choice – ranking among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for patient experience by HealthGrades.

(News release from UMC)