Friend Family Health Center, Inc.

Friend Family Health Center, Inc. (FFHC), based in Illinois, experienced a data breach where an unauthorized third party gained access to an employee’s email account. This incident was disclosed on the organization’s official website, indicating that they had become aware of the unauthorized access and had taken steps to address the issue[1]. While the specific details of the breach, such as the exact date of discovery and the measures taken in response, are not provided in the search results, it is clear that FFHC has acknowledged the breach and is likely taking steps to mitigate its impact.

The breach at FFHC is part of a larger pattern of cyber incidents targeting healthcare providers in the Chicago area and beyond. For instance, Cook County Health was affected by a data breach involving Perry Johnson & Associates, Inc. (PJ&A), a third-party medical transcription service provider. This breach resulted in the exposure of personal and medical information of more than 500 patients, putting them at risk of identity or medical fraud[3]. Although this incident is separate from the FFHC breach, it highlights the broader cybersecurity challenges faced by healthcare organizations.

In response to such incidents, affected healthcare providers often take measures to protect the impacted individuals, such as offering credit and identity monitoring services. They also typically advise affected parties to remain vigilant for signs of fraud or identity theft, such as discrepancies in medical bills or unexpected credit inquiries[3].

It’s important for individuals affected by healthcare data breaches to follow the recommendations provided by the impacted organizations, including monitoring their credit reports and considering the use of credit freezes or fraud alerts to protect their personal information. Additionally, staying informed about the latest developments related to the breach and any support services offered can help mitigate the potential consequences of the incident.

Given the increasing frequency of cyberattacks on healthcare institutions, these organizations are continually working to enhance their cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive patient information. However, the evolving tactics of cybercriminals mean that healthcare providers must remain vigilant and proactive in their cybersecurity efforts to prevent future breaches.

Citations:

1. https://www.friendfhc.org/itupdate.html
2. https://wgntv.com/news/cook-county/1-2m-patients-impacted-after-cook-county-health-data-breach/
3. https://www.idstrong.com/sentinel/another-medical-information-breach-out-of-chicago/
4. https://casetext.com/case/taylor-v-friend-family-health-center
5. https://www.idstrong.com/sentinel/chicago-medical-center-data-breach-216k-patient-notification/
6. https://www.idstrong.com/sentinel/112k-records-stolen-from-population-healthec/
7. https://www.classaction.org/news/friend-family-health-center-hit-with-privacy-class-action-in-illinois-over-employee-fingerprint-scanning
8. https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.25599.html
9. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/cook-county-health-warns-of-data-breach-for-1-2-million-patients-at-medical-transportation-firm/
10. https://friendfhc.org
11. https://yelp.com/biz/friend-family-health-center-chicago
12. https://www.masonllp.com/news_post/mlk-launches-investigation-of-family-christian-health-center-data-breach/
13. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/friend-family-health-center,364161801/
14. https://friendfhc.org/patient.html
15. https://casetext.com/case/friendship-medical-center-ltd-v-chicago-bd-of-health-1
16. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosby-birton-8435ba83
17. https://www.hrdi.org/phone/index.html