Partnership Health Center
Your Personal Info Could Be
Exposed Online After
This Hospital Breach
Breach Description
Partnership Health Center (PHC) in Montana experienced a data breach due to an email error. Specifically, PHC sent a survey via email to ask patients about their experiences at the health center. Unfortunately, these surveys were sent to incorrect email addresses, resulting in patients receiving emails that contained other patients’ names and an indication that they had received services at PHC in the past. This incident impacted more than 8,000 individuals. PHC has since taken this breach of privacy seriously and implemented additional training to safeguard patient privacy[1][2].
This breach is part of a larger trend of healthcare data breaches, highlighting the ongoing challenges healthcare providers face in protecting patient information. Despite the breach being limited to names and service indications, it underscores the importance of robust data handling and privacy protection protocols within healthcare organizations.
Citations:
- https://www.hipaajournal.com/healthcare-providers-and-vendors-confirm-recent-phi-disclosure-incidents/
- https://healthitsecurity.com/news/law-firm-suffers-healthcare-data-breach-impacting-40k
- https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/security-breaches/documents/health-partners-southern-california-20210422.pdf
- https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/missoula-county-settles-wrongful-discharge-suits-with-former-partnership-health-employees/article_de98ca3e-f419-11e3-add8-001a4bcf887a.html
- https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/ransomware-group-claims-responsibility-for-partnership-healthplan-internet/
- https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/oregon-health-plan-members-among-1-7m-impacted-by-data-breach/
- https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/ryanwhite/grants/audits/montana/missoula-2019-audit-report.pdf
- https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/data-breach-alert-partnership-9507071/
- https://www.propublica.org/article/fines-remain-rare-even-as-health-data-breaches-multiply
- https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/missoulacounty/phc
- https://healthitsecurity.com/news/ca-health-plan-faces-lawsuit-after-cybersecurity-incident-linked-to-hive-ransomware
- https://drata.com/blog/states-most-impacted-by-healthcare-data-breaches
- https://dojmt.gov/consumer/databreach/
- https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2022/may/6/local-class-action-lawsuit-targets-partnership-hea/
- https://healthitsecurity.com/news/business-associate-data-breach-impacts-32-healthcare-organizations
- https://missoulian.com/news/local/multiple-employees-file-suit-against-partnership-health-center/article_fef7210a-c5a2-11e2-a119-0019bb2963f4.html
- https://www.partnershiphealthcenter.org
- https://www.hipaajournal.com/hipaa-breaches/
- https://pub-missoula.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=23465
- https://www.partnershiphp.org/Members/Medi-Cal/Pages/Notice-of-Privacy-Practices—HIPPA.aspx
- https://www.partnershiphp.org/About/Documents/QUAC/2023/031523%20QUAC%20Packet%20amended%20FINAL.pdf