Rhode Island Department of Health

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) experienced a breach of protected health information that was announced on December 7, 2022. The breach involved the accidental inclusion of a link to a spreadsheet in emails sent by staff between July 28 and October 20, 2022. This spreadsheet contained the private information of approximately 8,800 individuals who were on the list to receive food box services while in COVID-19 isolation.

The leaked information included:

• Date of contact by the health department
• Full name and address
• Phone number
• Dietary, cleaning supply, and personal protective equipment needs
• Household information, such as the number of children and adults
• Delivery information

The information did not include financial details or social security numbers, as these are not collected by RIDOH

Response and Notification

Upon discovering the breach, RIDOH took immediate action to restrict access to the file and began an investigation to determine the extent of the breach. They also initiated additional steps to prevent future unintended releases of information, including staff training and enhanced security measures