Southwest Health Center

Southwest Health Center, a healthcare provider located in Platteville, Wisconsin, experienced a significant data security incident that was first discovered on January 11, 2022. This incident potentially impacted the personal and protected health information of certain current and former employees, their dependents/beneficiaries, and individuals who sought medical treatment or services at Southwest Health. The types of information that may have been accessed or acquired without authorization include names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license or state identification card numbers, financial account numbers, medical information, and health insurance information[1][4][6][8][10][14][16].

Upon discovering the incident, Southwest Health took immediate steps to secure its network and engaged cybersecurity experts to conduct a forensic investigation. The investigation revealed that unauthorized access to certain personal information had indeed occurred. In response, Southwest Health initiated a comprehensive review of the potentially impacted information and began notifying affected individuals on July 5, 2022. The organization also offered complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services to those potentially impacted[1][4][6][8][10][14][16].

The breach affected over 46,000 patients and employees, making it a significant incident in terms of scale. Southwest Health operates as a not-for-profit healthcare provider with facilities in southwest Wisconsin, including a hospital and two Southwest Behavior Services campuses in Platteville and Cuba City. The organization offers a wide range of medical services and employs over 500 individuals[8].

Southwest Health has expressed deep regret over any inconvenience or concern caused by the incident and has emphasized that the privacy and protection of personal and protected health information are its top priorities[1][10][16].

Citations:

1. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southwest-health-center-provides-notice-of-data-security-incident-301581026.html
2. https://knockout.chat/thread/39040
3. https://www.foodsafety.gov/recalls-and-outbreaks
4. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/data-breach-alert-southwest-health-inc-4738180/
5. https://www.propublica.org/article/ugly-truth-behind-we-buy-ugly-houses
6. https://www.databreaches.net/wi-southwest-health-center-notifies-individuals-whose-protected-health-information-was-accessed/
7. https://www.wilcotx.gov
8. https://www.turkestrauss.com/2022/07/08/southwest-health-data-breach-investigation/
9. https://www.tricare.mil
10. https://www.itpro.com/security/data-breaches/368463/southwest-health-center-hit-by-data-breach
11. https://www.san.org
12. https://www.mass.gov/doc/assigned-data-breach-number-26833-southwest-health-center/download
13. https://www.cbsnews.com/?ftag=CNM-16-10abc6g
14. https://www.gs-legal.com/blog/2022/07/southwest-health-center-plattesville-wi/
15. https://www.multiplan.us
16. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/cybersecurity/wisconsin-health-center-notifies-patients-of-data-breach
17. https://www.mprnews.org