Springfield Clinic

The breach at Springfield Clinic in Illinois appears to be related to a broader cybersecurity incident that affected the Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), rather than a specific breach isolated to Springfield Clinic itself. The information available does not detail a direct breach at Springfield Clinic but highlights cybersecurity incidents impacting healthcare providers in the region, including HSHS, which experienced a significant system-wide outage due to a cybersecurity incident.

Cybersecurity Incident at HSHS

Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), a healthcare provider with facilities across Illinois and Wisconsin, experienced a system-wide technical outage that impacted hospital and clinic operations. This outage was confirmed to be the result of a cybersecurity incident. The incident led to disruptions in internal systems, including communications, and affected the ability to contact area hospitals and clinics, necessitating some patients to reschedule their care[2][5]. HSHS has 15 affiliated hospitals and various clinics across Illinois and Wisconsin, indicating the widespread impact of the cybersecurity incident[2]. The organization worked with third-party experts and law enforcement to address the incident and deployed additional security measures to safeguard its systems[2][5].

Springfield Clinic’s Privacy and Security Measures

Springfield Clinic has emphasized its commitment to patient privacy and the confidentiality of health information. The clinic follows strict federal and state regulations, including HIPAA, FACT ACT, HITECH, and the IL Domestic Violence Act, to protect patient information in both paper and electronic form. The clinic’s Privacy Office monitors new regulations to ensure compliance with privacy and security mandates and incorporates state-of-the-art practices for patient health and billing information transactions[1].

Conclusion

While the search results do not provide specific details about a direct breach at Springfield Clinic, they highlight a significant cybersecurity incident affecting HSHS, which could potentially impact associated healthcare providers in the region, including Springfield Clinic. Springfield Clinic’s commitment to patient privacy and adherence to strict privacy regulations is evident, although the details of the cybersecurity incident primarily pertain to HSHS’s operations and response[1][2][5].

Citations:

1. https://www.springfieldclinic.com/patient-tools/privacy
2. https://www.nprillinois.org/health-harvest/2023-09-02/hshs-says-system-outage-caused-by-cyberattack
3. https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/cyberattacks-causes-caution-precautions-18424763.php
4. https://www.wcia.com/news/sangamon-county/blue-cross-blue-shield-springfield-clinic-reach-new-agreement-ending-years-long-breakup/
5. https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/healthcare/2023/09/01/hshs-breach-due-to-cybersecurity-incident-system-acknowledges/70744543007/
6. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prospect-medical-cyberattack-california-pennsylvania-hospital/
7. https://newschannel20.com/news/local/threat-at-springfield-clinic-resolved
8. https://therecord.media/illinois-hospital-network-back-online-after-cyberattack
9. https://herald-review.com/news/local/business/health-care/hospital-sisters-health-system-hshs-computer-failure-hacked/article_7dfee296-481d-11ee-82f3-af1e0a66fd7d.html
10. https://www.govinfosecurity.com/illinois-clinic-says-nearly-503000-affected-in-email-breach-a-18893
11. https://www.wcia.com/news/local-news/reported-cyber-attacks-near-a-million-hit-health-care-sector-hardest/
12. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/illinois-hospital-links-closure-ransomware-attack-rcna85983
13. https://casetext.com/case/roach-v-springfield-clinic
14. https://www.wandtv.com/news/hshs-restores-electronic-health-records-platform-including-myhshs-mychart-applications/article_8aaefffe-50d7-11ee-a921-2fe349ed2b87.html
15. https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20231227/STORY/912361800/Springfield-Clinic,-Illinois-Blues-end-contract-dispute-with-new-agreement
16. https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/regional/2023/08/29/hshs-was-still-experiencing-system-wide-outages-two-days-later/70709879007/
17. https://www.beckerspayer.com/contracting/bcbs-illinois-springfield-clinic-end-2-year-dispute.html
18. https://www.databreaches.net/developing-hospital-sisters-health-system-and-prevea-health-hit-by-cyberattack/
19. https://herald-review.com/news/state-regional/business/blue-cross-and-blue-shield-springfield-clinic-end-two-year-impasse/article_cacd09fc-a0f8-11ee-95e3-4b079b47c915.html