The Yale New Haven Health System's computer systems were attacked by hackers in March, resulting in losing personal information from 5.5 million patients, including names, Social Security numbers, types of diseases, and medical record numbers. The New Haven Health System operates more than 360 clinics across Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. The system's information technology was breached on March 8th, and it was only on April 11th that the management confirmed the theft of patient information.
The management stated that the hackers did not obtain electronic medical records or treatment information, nor did they access financial accounts or payment information files. Hospitals and clinics began notifying affected patients on April 14th, stating in their letters that the stolen information had not been used in identity theft or fraud cases. The federal Department of Health and Human Services reported that a total of 5,556,702 patients had their personal information stolen, making it the largest healthcare data breach so far this year.
The Yale New Haven Health System, established in 1913 as a non-profit healthcare system through a collaboration between Yale University School of Medicine and Yale-New Haven Hospital, is headquartered in New Haven. It is the largest healthcare system in Connecticut, with its hospitals, physicians, and health service centers extending into New York and Rhode Island.
The system announced that suspicious activities had been detected in its computer systems on March 11th, but it was determined that patient care had not been affected, and an investigation into the damage was underway. The management confirmed that an unauthorized third party had accessed their network and copied certain information on April 11th. This information included the patients' names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, race or ethnicity, Social Security numbers, and medical record numbers.
The management advised that although the system's payment systems had not been compromised, patients should carefully review their hospital bills and contact the healthcare provider immediately if they notice anything unusual. The management has also individually notified those whose personal information was stolen and offered free credit monitoring services to protect patients whose Social Security numbers were stolen from identity theft. The computer systems of the UnitedHealth Group were hacked last year, affecting up to 100 million people, making it the largest medical information breach in history.
Resource: https://www.worldjournal.com/wj/story/121469/8697783
