Breach, Data Security, Incident Response, TDR

Florida health employee caught photographing patient data, gets fired

Florida Digestive Health Specialists LLP is notifying about 4,400 patients that a former employee improperly accessed their personal information and photographed the data.

How many victims? About 4,400. 

What type of personal information? Names, dates of birth, telephone numbers and Social Security numbers.

What happened? A former employee improperly accessed patient information and photographed the data.

What was the response? Florida Digestive Health Specialists fired the employee. An investigation with the Sheriff's Office and IRS is ongoing to determine if anyone else received the information. All affected patients are being notified and security measures are being taken to ensure a similar incident does not occur.

Details: The breach has not been connected to any reports of identity theft. The employee has not been named due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

Quote: “This particular person went to print the photos at Walmart, and the manager was suspicious of them and turned them into the Manatee County Sheriff's Office,” Terri Zahn, privacy officer with Florida Digestive Health Specialists, said. “They were able to link them back to one of our care centers and the former employee. We have been cooperating in any way we could to help them with the case.”

Source: heraldtribune.com, Herald-Tribune, “Patient data may have been leaked, doctors group warns,” Nov. 25, 2013

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