Posted On April 6, 2023 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
April 6, 2023 – After discovering an IT security problem that exposed patient data, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) announced a data breach on its website on March 31, 2023. According to TMH’s official filing, the breach exposed the names, Social Security numbers, health insurance information, addresses, medical record numbers, dates of birth, treatment information, and patient account numbers of TMH patients. TMH began distributing data breach notification letters to all persons affected by the recent leak.
Console & Associates, P.C.’s data breach lawyers are currently looking into the data breach at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. We are offering free consultations to anyone who has received a breach notification and would like to understand more about their legal rights and whether or not they are eligible to receive financial compensation from TMH.
A 772-bed acute care hospital, a mental hospital, three residency programs, various specialized care facilities, and 22 linked physician offices are all part of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, a non-profit healthcare system. Weems Memorial Hospital, UF Health, and Doctors’ Memorial Hospital are some of TMH’s affiliated facilities. Headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare serves the people of North Florida and South Georgia from its ten facilities spread over nine counties in the Sunshine State. Tallahassee Memorial was founded in 1948 and now employs over 4,000 people and has an annual income of about $816 million.
TMH discovered malicious cyber activities on February 23, 2023, as announced on the company’s website. The business immediately took precautions to protect sensitive patient data and began consulting with outside specialists to investigate the breach and ascertain the scope of the damage.
After conducting an investigation, TMH found that the unusual activity was a cybersecurity problem and that files had been removed from the TMH network by an unauthorized entity. Some of the files that the intruder could have viewed contained sensitive patient data.
When Tallahassee Memorial learned that confidential patient information had fallen into the wrong hands, it immediately launched an examination of the compromised files to ascertain what data had been exposed and who had been affected. Information such as names, Social Security numbers, health insurance details, addresses, medical record numbers, dates of birth, treatment details, and patient account numbers may have been compromised, although the exact details vary on the individual.
Tallahassee Memorial sent breach notifications on March 31, 2023, to everyone whose personal information was exposed in the leak.
You probably didn’t think twice about trusting Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare with your medical records. This data leak calls into doubt the prior belief that TMH could keep your information secure. The organization must protect patients’ personal data and guard it with extreme caution.
If you have received a notification letter and believe you were affected by the data breach, you may be able to pursue a lawsuit against TMH for damages. It’s important to know your rights in this kind of situation.
The consumer privacy lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. help customers affected by data and security breaches pursue legal solutions by offering free consultations. By explaining your rights in clear, concise terms, we help you make an informed decision about your next steps. If you are a victim of the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare data breach, Console & Associates, P.C. will investigate at no charge to you and offer advice on how to proceed. If you decide to pursue a case, rest assured that we don’t get paid unless you do. If your claim is successful, legal fees are either paid out of the funds recovered or by the defendant. If your claim is not successful, you pay nothing.
To schedule your free consultation, just call (866) 778-5500 today or fill out our secure contact form.
Below is a portion of the notice posted on their website:
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (“TMH”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of our patients’ information. This notice concerns an IT security event that involved some of that information.
What Happened? On February 3, 2023, TMH detected unusual activity involving our computer systems. We took immediate action to contain the event and began an investigation with the assistance of independent experts. We also reported the incident to law enforcement. The investigation determined that an unauthorized person gained access to our computer network, and obtained certain files from our systems between January 26 and February 2, 2023.
What Information Was Involved? The information involved varied by individual, but may include information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, health insurance information, medical record numbers, patient account numbers, and/or limited treatment information related to care received at TMH. No financial account and/or payment card information was included and TMH’s electronic medical records were not involved.
What TMH is Doing in Response. As a dedicated, community-based health care provider for nearly 75 years, TMH cares deeply about our community and the patients we serve. We take this incident very seriously and want to assure patients that we are continually enhancing the security of our electronic systems and the data we maintain to help prevent events such as this from occurring in the future.
On March 31, 2023, we began mailing letters to patients whose information may have been involved. While, to date, we are unaware of any misuse of patients’ information, as a precaution, TMH is offering complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services to individuals whose Social Security number was included. Patients are also encouraged to review statements they receive from their
healthcare providers and health insurer, and immediately report any inaccuracies to the provider or
insurer.
For More Information. TMH has established a dedicated, toll-free call center for patients to call with questions, available at 1-888-567-0040, Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
