TACOMA, Wash. – A data breach in November 2016 at MultiCare Health System allowed access to 1,200 patients’ personal records, the non-profit reported Thursday.
At this time, Multicare does not believe any patient information was accessed or misused, but patients who were potentially affected will receive a letter from MultiCare by Feb. 6.
Affected patients should review their Explanation of Benefits statements from their health insurer and report any irregularities.
MultiCare offers a network of health services across Pierce, South King, Thurston, and Kitsap Counties, and is made up of five hospitals, Allenmore Hospital, Auburn Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, and Tacoma General Hospital.
An unauthorized person may have gained access to an employee’s email account on Nov. 27, 2016. The account may have contained personal patient information, including name, date of birth, address, gender, date of service, account balance, and diagnosis and treatment information.
Financial information and social security numbers were not listed on the email account.
When MultiCare learned of the breach, they secured the email account, changed the password, and investigated the incident.
If a patient believes they were affected by the breach, but do not receive a notification by Feb. 6, they can contact MultiCare at (844) 856-9319, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
