Patients notified of breach at Saint Thomas Rutherford

Saint Thomas Rutherford has notified more than 2,800 patients of a health information breach that was discovered in April.

During an investigation, it was revealed hospital documents, which did not contain social security numbers or patient medical records, were found along a remote and rural road in DeKalb County.

The documents contained the patient’s name, date of birth, admitting diagnosis, account number and doctor’s name.

According to a release, the reports reflected a small sample of patient census reports or logs during 2009-2010.

“Protecting the privacy of our patient’s information is always a top priority for us at Saint Thomas Health and Ascension,” said Cynthia Figaro, Corporate Responsibility Officer and Corporate Privacy Officer of Saint Thomas Health.

She continued, “Once we were made aware of this breach, we immediately investigated the incident to ensure that no further disclosures were made. Based on our investigation, we do not believe that there is a financial risk to our patients. We sincerely apologize for this incident.”

Saint Thomas Health has contracted with a vendor that will ensure that all storage files are properly secured and accounted for until destruction.

Any patients who have questions can call 1-844-310-2955.

A total of 2,859 patients were notified about the breach. It has not been determined who may be responsible for the breach.

Courtesy of WKRN News 2