HOSPITAL BACK UP TAPES LOST – CONTAINED 800,000 PATIENTS PERSONAL INFORMATION
BOSTON — Back-up computer files containing personal, health and financial information of thousands affiliated with South Shore Hospital may have been lost by a professional data management company.
The backup computer files could contain personally identifiable information for about 800,000 people, including patients who received medical services at South Shore Hospital as well as employees, physicians, volunteers, donors, vendors and other business partners associated with the hospital between Jan. 1, 1996, and Jan. 6, 2010.
The information on the backup computer files may include individuals full names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, medical record numbers, patient numbers, health plan information, dates of service, protected health information including diagnoses and treatments relating to certain hospital and home health care visits, and other personal identifying information. Bank account information and credit card numbers for a very small subset of individuals also may have been on the backup computer files.