On June 30, 2023, Mount Desert Island Hospital (“MDIH”) filed a notice of data breach with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights after discovering that an unauthorized party had gained access to confidential patient information stored on the company’s computer network. In the recently filed notice, MDIH explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, Social Security numbers, financial account information, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, state identification numbers, and protected health information. Upon completing its investigation, MDIH began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification from Mount Desert Island Hospital, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As we’ve discussed in other similar posts, healthcare providers have experienced an unprecedented number of data breaches in 2023 – more so than any other industry. At the same time, healthcare data breaches often provide hackers with a complete list of information about victims, meaning hackers can immediately go to work using the stolen information to orchestrate identity theft scams and other types of fraud. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft as well as discuss your legal options following the Mount Desert Island Hospital data breach.

What Caused the Mount Desert Island Hospital Breach?

The Mount Desert Island Hospital data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, MDIH’s filing with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights provides some important information on what led up to the breach. MDIH also posted a “Notice of Data Security Incident” on its website. According to these sources, on May 4, 2023, MDIH detected unusual activity within its computer network. In response, MDIH notified law enforcement, secured its systems, and then launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party data security specialists.

The Mount Desert Island Hospital investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party was able to access portions of the company’s IT network that contained confidential patient data between April 28, 2023 and May 7, 2023.

After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Mount Desert Island Hospital reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, Social Security number, financial account information, date of birth, driver’s license number, state identification number, and protected health information.

On June 30, 2023, Mount Desert Island Hospital sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of which information of theirs was compromised.

More Information About Mount Desert Island Hospital

Founded in 1897, Mount Desert Island Hospital is a healthcare system based out of Bar Harbor, Maine. The company operates a retirement community and eight regional health centers, including a full-service behavioral health center and dental clinic, including the following:

• Breast Health Center
• Cadillac Family Practice
• Community Dental Center
• Community Health Center
• Cooper Gilmore Health Center
• Lisa Stewart Women's Health Center
• MDI Behavioral Health Center
• MDI General Surgery
• MDI Orthopedics
• MDI Urology
• Northeast Harbor Clinic
• Physical Therapy
• Trenton Health Center
• Weekend Care Clinic

Mount Desert Island Hospital employs more than 500 people and generates approximately $73 million in annual revenue.