On May 17, 2023, Clarke County Hospital (“CCH”) filed a notice of data breach with the Montana Attorney General after learning that confidential patient information was exposed to an unauthorized party following a data security incident involving the organization’s computer network. Based on the company’s official filing, the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to consumers’ first and last names, addresses, dates of birth, health insurance information, medical record number, diagnostic information, and protected health information. After confirming that consumer data was leaked, CCH began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals who were impacted by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification from Clarke County Hospital, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As a healthcare provider, Clarke County Hospital possesses a wealth of confidential information. Hackers are aware of this and specifically target these organizations in hopes of stealing patient data they can later use to commit identity theft and other frauds. To learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft and what your legal options are in the wake of the Clarke County Hospital data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What We Know So Far About the Clarke County Hospital Breach
News of the Clarke County Hospital data breach is still fresh; however, what we know at this point comes from the company’s filing with the Montana Attorney General. According to this source, on April 14, 2023, CCH detected suspicious activity within its computer network. In response, the organization shut off all access to its network and began working with a third-party cybersecurity firm to investigate the incident.
The CCH investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party was able to gain access to its computer network. The investigation also revealed that some of the files that were accessible to the unauthorized party contained confidential patient information.
Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was made available to an unauthorized party, Clarke County Hospital began to review the affected files to determine what information was compromised and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your first name, last name, address, date of birth, health insurance information, medical record number, diagnostic information, and protected health information.
On May 17, 2023, Clarke County Hospital sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.
More Information About Clarke County Hospital
Founded in 1953, Clarke County Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital located in Osceola, Iowa. CCH provides patients in and around Clarke County with a range of medical services, including medical imaging, surgery, skilled nursing care, laboratory testing, respiratory therapy, cardiac rehabilitation and more. Clarke County Hospital employs more than 60 people and generates approximately $17 million in annual revenue.
