On March 31, 2023, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (“TMH”) posted a notice of data breach on its website after the organization learned of an IT security incident that leaked confidential patient information. Based on the company’s official filing, the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to consumers’ names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, health insurance information, medical record numbers, patient account numbers, and limited treatment information related to care received at TMH. After confirming that consumer data was leaked, TMH 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 Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, healthcare data breaches put your sensitive information in the hands of the hackers who carry out these attacks. Often, hackers will use the stolen data to commit identity theft or other frauds against victims, or they will sell the information on the Dark Web to other criminals who plan to do the same. 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 Tallahassee Memorial data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What We Know So Far About the Tallahassee Memorial Breach
News of the Tallahassee Memorial is still fresh; however, what we know at this point comes from the “Notice to Patients Regarding IT Security Event” posted on the TMH website. According to this source, on February 23, 2023, TMH identified suspicious activity within its computer system. In response, the company secured its systems and began working with independent experts to investigate the incident and determine what, if any, patient information was affected.
The TMH investigation confirmed that the suspicious activity was indeed a cybersecurity threat and that an unauthorized actor accessed and removed certain files from the TMH network. It was later determined that some of the files that were accessible to the unauthorized party contained confidential patient information.
Upon discovering that sensitive patient data was made available to an unauthorized party, Tallahassee Memorial 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 name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, health insurance information, medical record number, patient account number, as well as limited treatment information related to care received at TMH.
On March 31, 2023, Tallahassee Memorial sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.
More Information About Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare
Founded in 1948, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare is a private, not-for-profit community healthcare system located in Tallahassee, Florida. TMH operates a 772-bed acute care hospital, a psychiatric hospital, three residency programs, multiple specialty care centers and 22 affiliated physician practices. TMH also has partnerships with Doctors’ Memorial Hospital, UF Health, and Weems Memorial Hospital. Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare has locations in nine Florida counties, serving residents of North Florida and South Georgia. Tallahassee Memorial employs more than 4,000 people and generates approximately $816 million in annual revenue.
