Sutter Health stolen computer risks 4.2M patients' data

The personal data of 4.24 million Sutter Health patients has been jeopardized after a desktop computer was stolen last month, reports the Sacramento Business Journal. Sutter Health immediately reported the theft to police, as well as conducted an internal investigation.

Although the computer was password-protected, the stolen records were not encrypted, the health system stated in a press release yesterday. It also said the computer didn't contain patient financial records, Social Security numbers, or health plan identification numbers.

But for 3.3 million Sutter Physician Services patients, the computer did contain names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, emails, medical record numbers, and health insurance providers.

And in addition to that demographic information, 943,000 Sutter Medical Foundation Sutter Physician Services patients also had dates of service, descriptions of medical diagnoses, and procedures stored on the computer. Sutter said it will send notification letters to these patients by Dec. 5.

The theft occurred while the health system was in the middle of encrypting its computers and has since accelerated the process, Sutter Health President and CEO Pat Fry said in the press release.

Despite efforts to reinforce security practices throughout the system, Sutter Health was criticized for keeping such private information on individual computers. What's more, thieves still could access password-protected computers easily by physically removing the drive from the computer, Thor Severson, co-owner of CMIT Solutions of Sacramento, told the Business Journal.

The theft reinforces Senators' call for stricter penalties of health data breaches and stronger enforcement of protections at a hearing last week.

For more information:
- here's the Sutter press release
- read the Sacramento Business Journal article
- read the Associated Press article

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