Intermountain Healthcare-owned Saltzer Health is informing patients that their personal information might have been compromised after an unauthorized party gained access to an employee email account.
The organization, which operates 12 clinics and urgent care facilities in Boise, Caldwell, Meridian, and Nampa, Idaho, said the attackers had access to the employee email account between May 25 and June 1, 2021.
An investigation into the incident revealed that the email account did contain personal information that was potentially compromised during the period of unauthorized access, the company said in a statement.
Potentially affected information includes names and contact information, driver’s license numbers and state identification numbers, and, in some cases, Social Security numbers and financial account details.
Medical information affected by the unauthorized access includes diagnosis, medical history, treatment details, prescription medication information, and physician information, along with health insurance information.
While Saltzer Health’s statement does not provide information on the number of affected individuals, the organization told the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that 15,650 people were potentially impacted by the incident.
The organization says it has taken steps to mitigate the risk of data compromise within its environment, including resetting the affected email account’s password and monitoring its network for any suspicious activity.
According to Saltzer Health, it hasn’t received reports of identity theft or fraud following the incident.
“Saltzer Health encourages all individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing account statements and explanation of benefits, and monitoring free credit reports for suspicious activity,” the organization says.
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