East Side Health District reports leak of clients’ personal information
The leak of personal information about East Side Health District clients is under investigation, the agency has announced.
The number of people affected has not been released but no one has yet reported a case of identity theft in connection with the data breach that temporarily disrupted computer systems, according to Elizabeth Patton-Whiteside, the public health administrator for the district.
Patton-Whiteside said she called the FBI after learning of the data breach in December.
The FBI could not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation. “However, the FBI always takes reports of cyberattacks from our public and private-sector partners seriously,” the FBI said in a statement. “The FBI works to quickly engage with victims to help identify evidence and exchange information so that the victim can prevent further network damage and restrict the loss of data.”
The breach was discovered on Dec. 8 and the incident “disrupted the operations of some” of the district’s computer systems, according to the agency’s website.
Third-party forensic experts were hired to help with the investigation. The district said the breach occurred between Dec. 1 and Dec. 8.
The district began mailing letters to clients on Friday. Patton-Whiteside said the timeline of mailing the letters was based on advice of the forensic experts.
Free “identity monitoring services” will be offered to patients whose Social Security or driver’s license numbers may have been involved.
“Through the ongoing analysis, we determined the files contained information belonging to certain patients,” the news release states. “The information varies per patient but includes some or all of the following: names, contact information, dates of birth, treatment and diagnosis information, test results, prescription information, dates of service, provider names, and/or health insurance information. Some patients may have also had Social Security numbers and/or driver’s license numbers involved.”
The agency encourages patients to review statements from their healthcare providers and insurers. If they see charges for services they did not received, they are advised to contact the provider or insurer immediately, the release says.
Patton-Whiteside said the incident remains under investigation.
“We care deeply about our community and individuals we serve and we regret any inconvenience or concerns this may have caused,” Patton-Whiteside told the News-Democrat. “We’re committed to security and privacy of information in our care and we are implementing additional safeguards and technical security measures to further protect and monitor our systems to prevent a similar incident like this from occurring again.”
East Side Health District clients can call a toll-free helpline at 800-939-4170 if they have questions about the data breach. This line is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
East Side Health District serves residents in East St. Louis and surrounding communities. It has an administrative office at 650 N. 20th St. in East St. Louis and seven clinics in the area.
For more information, you can go to the district’s website at eastsidehealthdistrict.org.
This story was originally published February 6, 2024 at 12:47 PM.
