On June 12, 2023, Atlanta Women’s Health Group, P.C. (“AWHG”) filed a notice of data breach with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (“HHS-OCR”) after learning about a recent cybersecurity incident that made confidential patient information available to an unauthorized party. Based on the fact that AWHG filed notice of the breach with the HHS-OCR, it is almost certain the incident resulted in patients’ protected health information being subject to unauthorized access. After confirming that consumer data was leaked, AWHG 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 the Atlanta Women’s Health Group, P.C., it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As a healthcare provider, AWHG owes its patients a duty to protect the sensitive personal information gathered during the course of treatment. However, the recent data breach raises legitimate concerns over AWHG’s efforts to protect patient data. 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 Atlanta Women’s Health Group data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What We Know So Far About the Atlanta Women’s Health Group Breach

News of the Atlanta Women’s Health Group data breach is still fresh; however, what we know at this point comes from the company’s filing with the HHS-OCR. However, the information provided on the HHS-OCR’s data breach portal is limited, and AWHG has not yet posted notice of the incident on its website or issued a press release explaining the incident. Thus, the available information is limited.

However, we do know that the breach involved a “Hacking/IT incident” targeting AWHG’s network servers. After learning about the incident, AWHG launched an investigation into the incident, confirming that an unauthorized party was able to access confidential patient information stored on the company’s IT network.

Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was made available to an unauthorized party, Atlanta Women’s Health Group 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 likely includes your name and protected health information. This could include sensitive data such as your Social Security number, lab results, current medications, diagnoses, and health insurance claims information. However, the exact data types that were leaked in the AWHG breach have not yet been confirmed.

On or around June 12, 2023, Atlanta Women’s Health Group sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.

More Information About Atlanta Women’s Health Group, P.C.

Founded in 1999, Atlanta Women’s Health Group, P.C. is an organization consisting of more than 40 OB/GYN practices located in the Atlanta area. AWHG was created by the merger of Georgia OB/GYN, Northside/Northpoint OB/GYN, Roswell OB/GYN, Peachtree Women’s Clinic, North Atlanta OB/GYN and North Atlanta Women’s Specialists. AWHG conducts over 400,000 visits each year for more than 300,000 patients. Atlanta Women’s Health Group employs more than 174 people and generates approximately $14 million in annual revenue.