On November 23, 2022, Dallam Hartley Counties Hospital District reported a data breach with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights after the organization learned that an unauthorized party was able to access confidential patient information contained on its computer network. According to DHCHD, the breach resulted in patients’ names, Social Security numbers, health insurance information, demographic information, and medical information being compromised. Recently, DHCHD sent out data breach letters to all affected parties, informing them of the incident and what they can do to protect themselves from identity theft and other frauds.
If you are a patient at one of the Dallam Hartley Counties Hospital District facilities and you received a data breach letter from the organization, it means that your “private” information is no longer private. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, healthcare data breaches are increasingly common, as hackers specifically seek out patients’ protected health information to commit a range of frauds, including healthcare identity theft. However, there are steps you can take to limit your risks. Additionally, if evidence emerges that DHCHD was negligent in maintaining your information, you may be eligible for compensation through a data breach lawsuit.
What We Know About the Dallam Hartley Counties Hospital District Data Breach
The available information regarding the Dallam Hartley Counties Hospital District breach comes from the company’s filing with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. DHCHD also posted a “Notice of Data Incident” on its website. According to these sources, on September 28, 2022, Dallam Hartley Counties Hospital District first learned of a potential data security incident that impacted some of the organization’s computer servers. In response, DHCHD took measures to contain the incident, reported the breach to law enforcement, and then launched an investigation with the assistance of a third-party forensic firm that specializes in cybersecurity matters.
As a result of the DHCHD investigation, it was confirmed that an unauthorized party was able to access certain portions of the organization’s computer network between September 27, 2022 and September 28, 2022. It was also determined that the unauthorized actor removed a subset of the files, some of which contained confidential patient information.
Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was made available to an unauthorized party, Dallam Hartley Counties Hospital District 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, Social Security number, health insurance information, demographic information, and medical information.
On November 23, 2022, Dallam Hartley Counties Hospital District sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.
More Information About Dallam Hartley Counties Hospital District
Dallam Hartley Counties Hospital District is a healthcare organization based in Dalhart, Texas. DHCHD operates several hospitals and other medical providers in the area, including Coon Memorial Hospital, Dalhart Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Dalhart Family Medicine Clinic, Coon Memorial Home Health & Hospice, High Country Community Rural Health Clinic, Legacy Assisted Living, and Coon Memorial Nursing Home. Dallam Hartley Counties Hospital District employs more than 223 people and generates approximately $23 million in annual revenue.
