On June 22, 2023, Desert Physicians Management (“DPM”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of California after determining that a recent cybersecurity incident compromised confidential patient information. Based on the company’s official filing, the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to consumers’ names, addresses, dates of birth, health insurance information, and clinical information, such as diagnoses, treatment information, and medication information. After confirming that consumer data was leaked, DPM began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals who were impacted by the recent data security incident.
Specifically, Desert Physicians Management sent letters to patients of Choice Physicians Network/Choice Medical Group, Choice Healthcare Associates, and Horizon Valley Medical Group.
If you receive a data breach notification from Desert Physicians Management, you may not have heard of the company, but it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. The DPM data breach appears to be what is referred to as a third-party data breach, meaning DPM received the compromised information from a third party, in this case, victims’ healthcare providers. Thus, while you may be unfamiliar with DPM, it doesn’t change the fact that your information was leaked and may be in the hands of criminals looking to steal your identity. 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 Desert Physicians Management data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What We Know So Far About the Desert Physicians Management Breach
News of the Desert Physicians Management data breach is still fresh; however, what we know at this point comes from the company’s filing with the Attorney General of California. According to this source, on April 23, 2023, DPM detected suspicious activity within its IT environment. In response, DPM secured its network and then began working with third-party cybersecurity specialists to investigate the nature and scope of the incident.
On May 18, 2023, the DPM investigation confirmed that an unauthorized actor was able to access and potentially remove files from the company’s network on April 23, 2023. It was later confirmed that some of these files contained confidential information belonging to patients of the following healthcare providers:
- Choice Physicians Network/Choice Medical Group,
- Choice Healthcare Associates, and
- Horizon Valley Medical Group.
Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was made available to an unauthorized party, Desert Physicians Management 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, address, date of birth, health insurance information, and clinical information, such as diagnosis, treatment information, and medication information.
On June 22, 2023, Desert Physicians Management sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.
More Information About Desert Physicians Management
Desert Physicians Management is a healthcare services company based in Apple Valley, California. The company provides administrative support services to physicians’ groups. Desert Physicians Management employs more than 36 people and generates approximately $3 million in annual revenue.
