On November 27, 2024, Heartland Community Health Center (“HCHC”) posted a website notice entitled “Notice of Data Incident” after discovering that an unauthorized party gained access to an employee’s email account. In this notice, Heartland Community Health Center explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, addresses, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, medical information, Medicare/Medicaid number, and health insurance information. Upon completing its investigation, Heartland Community Health Center began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification from Heartland Community Health Center, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Heartland Community Health Center data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What Caused the Heartland Community Health Center Data Breach?
The Heartland Community Health Center data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, Heartland Community Health Center’s website provides some important information on what led up to the breach.
According to this source, on October 1, 2024, Heartland Community Health Center detected unusual activity within an employee’s email account. In response, Heartland Community Health Center reset all employee passwords and brought on a team of cybersecurity experts to conduct an investigation. While this investigation is still ongoing, Heartland Community Health Center learned that the unauthorized party was able to access confidential patient information.
After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Heartland Community Health Center reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, address, phone number, email address, Social Security number, driver’s license number, state ID number, date of birth, medical information, Medicare/Medicaid number, and health insurance information.
On November 27, 2024, Heartland Community Health Center sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.
More Information About Heartland Community Health Center
Heartland Community Health Center is a nonprofit healthcare organization providing comprehensive primary care, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services. Headquartered in Lawrence, Kansas, the center focuses on serving underserved populations and ensuring access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. The organization employs approximately 217 people and generates an estimated $31 million in annual revenue.
