On December 19, 2023, Liberty Hospital posted a website notice informing patients that it was experiencing a cyberattack. Since then, Liberty Hospital has been working to bring its systems back online. At the same time, Liberty Hospital is investigating whether the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to patients’ confidential information. If Liberty Hospital’s investigation confirms that sensitive patient data was subject to unauthorized access, it will be required to send data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.
If you receive a data breach notification from Liberty Hospital, 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 a possible Liberty Hospital data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
Was There a Liberty Hospital Data Breach?
The recent cyberattack against Liberty Hospital was only recently announced, and the organization is still in the process of investigating its impact. Thus, it’s too soon to tell whether there was a Liberty Hospital data breach. However, Liberty Hospital has provided several updates on its website about the incident and the hospital’s response.
According to Liberty Hospital's “Updates regarding systems disruptions,” which are available on its website, Liberty Hospital detected a disruption to its computer network on December 19, 2023. In response, Liberty Hospital took its computer network offline and launched an investigation with the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists. Liberty Hospital also transferred patients needing higher levels of care to other area hospitals.
The Liberty Hospital investigation is ongoing. However, according to the most recent update on December 29, 2023, the hospital is continuing to make progress to bring its systems online.
If Liberty Hospital’s investigation determines that confidential patient information was accessible or acquired by an unauthorized party, it will be required under federal law to send data breach letters to anyone who was affected. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.
More Information About Liberty Hospital
Liberty Hospital is a non-profit hospital located in Liberty, Missouri. Liberty Hospital also provides care through a network of 22 urgent care centers, primary care providers, physical therapy centers, specialty clinics, and breast cancer centers. Some of Liberty Hospital’s facilities include Advanced Spine & Brain Center, Orthopaedics with MU Health Care Physicians, Norterre Therapy Services, Primary Care Excelsior Springs Clinic, Primary Care Kearney Clinic, Primary Care Liberty Clinic and Primary Care Plattsburg Clinic. Liberty Hospital employs more than 1,900 people and generates approximately $121 million in annual revenue.
