On October 22, 2024, Dallas County Hospital District d/b/a Parkland Health (“Parkland Health”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Texas after discovering that an unauthorized party was able to access information that had been entrusted to the company. In this notice, Parkland Health explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, dates of birth, and medical information. Upon completing its investigation, Parkland Health 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 Parkland Health & Hospital System, 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 Parkland Health data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What Caused the Parkland Health Data Breach?
The Parkland Health data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, Parkland Health’s filing with the Attorney General of Texas provides only limited information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, Parkland Health recently identified a potential data security incident. After launching an investigation, Parkland Health confirmed that the incident affected confidential information that had been provided to the company.
Importantly, while it’s possible that Parkland Health’s systems were breached, that isn’t the only possible explanation. It’s also possible that Parkland Health is filing notice of a third-party breach that took place at one of Parkland’s vendors but affected information Parkland had provided to the vendor.
Regardless, after learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Parkland Health 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, date of birth and medical information.
On October 22, 2024, Parkland Health filed notice of the incident with the Texas Attorney General. Typically, companies file notice with state attorney general offices around the same time they send data breach letters to those who were affected by the breach. However, Parkland’s timeline could be different. Either way, once sent, these letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.
More Information About Parkland Health & Hospital System
Established in 1894, Parkland Health & Hospital System is a healthcare system based out of Dallas, Texas. The Parkland Health System includes a Level I Trauma Center, a burn center, and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The system also includes a network of health centers and numerous outreach and education programs. Parkland is also the primary teaching hospital for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Parkland serves an average of one million patients each year. Parkland Health employs more than 13,103 people and generates approximately $1.6 billion in annual revenue.
