On April 24, 2023, Petaluma Health Center (“PHC”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Maine after an unauthorized party was able to access files stored on the company’s computer network that contained confidential information belonging to employees, board members and volunteers. Based on the company’s official filing, the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to consumers’ first names, last names, addresses, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, dates of birth, and health insurance plan information. After confirming that consumer data was leaked, Petaluma Health Center began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals who were impacted by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification from Petaluma Health Center, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As we’ve discussed in prior posts, healthcare organizations possess a wealth of highly sensitive information about patients and employees. And, while healthcare providers have a legal duty to protect the information in their care, it is not uncommon for hackers to find ways to bypass weak data security systems. 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 Petaluma Health Center data breach, reach out to a data breach lawyer.
What We Know So Far About the Petaluma Health Center Breach
News of the Petaluma Health Center data breach is still fresh; however, what we know at this point comes from the company’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine. According to this source, on March 14, 2023, PHC detected suspicious activity within its computer network. In response, PHC shut off all access to its network and enlisted the help of data security specialists to investigate the incident.
The Petaluma Health Center investigation confirmed that the suspicious activity was in reference to an unauthorized actor who had successfully gained access to the company’s network. It was later determined that some of the files contained sensitive information belonging to certain employees as well as other parties who provided PHC with their information.
Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was made available to an unauthorized party, Petaluma Health Center 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 first name, last name, address, Social Security number, driver’s license number, passport number, date of birth, and health insurance plan information.
On April 24, 2023, Petaluma Health Center sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.
More Information About Petaluma Health Center
Petaluma Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center (“FQHC”) located in Petaluma, California. PHC operates nine clinics, including Rohnert Park Health Clinic, Point Reyes Community Health Center, Bolinas Community Health Center, San Antonio High School Community Health Center, and Casa Grande High School Community Health Center. Petaluma Health Center employs more than 310 people and generates approximately $31 million in annual revenue.
