On May 22, 2023, Pioneer Valley Ophthalmic Consultants, PC (“PVOC”) filed a notice of data breach with the Vermont Attorney General. PVOC filed this notice after learning that a data security incident at a third-party vendor, Alta Medical Management, resulted in the confidential information of PVOC patients being subject to unauthorized access. Based on the company’s official filing, the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to consumers’ names, addresses, email addresses, Social Security numbers, payment card information, and medical records. After confirming that consumer data was leaked, PVOC 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 Pioneer Valley Ophthalmic Consultants or Alta Medical Management, it is imperative that you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. Healthcare data breaches are becoming more common as hackers realize the wealth of highly sensitive information providers possess on behalf of patients. In fact, hundreds of thousands of patients each year fall victim to identity theft and other frauds that stem from healthcare data breached. 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 Pioneer Valley Ophthalmic Consultants data breach, please see our recent piece on healthcare data breaches here.
What We Know So Far About the Pioneer Valley Ophthalmic Consultants Breach
News of the Pioneer Valley Ophthalmic Consultants data breach is still fresh; however, what we know at this point comes from the company’s filing with the Vermont Attorney General. According to this source, on March 3, 2022, PVOC learned that one of the company’s vendors, Alta Medical Management, experienced two different data security incidents, each of which compromised confidential information relating to PVOC patients.
The first incident involved a ransomware attack resulting in an unauthorized party gaining access to Alta Medical Management’s billing servers between November 13, 2021 and November 15, 2021. The second incident involved the potential for unauthorized access to Alta Medical Management’s online patient portal. Evidently, the possibility of unauthorized access lasted until October 26, 2021.
While Alta Medical Management launched an investigation to determine what information was leaked as a result of these two incidents, the company was able to confirm which files, if any, the hackers accessed. At this point, PVOC engaged in a detailed review of all information that would have been available to the unauthorized parties. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, address, email address, Social Security Number, payment card information, and medical records.
On May 22, 2023, Pioneer Valley Ophthalmic Consultants sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.
More Information About Pioneer Valley Ophthalmic Consultants, PC
Pioneer Valley Ophthalmic Consultants, PC is an optometry and ophthalmology practice based in Holyoke, Massachusetts. PVOC consists of two ophthalmologists and one optometrist who serve patients through a combination of medical and surgical treatments. Pioneer Valley Ophthalmic Consultants employs more than 30 people and generates approximately $7 million in annual revenue.
