On November 30, 2023, Portneuf Health Partners, which owns and operates Portneuf Medical Center (“Portneuf”), added a link to its home page to a letter informing patients that a ransomware attack against Portneuf’s parent company, Ardent Health Services, may have compromised patient information. In this notice, Portneuf explains that the incident is still under investigation and that it cannot confirm whether any patient data was leaked. Upon completing its investigation, Portneuf will be required to send out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was subject to unauthorized access.

If you receive a data breach notification from Ardent Health Services or Portneuf Medical 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 a possible Portneuf Medical Center data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

Was There a Data Breach at Portneuf Medical Center?

It’s too soon to determine if there was a Portneuf Medical Center data breach. The ransomware attack against Portneuf’s parent company, Ardent Health Services, was only recently announced, and more information is expected soon. However, Ardent’s website notice provides some important information on what led up to the breach.

According to this source, on November 23, 2023, Ardent identified a potential cybersecurity incident. Upon detection of the threat, Ardent secured its systems and then began an investigation with the help of outside cybersecurity professionals.

The Ardent Health investigation is ongoing, and as of November 30, 2023, the company was still working to restore operations. Thus, Ardent’s investigation has not yet concluded whether any patient data was leaked. However, Ardent and Portneuf Medical Center will likely investigate the possibility of a data breach once all operations have been resumed.

If Ardent Health Services concludes that patient information was compromised, it will be required to send 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 Portneuf Health Partners / Portneuf Medical Center

Portneuf Health Partners is a healthcare system based in Pocatello, Idaho. Portneuf Health Partners was founded in 2009, with the merger of Portneuf Health Trust and LHP Hospital Group. The group consists of Portneuf Medical Center, Portneuf Quality Alliance, Portneuf Sports Medicine Institute and several physician practices. Portneuf Medical Center employs more than 2,205 people and generates approximately $330 million in annual revenue.

Portneuf Health Partners is an affiliate of Ardent Health Services, a large health system based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Ardent Health Services employs more than 23,000 people and generates approximately $2.3 billion in annual revenue.