Recently, Shields Health Care Group, Inc. confirmed that the company experienced a data breach after an unauthorized party gained access to the company’s computer network and the sensitive consumer data contained on the network. According to Shields, the breach resulted in personal data belonging to approximately two million people being compromised. The compromised data types include patients’ full names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, provider information, diagnoses, billing information, insurance numbers and information, medical record numbers, patient IDs, and other medical or treatment information. On May 27, 2022, Shields filed official notice of the breach and sent out data breach letters to all affected parties.

If you received a data breach notification, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. 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 Shields Health Care Group data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What We Know About the Shields Health Care Group Data Breach

According to the notice provided on the company’s website, on March 28, 2022, Shields detected suspicious activity on its computer system. In response, Shields launched an investigation into the incident, working with cybersecurity specialists to determine the nature and scope of the event as well as whether what, if any, patient data was exposed.

This investigation confirmed that an unknown party was able to gain access to Shield Health Care Group’s IT systems between March 7, 2022 and March 21, 2022. The company was also able to determine that the unauthorized party acquired—or stole—data from the company’s servers.

Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Shields Health Care Group then reviewed the affected files to determine exactly what information was compromised. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your full name, Social Security number, date of birth, home address, provider information, diagnosis, billing information, insurance number and information, medical record number, patient ID, and other medical or treatment information.

The company also notes that “although Shields had identified and investigated a security alert on or around March 18, 2022, data theft was not confirmed at that time.” It is not clear if Shields is referring to the same incident or if this was another unrelated breach.

On May 27, 2022, Shields Health Care Group sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent breach.

More Information About Shields Health Care Group, Inc.

Shields Health Care Group, Inc. is a medical provider group based in Quincy, Massachusetts. Shields Health Care Group was first started in 1972, when the founders opened up the Madalawn Nursing Home in Brockton, Massachusetts. Since then, the company has diversified and expanded its operations to include more than 30 facilities throughout New England, offering MRI, PET/CT, and outpatient surgical services. Shields Health Care Group employs more than 75 people and generates approximately $25 million in annual revenue.

Which Healthcare Providers Does Shields Health Care Group Serve?

As a premier medical imaging company, Shields Health Care Group provides management and imaging services on behalf of many other health care facilities. The company notes that, as a result of the data security incident, the patients of various healthcare facilities may have had their information exposed. The healthcare facilities that may have been impacted by the Shields’ data breach include:

• Baystate Health Urgent Care, LLC

• Baystate MRI & Imaging Center, LLC

• Brighton Imaging Center, LLC

• Cape Cod CT Services, LLC

• Cape Cod Imaging Services, LLC (a business associate to Falmouth Hospital Association, Inc)

• Cape Cod PET/CT Services, LLC

• Cape Cod Radiation Therapy Service, LLC

• Central Maine Medical Center

• Emerson Hospital

• Fall River/New Bedford Regional MRI Limited Partnership

• Falmouth Hospital Association, Inc.

• Franklin MRI Center, LLC

• Lahey Clinic MRI Services, LLC

• Massachusetts Bay MRI Limited Partnership

• Mercy Imaging, Inc.

• MRI/CT of Providence, LLC

• Newton Wellesley Orthopedic Associates, Inc.

• Newton-Wellesley Imaging, PC

• Newton-Wellesley MRI Limited Partnership

• Northern MASS MRI Services, Inc.

• NW Imaging Management Company, LLC (a business associate to Newton Wellesley Orthopedic Associates, Inc.)

• PET-CT Services by Tufts Medical Center and Shields, LLC

• Radiation Therapy of Southeastern Massachusetts, LLC

• Radiation Therapy of Winchester, LLC

• Shields and Sports Medicine Atlantic Imaging Management Co, LLC (a business associate SportsMedicine Atlantic Orthopaedics P.A.)

• Shields CT of Brockton, LLC

• Shields Healthcare of Cambridge, Inc.

• Shields Imaging at Anna Jaques Hospital, LLC

• Shields Imaging at University Hospital, LLC

• Shields Imaging at York Hospital, LLC

• Shields Imaging Management at Emerson Hospital, LLC (a business associate to Emerson Hospital)

• Shields Imaging of Eastern Mass, LLC

• Shields Imaging of Lowell General Hospital, LLC

• Shields Imaging of North Shore, LLC

• Shields Imaging of Portsmouth, LLC

• Shields Imaging with Central Maine Health, LLC (a business associate to Central Maine Medical Center)

• Shields Management Company, Inc.

• Shields MRI & Imaging Center of Cape Cod, LLC

• Shields MRI of Framingham, LLC

• Shields PET_CT at Berkshire Medical Center, LLC

• Shields PET-CT at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, LLC

• Shields PET-CT at Emerson Hospital, LLC

• Shields PET/CT at CMMC, LLC

• Shields Radiology Associates, PC

• Shields Signature Imaging, LLC

• Shields Sturdy PET-CT, LLC

• Shields-Tufts Medical Center Imaging Management, LLC (a business associate to Tufts Medical Center, Inc.)

• South Shore Regional MRI Limited Partnership

• South Suburban Oncology Center Limited Partnership

• Southeastern Massachusetts Regional MRI Limited Partnership

• SportsMedicine Atlantic Orthopaedics P.A.

• Tufts Medical Center, Inc.

• UMass Memorial HealthAlliance MRI Center, LLC

• UMass Memorial MRI – Marlborough, LLC

• UMass Memorial MRI & Imaging Center, LLC

• Winchester Hospital / Shields MRI, LLC