An anonymous tip led to the discovery of thousands of patient and employer records in a vacant building that used to house a homeless shelter, according to 7 Action News in Highland Park, Mich.
Doorstep Homeless Shelter closed its doors in 2008 when the facility's owner was indicted for embezzlement. Many citizens of Wayne County were sheltered there and received mental health treatment.
"Truth is, Highland Park just happens to be the place where the facility was located," Michigan Sen. Bert Johnson (D) told 7 Action News. "I'm sure it impacts people from all across Southeastern Michigan; that should be cause for alarm for anyone."
The facility is in Johnson's district and he said he expects the state to secure the records and conduct an investigation into the security lapse.
"It doesn't matter how long they have been in there, we have to protect the information of people. The state has to come in and deliver the documents to safety," said Johnson.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.