8K receive security alert from U of Tennessee Medical Center
The University of Tennessee Medical Center has reportedly sent notification letters alerting 8,000 patients that hospital reports containing private information were not properly disposed.
According to the letter sent to affected individuals from the Knoxville-based facility, administrative reports that contained certain patient information that should have been shredded as per hospital policy was instead “discarded in the hospital’s waste stream."
“There was no sensitive, personal or identifying information in view on the outside of the report; however, located within the report was certain patient related information, including the patient’s name and social security number,” stated the letter.
"The hospital was made aware of the situation on Oct. 4 and, at this time, has no reason to believe that any personal information has actually been accessed or inappropriately used.
“Based on our waste management process, shortly after disposal, all information was rendered unreadable,” the letter continued. “We have sanctioned applicable staff members and are retraining appropriate staff on the hospital's disposal procedure for documents that contain personal protected information.”
The University of Tennessee Privacy Response telephone number can be reached at 1-877-394-0517 and beginning Wednesday, Dec. 1 during the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., according to the letter.
According to the letter sent to affected individuals from the Knoxville-based facility, administrative reports that contained certain patient information that should have been shredded as per hospital policy was instead “discarded in the hospital’s waste stream."
“There was no sensitive, personal or identifying information in view on the outside of the report; however, located within the report was certain patient related information, including the patient’s name and social security number,” stated the letter.
"The hospital was made aware of the situation on Oct. 4 and, at this time, has no reason to believe that any personal information has actually been accessed or inappropriately used.
“Based on our waste management process, shortly after disposal, all information was rendered unreadable,” the letter continued. “We have sanctioned applicable staff members and are retraining appropriate staff on the hospital's disposal procedure for documents that contain personal protected information.”
The University of Tennessee Privacy Response telephone number can be reached at 1-877-394-0517 and beginning Wednesday, Dec. 1 during the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., according to the letter.