Oswego Health Data Privacy Incident

PR Newswire

OSWEGO, N.Y., Sept. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Oswego Health is addressing a data privacy incident that may have exposed personal information. To date, Oswego Health has no evidence of misuse of the information; however, in an abundance of caution, Oswego Health is providing notice of the incident to potentially affected individuals, as well as certain state and federal regulators.

Oswego Health discovered unauthorized access to an employee email account, which occurred between June 11, 2020 and June 15, 2020. Upon discovery, Oswego Health immediately took steps to contain the event, including resetting the user's password and updating its policies and procedures. The email account contained certain patient information, including name, date of birth, physician name, and medical diagnosis. It also contained Social Security numbers or driver's license information for a limited number of individuals. Oswego Health immediately began investigating the incident and identified those individuals who may have been impacted by this incident.

Oswego Health is in the process of properly notifying the potentially affected individuals. A dedicated call line has been established to address questions regarding this incident. Potentially affected individuals have been provided with information regarding steps they can take to place a credit freeze or fraud alert on their credit files and the need to regularly review their Explanation of Benefits statements and financial account statements for any suspicious activity. Individuals who discover unusual activity should promptly report their findings to their insurance company, healthcare provider, financial institution, and local authorities. If you would like further information, please contact us at (888) 905-0048 (toll free) Monday through Friday between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm EST.

Oswego Health takes information privacy and security matters seriously and will remain vigilant in its efforts to safeguard and protect patient information, while taking any additional steps that may be necessary to mitigate and remediate this incident.

About Oswego Health:
The mission of Oswego Health is to provide accessible, quality care and improve the health of residents throughout Oswego County. As a not-for-profit healthcare system that was established in 1881, Oswego Health is proud to continue to be one of Oswego County's largest employers. More than 1,200 employees work for the Oswego Health system, which includes the 164-bed community Oswego Hospital, a 28-bed psychiatric acute-care facility with multiple outpatient behavioral health service locations, The Manor at Seneca Hill, a 120-bed skilled nursing facility, and Springside at Seneca Hill, a retirement community. Oswego Health also has Health Services Centers located throughout Oswego County. For more information about Oswego Health, please visit our website www.oswegohealth.org.