Patients notified following security incident

MultiCare recently notified 473 patients that some personal information was disclosed to an unauthorized individual when a MultiCare employee failed to follow the organization’s policies around the transportation of protected health information.

On April 23, 2018, we learned that theft occurred from a private vehicle of an employee as they were traveling between MultiCare facilities. The stolen items included a list of patients. The list included personal health information such as name, date of birth, address and other information. Financial information and Social Security numbers were not included in this information.

MultiCare has notified the affected patients through letters and phone calls. Individuals who believe they are affected by this incident but who have not received a letter are encouraged to call 833-220-1120.

The employee who released the information inappropriately has been disciplined and re-trained in accordance with our policies and procedures. At this time, we are unaware of any risks to the affected patients or to their personal or protected health information. Out of an abundance of caution, MultiCare has advised those patients to monitor their credit and personal information for any suspicious activity.

MultiCare deeply regrets that this incident occurred, and the organization has taken the appropriate steps to address the situation. We remain committed to the protection of our patients’ information.

If you have any questions or concerns related to this complaint, please call 833-220-1120.