Advocate Aurora reports breach after paper records left at former hospital: 3 details

Milwaukee and Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Aurora Health reported paper and other hard-copy files were recently found at a former hospital facility, and some of the files contained personal and health information.

Three things to know:

1. The files were found at Marinette, Wis.-based Bay Area Medical Center, which stopped providing hospital services in August 2018. Advocate Aurora has been preparing to sell the facility and found the files.

2. In July, the health system determined that some of the files contained personal and health information. The building has had limited public use since hospital services were transferred out, but the health system doesn't have any evidence that the information was improperly viewed or used.

3. Advocate Aurora reported that 2,979 patients' information was potentially contained within the files. The information included names, birth dates, addresses, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, lab results, diagnoses, medications, health insurance information and dates of service.

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