Oakland, Calif.-based Alameda Health System reported that a data breach has potentially exposed the protected health information of 90,000 patients.
The health system told Becker's that it recently became aware of suspicious activity on some of its employees' email accounts.
An investigation into the incident revealed that an unauthorized user was able to remotely gain access to the email accounts, which contained patients' personal health information.
The health system said it is currently unaware whether any of the information from the email accounts have been compromised or taken. It also said it is in the process of notifying patients.
The health system did not provide further detail on the date it was compromised, what kind of information was in the emails or when it became aware of the incident.
Alameda Health System said as the investigation continues, it plans to be transparent, inform appropriate regulatory agencies and take all measures to mitigate harm to patients.