Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System began notifying 16,167 patients Jan. 31 that their information may have been exposed in a phishing attack.
The health system recently discovered that a limited number of employees had fallen victim to a phishing scheme. Upon investigation, HSHS determined that an unauthorized third party had accessed the email accounts from Aug. 6-9, 2019.
Patient data that may have been exposed included names, dates of birth, clinical information, health insurance information, Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers. Since the incident, HSHS has taken steps to ensure a similar event does not happen again.
As a precaution, HSHS recommends patients review any statements from their healthcare or insurance providers and monitor credit reports.