Millions of patients at New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health could potentially be affected by a data breach on a medical transcription service used by the health system.
Earlier this year, a hacker accessed the network of the vendor, Perry Johnson & Associates, and stole files, the company said Nov. 1.
"While none of Northwell's systems were impacted by this cyberattack on PJ&A, Northwell has been informed by PJ&A that records relating to Northwell's patients were among the files copied from PJ&A's network," a health system spokesperson emailed Becker's. "Although Northwell is not aware of any evidence of subsequent misuse of the information obtained from PJ&A's network, Northwell is offering all of its impacted patients complimentary identity theft protection services."
Northwell Health initially told News12 Long Island that 3.9 million people were affected by the breach before recalling the statement and saying it could not confirm specific numbers.
In October, Chicago-based Cook County Health said it severed its relationship with Perry Johnson & Associates over the cybersecurity incident. That health system later said the records of 1.2 million patients were breached.