Bellefontaine, Ohio-based Mary Rutan Hospital discovered and removed a link providing patient information inadvertently posted online, HHS revealed Oct. 29.
Four notes:
1. On Sept. 8, the hospital realized a link online to an Excel spreadsheet included tables with patient health information such as names, birth dates, service dates and other health information. The spreadsheet also included the diagnosis related groups code and cost of visit information.
2. Social Security numbers and banking information was not exposed in the incident.
3. Mary Rutan Hospital removed the tables with the protected health information and implemented procedures prior to publishing the diagnosis related groups data online to avoid similar incidents.
4. The incident exposed the information of 1,677 patients, according to HHS.