Salem (Ore.) Health is notifying patients that their information may have been exposed in a data breach.
In August, Salem Health discovered that an unauthorized third party had gained access to a limited number of employee email accounts. The hospital immediately secured the accounts. Upon investigation, Salem Health could not determine if the unauthorized user viewed any emails or attachments.
Patient data that may have been exposed includes names, dates of birth and treatment information. Salem Health is still investigating all the information that may have been accessible to the unauthorized person.
Salem Health is recommending patients review their statements from healthcare providers. The hospital also has a call center dedicated for patients with questions or concerns.
"We take the privacy and confidentiality of our patients' information very seriously, and deeply regret any inconvenience or concern this incident may cause our patients. To help prevent something like this from happening again, we are enhancing our email security and reinforcing education with our employees on how to identify and avoid malicious emails," Salem Health said in a news release.