The following data breaches were reported in the past two weeks.
1. Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health acknowledged an information breach after patient names and addresses were given to marketers without patient consent. The information of approximately 430 patients was given to a marketing firm who sent out invitations to a seminar on low spine minimally invasive procedures.
2. Greenwood, S.C.-based Self Regional Healthcare notified patients after a laptop was stolen from one of its facilities. The laptop included information including names, Social Security numbers, insurance policy numbers, diagnoses and financial account information.
3. Penn Medicine Rittenhouse in Philadelphia notified 661 patients their financial information may be compromised after receipts were stolen from an office in Pennsylvania Hospital.
4. Three desktop computers were stolen from Bay Area Pain Medical Associates' office in Sausalito, Calif., prompting the office to notify nearly 3,000 patients their information may be compromised.
5. Newport News, Va.-based Riverside Health System announced a potential data breach of financial information after a former employee was found stealing credit card information.
More articles on data breaches:
Mobile security: Why hospitals need to better protect data
4 shortcomings of HIPAA in the era of reform
10 worst passwords of 2013: Is yours on the list?