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Computers containing 168,500 LA patients’ personal data stolen
Publication date: 3/7/2014
Source: UPI Top Stories
Computers containing the personal information data of about 168,500 medical patients in California’s Los Angeles County have been stolen, officials said.
The computers were stolen on Feb. 5 during a break-in at the offices of Sutherland Healthcare Solutions, which handles billing and collections for the county’s Department of Health Services and Department of Public Health, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
Patients’ first and last names, Social Security numbers and certain medical and billing information were stored on the computers that were stolen, officials said.
“I’m not aware of another breach of this significance ever having occurred,” said L.A. County Assistant Auditor-Controller Robert Campbell.
Sutherland publicly confirmed the theft on Feb. 24 and began notifying affected patients by mail Thursday.
Torrance police Sgt. Robert Watt said so far, no arrests have been made and it is unclear whether the personal data was the target of the theft or if it had been used in identity theft since.
“It’s hard to say what the frame of mind of the suspects was — did they know what was inside these computers?” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to find out.”
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