COVID-19 documents with patient names improperly discarded at N.J. hospital
The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood has begun notifying patients of a data breach risk, after documents containing patient names and medical record numbers were improperly discarded at an outpatient COVID-19 testing facility.
Valley Hospital, part of the Valley Health System, was informed on Aug. 29 that “post-COVID-19 testing patient instructions were mistakenly being discarded in a marked recycling bin at an outpatient COVID-19 testing facility,” according to a news release.
An investigation was launched but officials could not retrieve the improperly discarded instructions, the hospital stated.
The documents included the names of the providers administering the COVID-19 test, labels with the patient names, medical record numbers, service dates, and location codes for the patients’ scheduled procedure, according to Valley Hospital.
The paperwork did not include patient addresses, phone numbers, insurance identification numbers, Social Security numbers, positive or negative status, or any other information that constitutes protected health information, it was stated in the news release.
There’s no evidence that any of the documents have been misused, but Valley Hospital stated in the release it can’t rule out that possibility and has notified all patients tested at the unidentified facility between June 1 and Sept. 1.
“Based on the limited nature of the information involved, patients tested at that facility are unlikely to be at risk of identity theft or data misuse, and no further action on their part is needed,” the hospital stated in the news release, adding it has “developed additional controls in order to safeguard against similar incidents happening in the future.”
Patients can contact Valley Hospital at 833-875-0797 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. weekdays or visit an online information site set up by the hospital.
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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
