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Burglar Makes Off With Records for 16,000 Patients in the UCLA Health System
Medical records via Shutterstock
UCLA is now warning 16,000 patients that a burglar made off with their personal medical records two months ago, according to the Associated Press.
The doctor had the records at his home (which UCLA said was necessary for his job). When the doctor's home was burglarized, the thief swiped the hard drive with the medical records — and the scrap of paper right next to it with the password. Whoops.
The hospital said that it doesn't look like anyone has tried to use that information yet.
The burglary happened two months ago, but it's taken UCLA that long just to figure out how many people were affected by it. The records contain names and some personal medical information but it doesn't have social security numbers, financial information or complete medical histories. The breach affects patients at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Mattel Children's Hospital, Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center and Orthopedic Hospital, and Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, as well as outpatient clinics.
UCLA has gotten hammered by the state for its security breaches in the past, but those breaches were different. The records at UCLA are particularly attractive to nosy hospital workers who want to peek at the medical records of the stars. Last year UCLA paid an $865,000 settlement for violating privacy laws after workers were accused and convicted of snooping.
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