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This database was last updated in December 2015 ago and should only be used as a historical snapshot. More recent data on breaches affecting 500 or more people is available at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Breach Portal.
VA Southwest Health Care Network (VISN 18)
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on June 29, 2012. Also cited in 228 other reports.
Report ID: SPE000000077365, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 18 Phoenix, AZ
Issue:
On 06/29/12, a Social Worker at a Community Based Outpatient Clinic reported to the Privacy Officer that 12 pages of a Veteran\xe2\x80\x99s medical record was faxed to a residential address in Texas instead of intended non-VHA agency. The Social Worker was contacted by a private citizen upon receipt of this fax. The Social Worker had used the appropriate VHA cover sheet which included redisclosure prohibition. Her contact information was on the form, which enabled the citizen to report this back to her. During their conversation, the citizen indicated they had been a fax recipient of prior medical records intended for this agency by VHA and other medical facilities. The Social Worker reviewed the non-VHA agency fax information from their cover sheet and webpage. The fax was keyed correctly but faxed to residential address instead. Information disclosed included: Veteran First name, last name, disability dates, military branch, rank and discharge date;; disability rating to obtain a service dog; problem list of 18 diagnoses (non-7332) with full SSN, neurology report son\xe2\x80\x99s first and last name, phone and address ROOT CAUSE: Non-VHA agency publication of incorrect fax number. ACTIONS: 1) Agency contacted by Social Worker to re-publish their correct fax number. Website is down now for fax id correction. 2) Voice message left by PO for citizen to recover Veteran documents. 3) Materials sent by Social Worker to agency after correct fax number received. 4) Further contacts with non-VHA agency and citizen by PO. Additional notification and investigation, pending. Update: 06/29/12: This was not the fault of the VA, however since the full SSN was disclosed, VA will offer credit protection services.
Outcome:
Social Worker assisted the other agency's incorrect fax number both on their website and on their fax cover pages. Followup thank you letter to faxed recipients with request for materials back after a phone call by PO. Local fax contact information was corrected for this agency. Non-VHA issue.