Search Privacy Violations, Breaches and Complaints
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.
Desert Pacific Healthcare Network (VISN 22)
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on November 21, 2011. Also cited in 129 other reports.
Report ID: SPE000000068867, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 22 Las Vegas, NV
Issue:
A VA employee placed a form 522 into a frank sealed white envelope. The employee intended to place the envelope in a U.S. Government Messenger Envelope for internal mailing to medical records. It was mailed by accident to the U.S. Postal Service, who returned the sealed envelope back to VA as undeliverable. The employee had placed a label on the outside of the envelope containing Veterans full name, full social security number and date of birth. Update: 11/21/11:The Veteran will be sent a letter offering credit protection services.NOTE: There were a total of 12 Mis-Handling incidents this reporting period. Because of repetition, the other 11 are not included in this report, but are included in the "Mis-Handling Incidents" count at the end of this report. In all incidents, Veterans will receive a notification letter and/or credit monitoring will be offered if appropriate.
Outcome:
The VA employee intended to put the sealed frank envelope into an inter-departmental delivery envelope for delivery by internal means via VA mailroom employees to medical records for filing. The mailroom employee scanned the stack of envelopes but only looking for frank envelopes, thereby not noticing the outgoing address. If the envelope had been a non frank envelope, but a blank one, the mailroom employee would have noticed the outgoing address and this incident would have been prevented. Employee educated on best mailing policy. Privacy Officer sent an all employees email reminding employees of mailing procedures. Frank envelopes are not be used for internal mailing and no label with PII is placed on any outside envelope. Credit monitoring letter mailed on 11/22/11.