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.
VA Southwest Health Care Network (VISN 18)
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on December 21, 2011. Also cited in 228 other reports.
Report ID: SPE000000069879, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 18 Tucson, AZ
Issue:
Yesterday the supervisor in Beneficiary Travel noticed a box of reproduction materials that was set for distribution to Veterans regarding the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) program. He didnt recognize the information and began reviewing it. In the packet was an EFT form that was already completed by Veteran A and had been reproduced and put in the 500 packets set for distribution.The supervisor asked his staff if any of the forms had been distributed yet and was told they had not. This morning an employee was given a fax from a Veteran who had been given one of the packets yesterday, noticed the completed form, and notified SAVAHCS staff. This form contained the name, DOB, full SSN, address, bank account number, and bank routing number of a Veteran who had previously signed up for the EFT program. The supervisor counted all of the packets today and determined that 3 packets were distributed to Veterans. The supervisor is calling everyone who was assisted in Beneficiary Travel yesterday between 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., (when the information in the packets were discovered), in an effort to retrieve the remaining two copies of this form. Update: 12/21/11:Veteran A will be sent a letter offering credit protection services.
Outcome:
We have provided staff with additional training and have added a new quality process so supervisors must check all new informational packages being given to veterans beforehand.