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 Midwest Health Care Network (VISN 23)
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on March 21, 2013. Also cited in 183 other reports.
Report ID: PSETS0000087038, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: VISN 23 Des Moines, IA
Issue:
Patient's A's wife called in and stated two pages of patients' names, SSNs, account numbers, and account balances somehow got placed in the patient's discharge papers. Patient A visited Endoscopy, 4th floor desk, and Travel. Update: 03/21/13: These were papers from the patient funds office which should have gone to a different patient. The other patients name and SSN were exposed, however the spouse of the Veteran who was given the documents shredded the papers. There is no way to identify which Veteran's papers were incorrectly given out. 03/25/13: The employee who lost the list was able to recreat it. The list contained 37 names and full SSN. Letters will be sent to 37 Veterans offering credit protection services.
Outcome:
Employee who lost the sheet is no longer printing this paper and is instead looking at the information from his screen. Supervisor was made aware of the incident.