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.
Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center
Mentioned in a privacy incident report created by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on July 23, 2014. Also cited in 43 other reports.
Report ID: PSETS0000106927, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Reported Entity: COLUMBIA SC - 544
Issue:
A VA Employee (Service Line Records Liaison) noticed on 07/14/14 that four boxes that were being prepared for shipment to the Records Center and Vault located in Neosho, Missouri, were missing. The four boxes were labeled with Accession #VHA-14-0797 for long term storage. According to the Records Liaison, the boxes were kept behind keypad locked doors, however some of the boxes were moved into the morgue hallway from the locked room without her knowledge. VA Police, Privacy Officer, Records Manager, and OIG special agents were notified. A walk-through of last known area(s) was conducted. A VA Police Investigator, Records Manager, OIG special agents, and ISO conducted a walk-through and inspection of the temporary onsite storage facility. The Records Liaison and Records Manager conducted a thorough search of all other packaged boxes (69) and accounted for each file in each accession. All files accounted for except four boxes missing in question.
Outcome:
07/22/14: The records have not been located. They are in four boxes. Each sheet of paper in the boxes is on a separate Veteran. There is a total of 3,637 Veterans involved. No cameras are in the area. Engineering was doing work in the area and the doors were unlocked when it was determined that the four boxes were missing. 07/29/14: The DBCT has determined that credit protection services will be offered to all Veterans involved in this incident. A next of kin (NOK) notification letter will be sent if the Veteran is deceased. 08/07/14: The total number of Veterans that will be offered credit protection services is 2,179. The remaining 1,458 will receive NOK letters. 08/26/14: The facility plans to release the letters on 09/05/14 and the press release on 09/09/14. 09/09/14: The letters went out on Friday 09/05/14 and the press release went out Monday 09/08/14. Thus far ABC, CBS, and NBC have aired stories in Columbia area. It is likely some other markets will pick it up and run it also.