The Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network has notified patients of a privacy and data security incident involving an unauthorized break-in at one of its facilities in McLennan County, Texas. On November 20, an unauthorized person broke into the facility and may have accessed or removed paper patient records. The organization discovered the break-in the same day it occurred.
Records Affected
The records potentially involved in the breach include patient names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, diagnoses, treatment or procedure information, and Medicaid or health insurance information. As a HIPAA-covered entity, the behavioral health network moved quickly to respond, notifying law enforcement immediately and launching a full internal investigation.
The organization has notified regulatory authorities including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, the Texas Office of the Attorney General, and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Response and Protective Measures
In response to the incident, the Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network has secured the affected area and implemented enhanced physical security safeguards and additional staff training. Because Social Security numbers were potentially compromised, the network is encouraging affected individuals to monitor their explanation-of-benefits statements, billing statements, and credit reports for suspicious activity. Free credit reports can be obtained at AnnualCreditReport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.
The organization stated: “Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network takes the privacy and security of protected health information seriously and regrets any concern this incident may cause.” Patients with questions can contact Noel Magee, Privacy Officer, by phone at 866-752-3451 or by email at noel.magee@hotbhn.org.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/mclennan-county/heart-of-texas-behavioral-health-network-reports-data-breach-affecting-patient-records