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Mid-year 2022: 20M patients’ data exposed in healthcare breaches

Mid-year 2022: 20M patients’ data exposed in healthcare breaches

A breach at software company Eye Care Leaders in December potentially affected nearly 1.3 million patients at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Eye Care Leaders shared final results of its forensic investigation with the medical school in April, according to a notice from the center, and the school reported it to the Office for Civil Rights in June.

Baptist Medical Center in Texas discovered a cyberattack in April, in which a hacker accessed and removed data from the hospital’s network between March 31 and April 24, according to a notice from the hospital. The incident, which Baptist Medical Center reported in June, potentially exposed data on roughly 1.2 million patients.

Nearly 80% of data breaches reported to the Office for Civil Rights in the first half of the year—including the incidents at Shields Health Care Group, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Baptist Medical Center—were attributed to hacking or IT problems. The remainder stemmed from improper disposal, loss, theft or unauthorized access.