A Kaiser Permanente employee was fired last month after a computer storage drive, containing information on 4,000 Sacramento-area patients, was stolen from a car parked at her home, hospital officials reported Tuesday.
The external drive contained data on as many as 15,500 Northern California patients, according to a statement from the hospital’s vice president for compliance and privacy, Kristin Chambers. She said the patients were notified. She considered the breach “low risk.”
Information on the drive included the patient’s name, Kaiser medical record number and, depending on the patient, may have included birth, sex, phone number and medical information. The data did not include Social Security numbers.
Kaiser has established a toll-free line for patients who have questions: (877) 608-0050. Patients covered by Medicare can call (800) 443-0815. Those needing TTY, call (800) 777-1370.