Southwest Orthopaedic Specialists, PLLC Notifies of INTEGRIS Health Data Security Incident

OKLAHOMA CITY, March 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On February 7, 2024, INTEGRIS Health, which manages certain electronic health data on behalf of Southwest Orthopaedic Specialists, PLLC (“SOS”), notified SOS that a recent data privacy incident experienced by INTEGRIS Health may have impacted information belonging to certain SOS patients. INTEGRIS Health is mailing letters to potentially impacted individuals, and no SOS systems were impacted by the INTEGRIS Health event.

On November 28, 2023, INTEGRIS Health discovered potential unauthorized activity on certain systems. Upon becoming aware of the suspicious activity, INTEGRIS Health took steps to secure the environment and commenced an investigation into the nature and scope of the activity. The investigation determined that certain files may have been accessed by an unauthorized party on November 28, 2023. Upon determination of the scope of potentially affected information, INTEGRIS commenced a detailed review of the relevant data to determine the type of information present and to whom that data related. This process involved working through both a programmatic and then detailed manual review of the data to identify documents and material potentially containing sensitive information and then undertaking steps to catalogue those records in furtherance of identifying those individuals who may be affected. This process also involved a detailed manual effort to reconcile the relevant information with internal records in furtherance of identifying individuals, as well as determining from which entity the data originated.

The personal information potentially affected varies by individual, however the investigation identified the following information related to potentially affected individuals in connection with this event: name, date of birth, contact information, demographic information, and/or Social Security number. This does NOT involve Employment information, Driver’s License, Financial/Payment Information, or username/password.

The confidentiality, privacy, and security of information within its care are among SOS’s highest priorities. Upon learning of the event, SOS promptly took steps to work with INTEGRIS Health to provide notice of this event to SOS’s impacted patients.

SOS encourages individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing their account statements and explanation of benefits and monitoring their free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Individuals may also review and consider the information and resources outlined below. If you have any questions, please call INTEGRIS Health’s toll-free line at (888) 447-8141.

For More Information? If individuals have additional questions, please send an email to INTEGRIS Health at Integrisresponse@integrishealth.org.

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

Review Your Account Statements and Notify Law Enforcement of Suspicious Activity: As a precautionary measure, we recommend that you remain vigilant by reviewing your account statements and credit reports closely. If you detect any suspicious activity on an account, you should promptly notify the financial institution or company with which the account is maintained. You also should promptly report any fraudulent activity or any suspected incidence of identity theft to proper law enforcement authorities, your state attorney general, and/or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Copy of Credit Report: You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies once every 12 months by visiting http://www.annualcreditreport.com/, calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228, or by completing an Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348. You also can contact one of the following three national credit reporting agencies:

Fraud Alert: You may want to consider placing a fraud alert on your credit report. An initial fraud alert is free and will stay on your credit file for at least one year. The alert informs creditors of possible fraudulent activity within your report and requests that the creditor contact you prior to establishing any accounts in your name. To place a fraud alert on your credit report, contact any of the three credit reporting agencies identified above. Additional information is available at http://www.annualcreditreport.com.

Security Freeze: You have the right to put a security freeze on your credit file for up to one year at no cost. This will prevent new credit from being opened in your name without the use of a PIN number that is issued to you when you initiate the freeze. A security freeze is designed to prevent potential creditors from accessing your credit report without your consent. As a result, using a security freeze may interfere with or delay your ability to obtain credit. You must separately place a security freeze on your credit file with each credit reporting agency. In order to place a security freeze, you may be required to provide the consumer reporting agency with information that identifies you including your full name, Social Security number, date of birth, current and previous addresses, a copy of your state-issued identification card, and a recent utility bill, bank statement or insurance statement.

Additional Free Resources: You can obtain information from the consumer reporting agencies, the FTC, or from your respective state Attorney General about fraud alerts, security freezes, and steps you can take toward preventing identity theft. You may report suspected identity theft to local law enforcement, including to the FTC or to the Attorney General in your state.

You also have certain rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): These rights include to know what is in your file; to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information; to have consumer reporting agencies correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; as well as other rights. For more information about the FCRA, and your rights pursuant to the FCRA, please visit https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf

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SOURCE Southwest Orthopaedic Specialists, PLLC