Theft of auditing firm's computer affects local patients

McCOOK, Neb. -- Some Community Hospital patients are being offered free identity protection monitoring for one year after receiving a letter from the hospital's auditing company, Seim Johnson, this week. The letter informed patients that a Seim Johnson laptop computer was stolen and that their personal information about services they received at Community Hospital may be affected. Seim Johnson is an accounting firm in Omaha and provides services to Community Hospital. In order to perform these services, Seim Johnson receives limited information about a sample of patients to audit the hospital's financial activities.

A laptop belonging to a Seim Johnson employee was stolen in Nashville, Tennessee in December. Seim Johnson's standard procedure to secure data on its laptop computers includes installing a password and encryption software. After the theft was reported, Seim Johnson's investigation revealed that it was likely that the encryption software on the stolen laptop computer was not functioning.

"Any patients who were potentially impacted by this situation have received letters from Seim Johnson notifying them of the event," said Rachel Berry, Community Hospital Director of Health Information Management and Privacy Officer. "Please read the letter thoroughly. If you have further questions, I encourage letter recipients to call me at 308-344-8328 so you can receive complete and accurate information about the event."

Berry said that most of the information listed in the auditing company's software included a personal identifier such as a patient account number, medical record number or visit number. Patient names may also have been listed. No credit card information was on the laptop computer. For a few individuals, social security numbers were included. If that is the case, the patient would have been specifically informed in the letter they received from Seim Johnson.

"We are not aware of any activity that would make us believe the information has actually been accessed or viewed on the stolen laptop computer," Berry said. She added that the Community Hospital is taking added precautions to verify an individual's identity before disclosing additional personal, medical, or financial information.

Although Seim Johnson took steps to encrypt the information on the laptop computer, Seim Johnson cannot confirm the encryption software was functioning correctly. Out of an abundance of caution, identity protection services are being offered at no charge to the patients through AllClear ID.

Nearly 4,200 Community Hospital patients received letters. Patients from other health care providers that work with Seim Johnson in Nebraska and elsewhere also received letters from the firm.