Information Security Incidents

Please read the following notices to learn more about recent information security incidents involving Premier Health and/or a third-party business associate that might have involved your private health information:

Notice Of Data Security Event

Premier Health, July 2024

Premier Health Family Care – North and Premier Health Family Care of Vandalia (collectively, “Premier Health”) are informing potentially impacted individuals of a recent incident that may impact the privacy of some of their information. Information security is among Premier Health’s highest priorities, and we have strict security measures in place to protect information in our care. To date, Premier Health is not aware of any actual or attempted misuse of the potentially impacted information.

What Happened? On or around July 11, 2024, Premier Health became aware that a former employee had improperly retained physical copies of patient office visit schedules, patient contact lists, and lists of medical record transfer requests following their termination with Premier Health.  As a result, medical information relating to certain patients who received care from Premier Health Family Care – North and Premier Health Family Care of Vandalia prior to 2018 was impacted.  After becoming aware of the issue, we took steps to retrieve the documents, ensure that there was no risk to the security of the information moving forward, and investigate to determine the nature and scope of the incident.

What Information Was Involved? The investigation determined that one or more of the following data elements may have been potentially impacted: name, date of birth, address, medical information, and phone number.  Please note that we do not have any evidence to indicate that potentially impacted information was subject to actual or attempted misuse as a result of this incident.

What We Are Doing. Information security is among Premier Health’s highest priorities, and we have strict security measures in place to protect information in our care. Upon becoming aware of this incident, we took steps to retrieve the documents and to determine what information was potentially impacted. We are notifying potentially impacted individuals and have corresponded with the Office of Civil Rights regarding this incident.

For More Information. Potentially affected individuals may have questions regarding this incident that are not addressed in this letter. If you have additional questions and believe you may be impacted by this incident, please call the dedicated assistance line at (855) 507-7876(855) 507-7876 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time. You can also write to Premier Health at 110 North Main Street, Suite 900, Dayton, OH 45402.

What You Can Do. While Premier Health is not aware of any actual or attempted misuse of information as a result of this incident, Premier Health nonetheless encourages potentially affected individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and to monitor your credit reports for suspicious activity.  Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.  To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228.  Individuals may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Potentially impacted individuals may also find information regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes and the steps they may take to protect their information by contacting the credit bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission or their state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC  20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261.  

Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement or the individual’s state Attorney General.