700K YRMC patients impacted by data leak
YRMC says patients got a letter Thursday informing them about the situation
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) said it mailed letters to thousands of patients whose information may have been involved in a recent cybersecurity incident.
On April 25, 2022, YRMC identified a ransomware incident affecting some internal systems. Upon detecting the incident, YRMC shared with News 11 it took immediate action, taking systems offline, and communicating with law enforcement.
An investigation was launched with the help of a third-party forensic firm. YRMC said the investigation determined that an unauthorized person gained access to YRMC’s network between April 21 and April 25 and removed a subset of files from YRMC’s systems during that time.
YRMC said some of these files contained patient information, including names, Social Security numbers, health insurance information, and limited medical information.
YRMC’s electronic medical records application was not accessed during this incident.
YRMC said it mailed letters to affected patients Thursday as well as opened a dedicated, toll-free call center to answer questions about this incident. The 700,000 patients includes those living in Yuma County as well as those who are working or visiting Yuma on a short term or seasonal basis.
YRMC is also offering complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to those who are eligible.
YRMC says it takes the privacy and confidentiality of its patients' information very seriously, and sincerely regrets any inconvenience or concern this incident may have caused patients and their families.
To help prevent something like this from happening again, YRMC said it strengthened the security of its systems and will continue enhancing its protocols to safeguard the information in its care.
Anyone with questions may contact a dedicated, external call center available at (855) 503-3409, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Pacific Time.
More information is available on YRMC’s website: yumaregional.org.
