Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center

The covered entity (CE), Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, reported that its business associate (BA) improperly discarded documents that contained the protected health information (PHI) of approximately 1,000 individuals. The PHI involved included names, addresses, dates of birth, drivers’ license numbers, Social Security numbers, telephone numbers, financial and health insurance information, diagnoses, lab results, medications prescribed, claims information, and other treatment information. The CE had ceased its business relationship with the BA in 2013. The CE notified HHS, affected individuals, the media, and posted substitute notice on its website. In response to the breach, the CE destroyed the mishandled medical records and notified local law enforcement and the state Attorney General.