Health records stolen from Lacombe clinic

May 22, 2011

This is the sort of privacy you can expect once your health records become part

of the national healthcare system.

Administrator

nic/4821233/story.html

Health records stolen from Lacombe clinic

Hard drive has records of 1,000 AHS patients

By Pamela Dipinto, Edmonton Journal May 21, 2011

A portable hard drive containing backup copies of 1,000 Alberta Health Services'

central Alberta Pain and Rehabilitation Institute client records was stolen

recently from a clinic in Lacombe, the AHS revealed Friday. An unconfirmed

number of non-AHS patients at the Lacombe clinic are also affected by the

breach.

The stolen hard drive -containing clients' names, birth dates, addresses, health

care numbers and prescription information -was stolen from the Dr. R. Burnham

and Associates Medical Clinic in Lacombe between closing Friday, May 6, and 7

p.m. Sunday, May 8, said AHS chief privacy officer Mike Tolfree.

Wayne Wood, information and privacy commissioner spokesperson, said their office

was notified of the theft on May 16 and an investigation was launched. The

Lacombe Police Service is also investigating the break and enter.

The device -which was private property of the Dr. Burnham clinic, and not an AHS

device -was " password-protected, but not encrypted, " said Tolfree.

" We have said time and time again that kind of information must be encrypted,

that it should be the standard, " said Wood. Tolfree said AHS is now " working

proactively " with the clinic to make sure its systems are encrypted and " in line

with AHS policies. "

At this point, there is " no indication " that data stored on the hard drive has

been accessed, said AHS, but they, along with the commissioner's office, are

advising patients to monitor their credit for any " unusual activity. " No

financial information was involved in the theft. Any clients concerned their

information has been accessed or used inappropriately are asked to contact

Lacombe Police. Tolfree said affected patients are being notified starting

Friday.

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