Data breach at Asheville VA Medical Center leaked information of over 1,500 veterans
ASHEVILLE – A data breach that occurred two months ago at the Charles George VA Medical Center in East Asheville involved the personal information of more than 1,500 veterans, according to a news release from the medical center.
The VA medical center, located at 1100 Tunnel Road, became aware on May 12 of an email correspondence “inadvertently disclosing the personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI),” according to a news release obtained by Citizen Times June 10.
A VA medical center employee uploaded a wrong document in their secure messaging system, My HealtheVet, spokesperson Vance Janes of the VA medical center told Citizen Times June 11. The employee caught the mistake, removed the document and reported it to the facility Privacy Office on May 12.
After an investigation was initiated that same day, it was determined that a data breach occurred involving the personal information of “more than 1,541 veterans,” the release said. Due to the disclosure of the individuals' personal information, there is a potential for these veterans to become victims of identity theft, according to Janes.
"Once the document was sent the employee who sent it realized it right away and removed it," Janes told Citizen Times. "Only two veterans opened the secure message, and they were contacted and asked to delete it. Any time we have an unauthorized disclosure supervisors must submit a corrective action to help prevent recurrences. Often the actions taken may include training, remedial training, new procedures/processes implemented and sometimes disciplinary action if deemed necessary."
The VA medical center provides full medical and mental health services to more than 49,000 veterans in 23 counties of Western North Carolina, according to Janes.
“To protect these Veterans, Charles George VA Medical Center is alerting the affected individuals of the potential risk to their personal information,” Janes said in the press release. “The department is also offering access to credit monitoring services, at no cost, to those whose social security numbers may have been compromised.”
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To protect their data, veterans whose information was involved are advised to follow the instructions sent to them in a letter from the VA Medical Center, which includes signing up for a free Credit Protection Service. If a veteran does not receive an alert by mail, their personal information was not involved, and no action is needed.
Veterans who receive notification their information is potentially at risk from this incident can direct specific questions to vhaashprivacy@va.gov, or call 1-800-932-6408. Veterans can also write their questions and send them by mail to Charles George VA Medical Center, Attn: Privacy Officer, 1100 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805.
The VA data breach was announced the same day as a breach of personal patient data was announced by HCA Healthcare, which included Mission Hospital and its six other hospitals in Western North Carolina.
More: Mission Hospital owner HCA discloses data breach at multiple hospitals across WNC
Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. News tips? Email Ryley at rober@gannett.com. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Data breach at Asheville VA center, veterans' personal data leaked
