Data breach confirmed by HCA Healthcare: 11 million patients, 47 Florida hospitals affected

Samantha Neely, Fort Myers News-Press
Updated ·9 min read
HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital, based in Port Charlotte, has opened a freestanding emergency room in Cape Coral at 322 Pine Island Road. The building is nearly 11,000 square feet and is open 24/7 and able to address medical emergencies with a laboratory, diagnostic equipment and more. It was opened to serve Cape Coral’s growing population.

From women's health clinics in Pensacola to cardiology specialists in Sarasota to Lake Nona's hospital, HCA Healthcare's 47 hospitals and 180 physicians in Florida were among those affected by the company's nationwide data breach.

HCA Healthcare officials announced this week that a list of patients' information was compromised and discovered on an online forum for sale by an unknown party, affecting millions of people.

Officials said on Monday that they learned about the unauthorized person's claims on the online forum on July 5, shortly after the posting was made. In their statement, they said they immediately activated incident response protocols to understand and assess the situation.

"The investigation is ongoing and we cannot confirm the number of individuals whose information was impacted," officials said in a statement Monday. "HCA Healthcare believes that the list contains approximately 27 million rows of data that may include information for approximately 11 million HCA Healthcare patients."

The Nashville-based company comprises 180 hospitals and approximately 2,300 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom.

How did HCA Healthcare data breach happen?

Officials said the incident looks to be a theft from an external storage location exclusively used to automate the formatting of email messages.

HCA Healthcare reported this event to law enforcement and retained third-party forensic and threat intelligence advisers. While the investigation is ongoing, the company has not identified evidence of any malicious activity on HCA Healthcare networks or systems related to this incident.

What information does the HCA Healthcare leak include?

HCA Healthcare has confirmed that the list contains information used for email messages, such as reminders that patients may wish to schedule an appointment and education on health care programs and services.

  • Patient name, city, state and ZIP code

  • Patient email, telephone number, date of birth, gender

  • Patient service date, location and next appointment date

HCA Healthcare data breach: What info was NOT included in the leak?

  • Clinical information, such as treatment, diagnosis or condition

  • Payment information, such as credit card or account numbers

  • Sensitive information, such as passwords, driver’s licenses or Social Security numbers

What is being done to prevent HCA Healthcare data breaches from happening again?

To prevent additional breaches, HCA Healthcare said that it has disabled user access to the storage location as an immediate containment measure.

HCA Healthcare said it has several robust security strategies, systems and protocols in place to help protect data. Officials said that their efforts to protect data include ongoing education for colleagues, physicians, vendors and others to maintain awareness of safe practices that can help ensure compliance and the security of our information.

What should I do if my information was in a data breach?

HCA Healthcare officials said they will offer credit monitoring and identity protection services where appropriate.

They also encourage patients to remain vigilant in identifying calls, emails or SMS texts that appear to be spam or fraudulent. Additionally, patients should never open links or attachments sent from untrusted sources.

Stay on top of breaches: 40 million Americans' health data is stolen or exposed each year. See if your provider has been breached.

According to security company McAfee, some further tips you can do to protect after a data breach are:

  • Change your passwords and use two-factor authentication.

  • Keep an eye on your accounts.

  • Sign up for an identity protection service.

I received a communication regarding an invoice, balance or payment reminder that may be fraudulent. What should I do?

Officials recommend calling 844-608-1803 to confirm the legitimacy of the message.

I have an older family member who goes to an HCA Healthcare facility. How do I help protect them?

Older adults are among the most targeted victims of cybercrime. In 2020, cybercriminals stole $1.8 billion from Americans older than 50.

In addition to the tips above, Senior adviser experts recommend that those wanting to help their older relatives following a data breach should talk to them about:

  • Avoiding account takeover fraud

  • Freezing access to credit

  • Preventing card fraud

  • Stopping medical identity theft

How can I stay informed of the HCA Healthcare data breach?

HCA Healthcare has created a dedicated web page at hcahealthcare.com/privacyupdate to keep patients informed.

List of all the Florida HCA-affiliated facilities affected

Hospitals

  • HCA Florida Aventura Hospital

  • HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital

  • HCA Florida Blake Hospital

  • HCA Florida Brandon Hospital

  • HCA Florida Capital Hospital

  • HCA Florida Citrus Hospital

  • HCA Florida Englewood Hospital

  • HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital

  • HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital

  • HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital

  • HCA Florida Highlands Hospital

  • HCA Florida Jfk Hospital

  • HCA Florida Jfk North Hospital

  • HCA Florida Kendall Hospital

  • HCA Florida Lake City Hospital

  • HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital

  • HCA Florida Largo Hospital

  • HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital

  • HCA Florida Memorial Hospital

  • HCA Florida Mercy Hospital

  • HCA Florida North Florida Hospital

  • HCA Florida Northside Hospital

  • HCA Florida Northwest Hospital

  • HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital

  • HCA Florida Ocala Hospital

  • HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital

  • HCA Florida Osceola Hospital

  • HCA Florida Palms West Hospital

  • HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital

  • HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital

  • HCA Florida Putnam Hospital

  • HCA Florida Raulerson Hospital

  • HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital

  • HCA Florida South Shore Hospital

  • HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital

  • HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital

  • HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital

  • HCA Florida Trinity Hospital

  • HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital

  • HCA Florida University Hospital

  • HCA Florida West Hospital

  • HCA Florida West Tampa Hospital

  • HCA Florida Westside Hospital

  • HCA Florida Woodmont Hospital

  • Oviedo Medical Center

  • Plantation General Hospital

  • UCF Lake Nona Hospital

Physician Clinics

  • HCA Florida Oak Hill Women's Health

  • HCA Florida Advanced Women's OBGYN

  • HCA Florida Aventura Orthopedics

  • HCA Florida Atlantis Orthopedics

  • HCA Florida Heart and Vascular Care

  • HCA Florida Aventura Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Behavioral Health Specialists

  • HCA Florida Blake Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Brandon Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Broward Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Neurosurgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Capital Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Capital Pelvic Health and Incontinence

  • HCA Florida Capital Pulmonary Specialists

  • HCA Florida Capital Women's Health

  • HCA Florida Capital Cardiology Specialists

  • HCA Florida Capital Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Capital Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Capital Women's Health

  • HCA Florida Cardiac Surgical Specialists

  • CareNow Urgent Care

  • HCA Florida Broward Orthopedics

  • HCA Florida Biscayne Bay Orthopaedics

  • HCA Florida Seminole Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Orlando Allergy and ENT

  • West Palm Medical Group

  • HCA Florida Seminole Cardiology Specialists

  • HCA Florida Citrus Internal Medicine

  • HCA Florida Citrus Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Heart and Lung

  • HCA Florida Capital Vascular Surgery

  • HCA Florida Broward Gastroenterology

  • HCA Florida Palm Beach Gastroenterology

  • HCA Florida Ocala Primary Care

  • FC Ocala PCPLAB

  • HCA Florida Heart and Lung

  • HCA Florida Advanced Cardiothoracic Surgery

  • HCA Florida Fort Walton Beach Neurosurgery

  • HCA Florida Minimally Invasive Urogynecology

  • HCA Florida Fort Pierce Orthopedics

  • HCA Florida Gainesville Primary Care

  • Gainesville GME Clinic

  • HCA Florida Gainesville GYN Oncology

  • HCA Florida Trinity Breast Care and Surgery

  • HCA Florida Citrus Women's Health

  • HCA Florida North Florida Internal Medicine

  • HCA Florida Poinciana Gastroenterology

  • HCA Florida Bayonet Point Palliative Care

  • Internal Medicine at Trinity

  • HCA Florida Gulf Coast Cardiology

  • HCA Florida Gulf Coast Primary Careh

  • Gulf Coast Orthopedic Surgery

  • HCA Florida Fawcett Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida St. Lucie Medical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Neurosurgery

  • HCA Florida BH Spec - Orange Park Outpatient

  • HCA Florida First Coast ENT

  • HCA Florida First Coast Neurology

  • HCA Florida First Coast Neurosurgery

  • HCA Florida Jax Neurosurgery And Spine

  • HCA Florida Jacksonville Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Jax Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Orange Park Women's Health

  • HCA Florida Orange Family Care

  • HCA Florida Orange Park ENT

  • HCA Florida Orange Park Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Orange Park Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Orange Park Women's Health

  • HCA Florida Heart Institute, Venice

  • HCA Florida Lawnwood Bariatric Spec

  • HCA Florida Memorial Hand Specialists

  • HCA Florida Vascular Specialists

  • HCA Florida Palm Beach Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida St. Lucie Medical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Heart and Lung - Gainesville

  • HCA Florida Broward Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Lake Mary Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Highlands Medical Specialists

  • HCA Florida West Palm Orthopedics

  • HCA Florida Institute for Women's Health and Body

  • HCA Florida Poinciana Primary Care

  • Internal Medicine Assoc Of Plant City

  • HCA Florida Citrus Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Institute for Women's Health and Body

  • HCA Florida JFK Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Heart and Vascular Care

  • HCA Florida Kendall Orthopedics

  • HCA Florida Doral Medical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Trauma Specialists

  • HCA Florida Kendall Urology

  • HCA Florida Lake City Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Lake Mary Family Physicians

  • HCA Florida Lake Monroe Stroke Specialists

  • HCA Florida Lake Nona Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery

  • Largo Family Care

  • HCA Florida Largo Orthopedic Specialists

  • HCA Florida Heart and Vascular Care

  • HCA Florida Fort Pierce Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Trauma Specialists - Fort Pierce

  • HCA Florida Maternal Fetal Medicine

  • MD Now Urgent Care

  • HCA Florida Capital Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Poinciana Surgical Specialists

  • Memorial Family Medicine - Beach Blvd.

  • Memorial OCC Med

  • HCA Florida North Florida Maternal Fetal Care

  • HCA Florida Miami-Dade Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Miami Electrophysiology

  • HCA Florida Miami International Cardiology

  • HCA Florida Oak Hill Family Care

  • Nature Coast Heart Rhythm Center

  • HCA Florida Oak Hill Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Gainesville Stroke Specialists

  • HCA Florida Neurosurgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Niceville Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine

  • HCA Florida North Seminole Family and Sports Medicine

  • HCA Florida Heart and Lung

  • HCA Florida Fort Walton Beach Women's Health

  • HCA Florida Orange City Family Medicine

  • HCA Florida Oak Hill Internal Medicine

  • HCA Florida Ocala Neurosurgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Ocala Surgical Group

  • Ocala Health Trauma

  • HCA Florida Lake Nona Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery

  • HCA Florida Ocala Neurosurgical Center

  • HCA Florida Ocala Stroke Specialists

  • Orange Park Pediatric Specialists

  • HCA Florida Citrus Orthopedic Associates

  • HCA Florida Raulerson Orthopedics

  • HCA Florida Osceola ENT

  • Osceola App Project

  • Osceola Care Neurology GME

  • Osceola Care Spec - GME

  • Osceola GME Psychiatry

  • Osceola GME Surgical Clinic

  • Osceola Neurohealth Surgical Assoc

  • Osceola Plastic Maxillofacial Cosmetic Reconstruction

  • Osceola Surgical Associates

  • Osceola Urology Associates

  • HCA Florida Oviedo Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Pasadenda Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Blake Medical Specialists

  • Putnam Orthopedic Associates

  • HCA Florida Putnam Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Raulerson Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Royal Palm OB/GYN

  • HCA Florida Gulf Coast Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Highlands Medical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Heart and Vascular Care

  • HCA Florida Heart Institute

  • HCA Florida St. Petersburg Family Care

  • HCA Florida General and Weight Loss Surgery

  • HCA Florida Oak Hill Women's Health

  • HCA Florida Largo Surgical Specialists

  • Surgical Bariatric Centers

  • HCA Florida Gainesville Surgical Group

  • HCA Florida Palm Beach Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida Heart Institute

  • HCA Florida Seminole Neurosurgery

  • HCA Florida Heart and Vascular Care

  • HCA Florida Transplant Specialists

  • Treasure Coast Medical Spec - Cardio

  • Treasure Coast Medical Specialists

  • Treasure Coast Surgical Specialists

  • Urgent Care Center At Pinnacle

  • HCA Florida Heart and Lung

  • HCA Florida West Surgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida West Primary Care

  • HCA Florida West Cardiology Specialists

  • HCA Florida West Neurosurgical Specialists

  • HCA Florida West Women's Health

  • HCA Florida Thoracic Surgery

  • HCA Florida West Primary Care

  • HCA Florida Westside Primary Care

  • WFH GME Primary Care

  • HCA Florida West Orthopedic Specialists

  • West FL Primary Care - Mclab

  • HCA Florida Osceola GYN Oncology

  • HCA Florida Women's Health Group

  • HCA Florida West GYN Oncology

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: HCA Healthcare data breach list: 47 Florida hospitals, almost 200 clinics