While the breach was announced via an online blog post, only limited information has been provided. A class action suit may already be in the works.
Mt. Baker Imaging, alongside Northwest Radiologists, recently announced that they had experienced a data leak. The announcement was made via a blog post on Mt. Baker Imaging’s website, dated March 26th.
The investigation is still ongoing, with Northwest/MBI stating they are still reviewing the data and who was impacted. At this time, no patients have been directly notified.
Impacted information includes names, addresses, Social Security numbers, treatment information, and health insurance information.
According to the blog post, the breach was caused by a “computer network disruption,” and the company is now working with forensic specialists and the FBI.
According to Cascadia Daily News, when one patient called Mt. Baker Imaging’s call center (provided in the breach notice), they were told that no information was available. The patient would have to wait until they received a mailed letter, after Mt. Baker’s review of the breach was completed. When the patient asked for a timeline of the review process, the call center said they could not provide any further information.
Currently, those in and around the area may be seeing social media ads from Seattle-based law firm Tousley Brain Stephens. The firm is seeking impacted patients for a potential class action lawsuit. The suit will likely not be filed until the investigation is complete and patients know if they were impacted and harmed by the incident.
Outside of this, patients can expect to receive a letter in the mail if their data was involved. Generally, healthcare organizations must also notify the Attorney General’s Office if the breach impacts more than 500 individuals. This notification must be provided within 30 days, but delays can be granted during ongoing investigations.
If notifications are only posted on a practice’s website, patients will likely not know they have been impacted until they next go to the website, meaning some patients may still be unaware of the breach. Outside of this, it’s common for breaches to only impact certain patients. Without a notice explaining who has been impacted, patients may face uncertainty. While investigations can delay he notification process, it’s important for patients to be notified in a timely manner so that they can monitor their credit and take action to protect themselves as needed.
Mt. Baker Imaging has six locations throughout Whatcom County, Washington. The company provides ultrasounds, MRIs and other imaging services. Northwest Radiologists works directly with Mt. Baker to interpret the images.