Vitreo Provides Notice of Data Privacy Event
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vitreo-Retinal Medical Group, Inc. d/b/a Retinal Consultants Medical Group and Northern California Advanced Surgery Center, LP (collectively "Vitreo") is notifying certain individuals of a recent event that may impact the privacy of a limited amount of personal and/or medical information. Vitreo is unaware of any misuse of individual information and is providing notice to potentially affected individuals out of an abundance of caution.
On or about July 12, 2021, Vitreo experienced a service disruption that was determined to be caused by a sophisticated cyber-attack. Vitreo immediately launched an investigation to determine the nature and scope of this incident, working with outside cybersecurity specialists to securely restore its systems and determine the full impact of this event on its data. Vitreo also notified and are cooperating with federal law enforcement. Unfortunately, the investigation was not able to determine what, if any, Vitreo data may have been accessed or viewed without authorization.
In an abundance of caution, Vitreo performed a detailed and thorough programmatic and manual review of the potentially impacted data to determine what, if any, sensitive information may have been accessible to the unauthorized actor at the time of the incident. Upon receiving the initial results of the review on October 19, 2021, Vitreo worked diligently to locate address information for the affected individuals and just recently completed that effort.
The types of personal information that may have been accessible to an unauthorized actor include: name, address, date of birth, medical condition or treatment information, medical record number, diagnosis code, patient account number, Medicare/Medicaid information, treating physician name, health insurance information, and username/password. For a limited number of individuals, Social Security number may also have been accessible.
Vitreo takes the security of personal information very seriously. Since discovering this incident, Vitreo completed an extensive investigation, working with third-party specialists to assess the security of relevant systems and reduce the likelihood of a similar future event. Vitreo is further committed to integrating additional cybersecurity infrastructure and security measures without negatively impacting the healthcare populations it serves.
On November 9, 2021, Vitreo began notifying potentially impacted individuals and regulatory authorities, as required. While Vitreo is unaware of the misuse of any personal information impacted by this event, individuals are encouraged to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft by reviewing account statements and explanations of benefits for unusual activity. Any suspicious activity should be reported to the appropriate insurance company, health care provider, or financial institution. Vitreo is also offering complimentary credit monitoring to individuals where required.
Individuals seeking additional information regarding this incident can call Vitreo's dedicated, toll-free number at 855-675-3131 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PST. Individuals may also write to Vitreo at Attn: Security Official, 3 Parkcenter Drive, Suite 210, Sacramento, CA 95825 or visit Vitreo's websites at www.retinalmd.com and www.norcalasc.com.
SOURCE Vitreo-Retinal Medical Group, Inc.
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