NWCHC Data Security Event

During the early morning of May 7, 2021, an unauthorized third party entered the office of a single NorthWest Congenital Heart Care physician and stole an external hard drive used for data backup purposes. Pediatrix Cardiology of Washington, P.C. d/b/a NorthWest Congenital Heart Care (“NWCHC”) discovered this theft in the morning of May 7, 2021 and immediately contacted law enforcement and began a review to determine what information may have been included on the external hard drive. Based on the review, we have determined that the external hard drive contained personal information for patients of this NWCHC physician as well as for a small number of guardians or guarantors of the patients. Based upon our review of this matter, we are not aware of any actual or attempted misuse of personal information as a result of this event.

During the early morning of May 7, 2021.

NWCHC discovered this theft in the morning of May 7, 2021, and immediately contacted law enforcement and began a review to determine what information may have been included on the external hard drive. Based on the review, we have determined that the external hard drive contained personal information for patients of this NWCHC physician as well as for a small number of guardians or guarantors of the patients. Based upon our review of this matter, we are not aware of any actual or attempted misuse of personal information as a result of this event.

The patient information may have included:

1. patient contact information (such as patient name, date of birth, and age);
2. medical and/or treatment information (dates of service, location, physician name, services requested or procedures performed, diagnosis codes, diagnosis or treatment descriptions, and Medical Record Numbers); and
3. for one individual, health insurance information.

The external hard drive did not contain Social Security numbers or financial account information. Please note that not all data fields may have been involved for all individuals.

We have attempted to notify by letter the individuals whose information may have been involved in this event. If you received a notification letter from NWCHC dated June 4, 2021, then NWCHC's review determined that some of your personal information may have been on the stolen external hard drive. If you have not received a letter, it is possible that the letter has not yet arrived. It is also possible that your information was not involved in this event. If you were not impacted by this event, you will not receive a letter. In the event you do not receive a notice but think your data may have been impacted, a notice has been posted on this website that can provide more information.

No Social Security numbers, or financial account information was involved in this event.

NWCHC takes the security of personal information seriously. We have and continue to enhance our security controls to minimize the risk of any similar event in the future, including eliminating hard drive data backups.

Based upon our review of this matter, we are not aware of any actual or attempted misuse of personal information as a result of this event. The Reference Guide included in your notification letter and accessible on this website here contains additional information on general steps you can take to monitor and safeguard your personal information. If you believe you are the victim of a crime, you can contact your local law enforcement authorities and file a police report.

Federal and state laws require that we notify you by mail. We can assure you that this event did occur and we thus are offering the support identified within the notification letter. Although no Social Security numbers and financial information were involved, and only one individual’s health insurance information was involved, we encourage you to carefully review the Reference Guide included in your notification letter and provided again on this website here for more information on general steps you can take to monitor and safeguard your personal information and call us at the number listed within the letter if you have further questions or concerns.

Please call toll-free 855-535-1862 to ask questions and learn additional information. This call center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding major U.S. holidays.

NWCHC has separately notified individuals whose information may have been involved even if they are in the same family. If your child received a letter, it means only that your child’s information was involved, not that your information was involved. If multiple family members’ information was involved, your family may receive more than one letter.

NWCHC has separately notified individuals whose information may have been involved even if they are in the same family. If you received a letter but your child did not, it means only that your information was involved, not that your child’s information was involved. If multiple family members’ information was involved, your family may receive more than one letter.