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ParkTree Community Health Center Data Breach

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm on August 29, 2024 in Data Breach
Updated on September 12, 2024

NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from ParkTree Community Health Center, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.

parktree community health center recent data breachOn or about August 21, 2024, Pomona Community Health Center d/b/a ParkTree Community Health Center (“PCHC”) sent a Notice of Data Breach Letter (“Breach Letter”) via mail to victims of the PCHC data breach informing them that their personal information, Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) and Protected Health Information (“PHI”), was obtained by unauthorized users who accessed PCHC’s network (“data breach”) on February 7, 2024.

After PCHC became aware of the potential unauthorized access to its network, it launched an investigation. The investigation concluded on July 9, 2024, and determined that unauthorized users had accessed and removed files from PCHC’s network. As a result of the data breach, hackers obtained from victims their first and last names, dates of birth, contact information, and personal and/or health information.

Founded in 1995, PCHC is a non-profit health center providing primary medical services. PCHC is headquartered in Pomona, California and employs more than 90 people with annual revenue of around $13 million.

Specific numbers are not yet known, but it is likely thousands of people throughout California and possibly throughout the United States were exposed. If you received a Breach Letter from PCHC, then you were impacted by the data breach.

Thus far PCHC has not offered complimentary credit monitoring or identity protection services.

WHAT INFORMATION IS INVOLVED?

According to PCHC, the following information was exposed:

  • First and Last Name
  • Date of Birth
  • Contact Information
  • Gender
  • Health Plan Identification Number
  • Medical Record Number
  • Clinical Details, including:
    • Diagnosis
    • Medications
    • Doctor’s Notes

This information is called your Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”). It tells others about you and is considered part of your identity. Businesses are required to secure this information or risk facing statutory penalties, among other legal penalties. Stolen PII can be used by identity thieves to engage in fraudulent activity using your identity.

Personal medical information (a specific type of PII) is referred to as Protected Health Information (“PHI”). It is protected under both state and federal law. Health care providers and other businesses who handle PHI are required to protect that information. Like stolen PII, stolen PHI can be used by identity thieves to engage in fraudulent activity using your identity. Quite often, PII and PHI are used in conjunction by hackers.

The best way to protect yourself after a data breach is to sign up for credit and identity protection services as soon as possible.

NOTICE: If you received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH letter from ParkTree Community Health Center, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your legal options, or submit a confidential Case Evaluation form here.