Some UPMC St. Margaret patients may have had health information 'inappropriately disclosed,' officials say

Health information of some UPMC St. Margaret hospital patients might have been “inappropriately disclosed” after an employee sent a medication administration report to an outside organization without a business need, UPMC officials disclosed Friday.

According to a release from the health care network, officials learned of the the breach Aug. 8 when they began conducting an internal investigation. Through the investigation, officials determined names, internal UPMC identification numbers and medication administration data may have been disclosed.

Medication administration data might include the drug name, dosage, date and time of administration and reason for administration.

Officials noted Social Security number and medical records were not accessed or disclosed.

Officials terminated the employee’s access to UPMC systems, and the person is no longer affiliated with UPMC, officials said. The employee was not named.

Federal authorities, as well as the U.S. Department of Health and the Human Services Office for Civil Rights, were notified.

UPMC began mailing letters Friday to affected patients.

A call center and toll-free hotline also are available to affected individuals looking for more information related to the incident. The hotline, which can be accessed by calling 833-814-8363, is active for 90 days. It is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“We are notifying you out of an abundance of caution and so that that you can take any steps that you feel are necessary to monitor your private information,” the release reads.