HHS OCR breach portal (HIPAA breaches affecting 500 or more individuals) Primary notice
Posted on the HHS OCR breach portal (HIPAA breaches affecting 500 or more individuals) with a submission date of July 22, 2015.
- Organization as reported
- Montefiore Medical Center, NY
- Entity type as reported
- Healthcare Provider
- Category as reported
Theft
- Location of information as reported
- Electronic Medical Record
- Submission date
- July 22, 2015
- Observed by BreachRecords
- 2026-10-18 16:15 UTC (revision 14751, row:5890)
- Archived copy
- Held in the private archive (provenance)
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced a settlement with Montefiore Medical Center, a non-profit hospital system based in New York City for several potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule. OCR is responsible for administering and enforcing health information privacy, including enforcement of the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules for the health care sector. OCR plays a unique role in serving as the agency at HHS that enforces federal civil rights, privacy and security laws in health care. HIPAA requires that health care providers, insurers and others take steps to protect the privacy and security of patients’ protected health information. The $4.75 million monetary settlement and corrective action resolves multiple potential failures by Montefiore Medical Center relating to data security failures by Montefiore that led to an employee stealing and selling patients’ protected health information over a six-month period. “Unfortunately, we are living in a time where cyber-attacks from malicious insiders are not uncommon. Now more than ever, the risks to patient protected health information cannot be overlooked and must be addressed swiftly and diligently,” said OCR Director Melanie Fontes Rainer. “This investigation and settlement with Montefiore are an example of how the health care sector can be severely targeted by cyber criminals and thieves—even within their own walls. Cyber-attacks do not discriminate based on organization size or stature, and it’s incumbent that our health care system follow the law to protect patient records.” The action is the latest step by HHS who released a Department-wide Cybersecurity strategy for the health care sector in December of 2023, and released voluntary performance goals to enhance cybersecurity across the health sector just last week. “Cyber-attacks that are carried out by insiders…