TAMPA, Fla. — Some personal information of patients who visited Tampa Bay-area Fast Track Urgent Care locations last spring may have been exposed in a "data incident."
PracticeMax, a business management and information technology company, in a notice on its website said while it has "no evidence of actual or attempted misuse of information," it cannot completely rule out the possibility. The company stated that letters were sent to affected customers.
From April 17, 2021, to May 5, 2021, one server was accessed and files may have been removed, the notice reads. Data that may have been exposed included patient names, addresses, Social Security numbers, health insurance data and, in some instances, financial information.
Ransomware also was said to have been used to encrypt data stored on the company's system.
"We do not have any evidence of misuse of personal information at this time," PracticeMax said. "However, we encourage individuals to remain vigilant by reviewing documents for suspicious activity, including health insurance statements, explanation of benefits forms, account statements and credit reports."
In a letter to affected customers, the company recommended placing fraud alerts or freezes on a credit reports.
A Tampa General Hospital spokesperson confirmed the organization was told of the incident and provided the following statement:
"TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track was recently made aware of a potential data breach involving the protected health information of patients by one of its business affiliates, PracticeMax. Patients who may have been impacted have been notified and Tampa General is working closely with agencies investigating the potential breach.
"Protecting the personal health information of patients is a top priority at TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track."
People with questions can call PracticeMax at 1-855-568-2073.
