Desert Physicians Management (“DPM”) provides administrative support services to physicians groups, including Choice Physicians Network/Choice Medical Group, Choice Healthcare Associates, and Horizon Valley Medical Group (the “Physicians Groups”). As part of that relationship, DPM maintains some of the physicians groups’ computer systems.
DPM and the Physicians Groups place a high value on maintaining the privacy and security of patient information. Regrettably, this notice concerns a data security event that may have involved some of that information.
What Happened? On April 23, 2023, we identified unusual activity on our computer systems. We immediately took steps to contain the activity and began an investigation with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists. We also reported the incident to law enforcement. On or about May 18, 2023, the investigation determined that certain files were copied from our network on April 23, 2023. We then began a thorough review of the files in order to identify what specific information was present in the files and to whom it related.
What Information Was Involved? Our review of the files involved identified patient information, which may have included one or more of the following: name, address, date of birth, health insurance information, and/or clinical information, such as diagnosis, treatment information, and/or medication information. For a limited number of patients, a Medicare ID number was also included, which is also their Social Security number. Financial account and payment card information were not involved in this incident.
What We Are Doing & What Patients Can Do. On June 22, 2023, we began mailing letters to patients whose information was included in the files involved and for whom we had sufficient contact information. We have also established a dedicated, toll-free call center to answer patients’ questions. If you have questions about the incident, please call 1-833-705-0580, Monday through Friday, between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific Time except holidays. For patients whose Social Security number was contained in the files, we are offering complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services. We also encourage patients to review any billing statements they receive from their health insurer and healthcare providers. If patients see charges for services they did not receive, please contact the insurer or provider immediately.
We deeply regret any concern this event may cause and want to assure patients that we take it very seriously. As part of our ongoing commitment to the security of our systems and the information we maintain, we have implemented additional security measures to help prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future.
For More Information. If you have additional questions, please call our dedicated, toll-free call center at 1-833-705-0580, Monday through Friday, between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific Time except holidays.