SAN ANTONIO – Hackers recently accessed the computer network of CentroMed and “acquired” patient information, the San Antonio-based healthcare provider said Friday.
According to a news release, an investigation revealed that an “unauthorized party accessed some of its systems on or about April 30, 2024″ and “accessed and/or acquired files that contain information pertaining to CentroMed’s current and former patients.”
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Some of the information hackers may have seized included patient names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers and financial account information, CentroMed said.
The results of the investigation come three days after KSAT 12 News reported that CentroMed patients were having issues with the healthcare provider’s computer network. Patients reported having issues online that made it difficult to receive care and schedule appointments. The next day, CentroMed said it was looking into the matter and took steps to secure its IT systems.
CentroMed on Friday started notifying patients whose information may have been stolen in the incident. The healthcare provider also posted information about the incident on its website and set up a call center to answer questions that patients may have.
The number to call is 888-990-8424, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Central Time (excluding major U.S. holidays).
CentroMed is recommending affected patients to review healthcare provider statements and contact them immediately if they notice discrepancies. Patients are also urged to review financial account statements for possible suspicious activity and report them to their financial institutions.
The healthcare provider said it takes the “incident very seriously and sincerely regret any concern this may cause. To help prevent something like this from happening again, it has implemented additional safeguards and technical security measures to further protect and monitor its systems.”
This is not the first time that CentroMed’s IT systems have been hacked. A similar incident occurred in June 2023.