Noted North Carolina private radiology practice experiences data breach
A noted North Carolina private radiology practice recently experienced an IT security breach, joining a line of peers in the specialty also hit by hackers.
Winston Salem-based Triad Radiology Associates reported news of the “data security incident” on Feb. 8, believing the infiltration took place around late July. TRA said it had discovered suspicious activity around one employee’s email and took immediate action to secure the account.
The practice hired a third party to investigate the matter and found a limited amount of information was accessed between July and September. This may have included names, addresses, Social Security numbers and bank accounts, among other personal details.
“At this time, Triad is not aware of any evidence to suggest that any information has been or will be fraudulently misused,” the practice said in its notification to customers. “However, we were unable to rule out the possibility that the information could have been accessed.”
TRA made the decision to alert customers “in an abundance of caution.” It also has reviewed the practice’s policies and procedures related to data security and is providing potentially impacted individuals with credit monitoring and identity protection services. Triad Radiology Associates further encouraged customers to “remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud” by reviewing credit reports, account statements and insurers’ explanations of benefits.
Health and Human Services said it first received a report of the “hacking/IT” incident on Feb. 6, estimating about 11,000 individuals were impacted. Law firms such as Pittsburgh-based Lynch Carpenter have recently sent out notices about the data breach, seeking Triad Radiology patients interested in joining a class-action lawsuit related to the matter.
“If your information was impacted in this incident, you may be entitled to compensation,” the law firm said in a Feb. 13 notice.
Triad Radiology Associates joins a long list of imaging groups experiencing recent data breaches including Associated Radiologists of the Finger Lakes in New York, Miami-based Vital Imaging Diagnostic Centers, and Consulting Radiologists in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The latter last month agreed to pay over $2 million to settle a similar suit filed by patients.
Founded 50 years ago, Triad Radiology Associates employs 46 physicians and services nine hospitals and over a dozen outpatient locations. The practice is a member of the Strategic Radiology coalition of independent imaging groups. It’s led by Lauren Nicola, MD, a noted physician who also serves on the American College of Radiology board and as chair of Novant Health’s imaging department.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.