The Lake Charles Memorial Health System (LCMHS) is sending out notices of a data breach affecting almost 270,000 people who have received care at one of its medical centers.
LCMHS is the largest medical complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana, comprising a 314-bed hospital, a 54-bed women's hospital, a 42-bed behavioral health hospital, and a primary care clinic for uninsured citizens.
According to the announcement posted on the LCMHS site, the cybersecurity incident occurred on October 21, 2022, when the organization's security team detected unusual activity on the computer network.
An internal investigation concluded on October 25, 2022 revealed that hackers had gained unauthorized access to LCMHS' network and then stole sensitive files.
These files contained patient information such as:
- Full names
- Physical addresses
- Dates of birth
- Medical records
- Patient identification numbers
- Health insurance information
- Payment information
- Limited clinical information regarding the received care
- Social Security numbers (in some cases)
LCMHS' announcement clarifies that its electronic medical records were out of reach for the network intruders.
