Salina Family Healthcare Center

On June 18, 2017, Salina Family Healthcare Center, the covered entity (CE), suffered a ransomware attack that encrypted some of its computer workstations and network servers, affecting approximately 77,337 individuals. The types of protected health information (PHI) involved included demographic, clinical, and health insurance information. In order to continue to see patients, the CE immediately restored its computers and servers from a recent backup. The CE provided breach notification to HHS, affected individuals affected and the media. Following the breach, the CE engaged an independent computer forensics expert to determine how the incident occurred and if information had been accessed by an unauthorized third party. The CE improved safeguards by scanning its network for viruses, upgrading its servers to improve network security, and limiting internet access to minimize risk exposure. The CE also encouraged its employees to be vigilant when opening emails that come from unknown sources, provided additional network security training to its IT staff, and provided additional training on malware threats to all employees. OCR obtained documented assurances that the CE implemented the corrective actions noted above.