Hack may have exposed info of Premier patients

Patients of Premier Health hospitals may have had their information compromised when a third party that provides patient eligibility and billing services was hacked via a phishing email.

Nemadji Research Corporation said Friday that an employee’s email was compromised and an unknown individual had access to the account for several hours on March 28 after the employee opened a phishing email.

Patients at Miami Valley Hospital, Atrium Medical Center, Upper Valley Medical Center and the former Good Samaritan Hospital may have had their first and last name compromised, along with address, date of birth, Social Security number, account number, medical record number, service dates, payer name, subscriber name, insurance group number and insurance identification information, according to a statement.

Premier Health spokesman Ben Sutherly confirmed that the incident occurred and referred questions to Nemadji.

Nemadji has not received any reports that personal information was misused as a result of this incident, according to the statement, but it will notify potentially impacted individuals so they can take further precautions. The company will also offer credit monitoring and identity protection services at no cost to the impacted individuals.

When the company first noticed unusual activity on March 28, it conducted an investigation using a thirdparty forensics expert.

“Information privacy and security are among Nemadji’s highest priorities. Nemadji has strict security measures in place to protect information in our care. Upon discovering this incident, Nemadji quickly took steps to confirm the security of its systems, including employee email accounts,” the release said.

Anyone concerned about their information can call Nemadji at 1-800-491-4740 from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The company also reported the incident to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and enhanced email security and employee training.