Markovits, Stock & DeMarco, a law firm experienced in data breach cases, is investigating claims on behalf of victims of a data breach involving data entrusted to WakeMed Health and Hospitals.
WakeMed Health and Hospitals is a healthcare system with multiple healthcare facilities in the metropolitan Raleigh, North Carolina area. If you received a notice of data breach letter from WakeMed Health and Hospitals, please contact us as soon as possible to understand your legal rights in response to the data breach.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WakeMed Health and Hospitals recently admitted it installed “pixels” on its website that may have breached the personal and medical data of its patients and others.[1] WakeMed Health and Hospitals was using Internet tracking technologies, provided by Facebook, that it implemented to understand how patients and others interact with its websites.[2] In other words, when using WakeMed Health and Hospitals sites, certain patient protected information would be disclosed to Facebook without the patient’s permission.[3]
WakeMed Health and Hospitals did not report the data breach to the authorities and the affected parties until October 14, 2022.[4] WakeMed Health and Hospitals indicated that the breach affected over 495,000 patients.[5]
WHAT INFORMATION WAS EXPOSED IN THE DATA BREACH?
WakeMed Health and Hospitals has disclosed the following information was included in the data breach:
- full names,
- email addresses,
- phone number,
- other contact information,
- IP addresses,
- emergency contact information,
- information provided during online check-in (e.g., allergy or medication information),
- COVID vaccine status,
- information about an upcoming appointments (e.g., appointment type and date, physician selected, and button/menu selections), and
- any information added to free text boxes.[6]
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF THE WAKEMED HEALTH AND HOSPITALS DATA BREACH?
If you would like to have a free, confidential consultation with an attorney to learn more about your rights and potential legal remedies in responding to the WakeMed Health and Hospitals data breach, please contact Markovits, Stock & DeMarco attorney Terry Coates at (513) 651-3700, email us at [email protected], or submit a Case Evaluation request through the form below.
[1] https://www.wakemed.org/patients-and-visitors/patient-rights-and-privacy-policies/meta-pixel-privacy
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] https://www.hipaajournal.com/wakemed-meta-pixel-privacy-breach/
[5] Id.
[6] https://www.advocateaurorahealth.org/pixel-notification/