Phoenix Children’s Hospital (“Phoenix Children’s”) recently learned that it was the victim of a cyber attack where an unauthorized third party obtained access to seven Phoenix Children’s employees’ email accounts between the period of September 5, 2019, and September 20, 2019.
Upon learning of the incident, Phoenix Children’s took immediate steps to respond to the incident, including launching a comprehensive investigation with a leading forensic security firm to help determine the scope of the incident and those impacted. Additionally, Phoenix Children’s is taking measures to help prevent this type of incident from occurring in the future.
On or about November 15, 2019, Phoenix Children’s determined that the seven impacted employee email accounts contained some individuals’ personal information, including name and, in some instances, Social Security numbers and certain limited health information.
Beginning January 14, 2020, Phoenix Children’s sent written notification to all potentially impacted individuals for whom it has contact information. For the few individuals with Social Security numbers impacted, Phoenix Children’s has provided a complimentary membership for credit monitoring and identity protection services.
Affected individuals should refer to the notice they receive in the mail regarding the steps they can take to protect themselves. Affected individuals may obtain additional information by calling a confidential inquiry line at 866-977-0741 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. M.T., Monday through Friday.
As a precautionary measure, individuals should remain vigilant about protecting themselves against potential fraud or identity theft by, among other things, reviewing their account statements and monitoring credit reports closely. If individuals detect any suspicious activity on an account, they should promptly notify the financial institution or company with which the account is maintained. They should also promptly report any fraudulent activity or any suspected incidents of identity theft to the proper law enforcement authorities, including the police and their state’s attorney general.
Phoenix Children’s apologizes for any inconvenience or concern that this incident might cause. Phoenix Children’s remains committed to providing patients with the highest quality of care.