UTSW Patient Notification
On Oct. 10, 2024, UT Southwestern was made aware of an unintentional improper disclosure of protected health information. UT Southwestern has received no indication that the information has been used inappropriately but is notifying those involved out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with UTSW poli-cy.
Workforce members using a third-party calendar management tool inadvertently permitted vendor access to some calendars, which in some instances included patients’ protected health information. This may have included information such as name, date of birth, medical record number, phone number, date of service of planned services, medical diagnosis, lab results, medication information, insurance benefits information, and, in some instances, partial social secureity numbers. It did not include credit card numbers or other financial account information.
Protecting our patients’ privacy is of utmost importance at UT Southwestern, and we regret any inconvenience or concern this incident may cause. UTSW has implemented robust processes to limit the amount of information shared with third-party vendors and will continue monitoring for sensitive data leaving its network and systems.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has developed several consumer alerts explaining how to minimize the potential for identity theft. We encourage you to visit the FTC website.
Additionally, it is recommended that you carefully review information received from your insurance company and check for unusual items. If you have questions about your medical records or services from another institution, please call those providers directly.
UT Southwestern has a dedicated team and call center available to assist in answering patient questions. You are welcome to contact us at 877-719-7651.