Becker's ASC Review

76 ORTHOPEDICS Michigan orthopedic group reports breach that exposed 28,658 patients' information By Alan Condon M endelson Kornblum Orthopedic and Spine Spe- cialists, a 21-physician practice in Livonia, Mich., recently notified patients that certain health infor- mation could have been exposed in a cyberattack. Four notes: 1. On Jan. 5, the practice discovered that one of its computer's servers "had been for an unknown period of time vulnerable to viewing by unauthorized third parties," according to a statement on its website. Mendelson Korn- blum reported the incident as affecting 28,658 patients to HHS on March 5. 2. The exposed information included patient names, medi- cal record numbers, birth dates, sex and certain data related to medical images. Exposed data did not include medical images, Social Security numbers or financial data, the practice said. 3. Mendelson Kornblum said it launched an investigation into the incident and closed the vulnerability on the server to prevent further exposure. 4. The practice has two ASCs, two offices that focus on spine and orthopedics, and two pain management offices, according to its website. n 3 orthopedic practices targeted by hackers in the past year; cybersecurity breaches on the rise By Alan Condon C ybersecurity breaches are becom- ing more common among physician practices in addition to hospitals and health systems. In 2020, healthcare data breaches increased 55.1 percent to 599, with 37 out of 50 states reporting more breaches in 2020 than in 2019. In a recent interview, Des Plaines-based Illinois Bone and Joint Institute CEO André Blom said cybersecurity is becoming one of the biggest drivers for smaller orthopedic practices to band together. Here are three cybersecurity attacks at orthopedic practices in the past year: 1. In February, Richmond-based OrthoVir- ginia was the victim of a cyberattack that affected its phone system, causing discon- nections and longer wait times. OrthoVir- ginia does not believe patient or employee data has been breached, but is investigating the issue with cybersecurity professionals and law enforcement 2. Tyler, Texas-based Precision Spine Care reported in January that a hacker accessed an employee's email account and attempted to commit payment fraud. e practice said that personal information of 20,787 patients was accessible via the hacked email account, but did not have evidence that patient infor- mation was misused. 3. In April 2020, Tampa-based Florida Or- thopaedic Institute reported a ransomware attack on its servers that impacted patient data. Some patients' personal information may have been accessed or taken during the incident, the practice said. n $68M orthopedic expansion opens in California By Alan Condon R ancho Mirage, Calif.-based Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center marked the completion of its $68 million expansion April 27, local news outlet KESQ reports. Five notes: 1. The three-year project added 46,000 square feet to the center and added more clinical space, surgical suites and new technology. 2. Six operating rooms were added, making space for robotic equipment and spine cases. The center now has eight operating rooms. 3. Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center will have overnight stays, but most cases will be outpatient. 4. About 80 percent of orthopedic cases done at Eisenhower Medical Center can be done at the new center. 5. Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center currently has 17 physicians on staff, according to its website. n

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