Personal Information on 130,000 Patients at Local Hospital Now in Hands of Thief

Leonardtown - 2/13/2007

By Staff Writer Daniel Gross

Personal information from 130,000 patients at St. Mary's Hospital in Leonardtown is now believed to be in the dubious hands of a thief. The data, including names, social security numbers and birth dates was stored on a laptop that was stolen from the hospital's emergency center.

The laptop was found to be missing on December 5, 2006. The computer was last used the day before, on the 4th, The Bay Net was told. The computer was a patient registration laptop.  It is meant to make bedside assistance more efficient, according to the hospital. 
           

 
The emergency center from which the laptop was stolen
It is still uncertain as to if the thief was aware of the personal information on the laptop or if they only wanted to steal computer equipment.  It is possible that the person may not have even known what he had.  Police were informed of the theft and took a report but so far have not identified any suspects. They will be following leads as further reports are given to them.  

In the meantime St. Mary's Hospital has sent letters to the 130,000 patients that were listed on the computer to alert them to the possibility of their information's misuse or identity theft. Letters have also gone out to the employees at St. Mary's Hospital, informing them of the situation so they can be cautious.
 
"We have a great security staff," one hospital employee told The Bay Net.  "The hospital security is now monitoring more public spaces." 

Computers at the hospital are networked through a mainframe that can monitor the system and see how files are stored. However, once the laptop in question was physically removed from the premises the hospital could no longer monitor the data on that computer.  
             
Last week, Johns Hopkins University and Hospital reported tapes containing data on patients, employees and retirees had been lost. Those records, however, are believed to have been destroyed.