Valley View Hospital Hacked, 5,400 Patients’ Information Compromised

By Ayla Ellison for Becker’s Hospital CIO

Glenwood, Colo.-based Valley View Hospital suffered a data breach when hackers introduced a virus into the hospital’s computer system that took screenshots of 5,400 patients’ personal records.

From Sept. 11, 2013, to Jan. 23 of this year, the virus collected patient data by taking screenshots of patients’ records and storing the information in hidden, encrypted files within the hospital’s system, according to a Denver Post report.

The compromised files contained patients’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, banking information and admission and discharge dates, acoording to the report.

“We took immediate steps to stop and remove the virus from our system and then have been working diligently to upgrade our IT security and systems to prevent a future incident,” said Stacey Gavrell, head of community relations at VVH in an interview with Aspen Public Radio.

Since the stolen data could be used to steal patients’ identities, VVH is offering identity theft insurance policies to affected patients, according to the report.