Who Breached: Various doctors in Saskatchewan
Number Affected: Unknown
Information breached: Medical records
How: Abandoned Files

79 boxes of personal medical files were found in a vacant, unlocked office in the city of Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan. The files were found from a telephone tip left after a breach of medical files in Yorkton was made public at the end of March. Officials believe there is a connection between the two finds.

In late March, five boxes of abandoned medical files for as many as 900 patients were found in a vacant office. The boxes were found via an anonymous tip in the city of Yorkton in a building that was not associated with any past medical offices.

Saskatchewan’s Information and Privacy Commissioner Gary Dickson said the announcement of the first breach generated telephone tip, one of which led to the second find. Details about the second find are still coming to light:

“It appears to involve a number of different physicians,” Dickson said. “We think some of these physicians may in fact still be practicing in the province.”

Physicians and licensed professionals are required by provincial law to safeguard personal health information. Violations come with a hefty price tag up to $50,000 per person or $500,000 per organization. Such fines have never been issued in Saskatchewan. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan will participate in the privacy commission’s inquiry.

Via upi, upi2 Tags: medical files, saskatchewan, medical, health records, health files, id theft, medical id theft, medical identity theft, breach, medical breach, data breach