PJA Data Event
Posted January 3, 2024
On July 21, 2023, Perry Johnson & Associates, Inc. (“PJ&A”), an outside vendor used by North Kansas City Hospital (“NKCH”) and its subsidiary Meritas Health Corporation (“Meritas”) for transcription services, informed NKCH it discovered a potential data security incident involving an unauthorized actor gaining access to PJ&A systems and certain data stored on them. Upon learning this, PJ&A launched an investigation to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation, which was conducted with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists, determined that there was unauthorized access to PJ&A’s systems between March 27, 2023 and May 2, 2023. PJ&A undertook a comprehensive review of the data at risk to assess if any sensitive information could be affected and to whom it related. After receiving the results of PJ&A’s review, NKCH continued working with PJ&A through November 7, 2023 to confirm the scope of affected individuals and the data relating to those individuals. NKCH identified limited information belonging to the Clay County Public Health Center (“CCPHC”) as well.
PJ&A determined the type of information potentially impacted by their incident included patients’ demographic information (for example: name, date of birth, gender, phone number and address), health insurance information, and pieces of clinical information. Patients’ Social Security Numbers have not been impacted by this incident.
NKCH and CCPHC take the confidentiality, privacy, and security of information in its care seriously. Upon learning of the incident from PJ&A, NKCH took steps to implement additional safeguards and review our policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security, and we promptly discontinued sharing any information with PJ&A. PJ&A no longer provides services to NKCH or Meritas. There was no impact to the security of NKCH’s, Meritas’, and CCPHC’s own systems. NKCH is mailing letters to potentially affected individuals for whom it has an address.
If you have questions, or need assistance, please call 1-888-928-1264 available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. You may also write to NKCH at 2800 Clay Edwards Drive, North Kansas City, MO, 64116.
We encourage potentially impacted individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing their accounts, explanations of benefits, and credit reports for suspicious activity, and to report any suspicious activity to the affiliated institutions immediately. Individuals may contact the three major credit reporting agencies for advice on how to obtain free credit reports and how to place fraud alerts and security freezes on credit files. The relevant contact information is below.
Under U.S. law you are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report.
You have the right to place a “security freeze” on your credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization. The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a security freeze on your credit report. Should you wish to place a security freeze, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies listed below:
Experian
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com/freeze/center.html
TransUnion
P.O. Box 160
Woodlyn, PA 19094
1-800-916-8800
www.transunion.com/credit-freeze
Equifax
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788
1-800-685-1111
www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services
In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:
- Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.)
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years
- Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill
- A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, etc.)
- If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft
As an alternative to a security freeze, you have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on your file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a one-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the agencies listed below:
Experian
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com/fraud/center.html
TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
1-800-916-8800
www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resource/place-fraud-alert
Equifax
P.O. Box 105069
Atlanta, GA 30348
1-888-766-0008
www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services
You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself, by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General.
The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.identitytheft.gov, 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General.