SouthCoast Medical Group, LLC Notice of Data Security Event

August 17, 2023 (Updated on July 3, 2024)

SouthCoast Medical Group, LLC (“SouthCoast Health”) and Privia Medical Group of Georgia, LLC (“Privia”) are providing notice of an incident that may impact the privacy of certain individuals’ information. Please note that this incident only occurred within SouthCoast Health’s network. Privia’s network was not affected by this incident. SouthCoast Health takes this incident very seriously and is providing information about the incident, our response to it, and resources available to individuals to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On June 18, 2023, SouthCoast Health became aware of unauthorized activity within our network. In response, we promptly took steps to secure our systems and investigate the nature and scope of the event with assistance from third-party forensic specialists. The investigation determined that between June 15 – June 18, 2023, an unauthorized actor gained access to our network and viewed or copied certain files stored on certain systems. We identified the involved files and undertook a comprehensive and time-consuming review to identify sensitive information, the individuals to whom it relates, and address information to be used for notifying impacted individuals. This review was recently completed.

What Information Was Involved? While we have no indication of identity theft or fraud in relation to this incident, our review determined that the following types of information were present in the affected files: name, Social Security number, passport number, driver’s license number, vehicle license plate number, state identification number, military identification number, student identification number, taxpayer identification number, date of birth, copy of birth certificate, copy of marriage certificate, mother’s maiden name, medical information, health insurance information, email/username and password or security questions and answers, financial account information, payment card information, and electronic/digital signature. The specific type of information at issue varies for each individual. Please note that SouthCoast Health’s electronic medical record (EMR) systems were not impacted by this event.

How Will Individuals Know If They Are Affected By This Incident? SouthCoast Health is mailing a notice letter to individuals whose information was determined to be in the affected files, for whom we have a valid mailing address. If an individual does not receive a letter but would like to know if they are affected, they may call our dedicated assistance line, detailed below.

What SouthCoast Is Doing. The confidentiality, privacy, and security of personal information within SouthCoast Health’s care is among our highest priorities, and we have strict security measures in place to protect information in our care. Upon becoming aware of this incident, we immediately took steps to secure our systems and performed a full investigation. We have implemented additional security measures to further protect against similar incidents moving forward. We notified federal law enforcement of this incident and are cooperating with their investigation. We are also notifying applicable regulators, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

What You Can Do. If you believe this event may have affected you, SouthCoast Health encourages you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Further, please review the enclosed Steps You Can Take to Help Protect Personal Information section of this notice for additional information.

For More Information. If you have additional questions or concerns, SouthCoast Health has established a dedicated assistance line at 888-596-7145 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. This excludes all major U.S. holidays.

Steps You Can Take to Help Protect Personal Information

Monitor Your Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-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 three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit 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 credit 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 credit freeze on your credit report. To request a security freeze, you may need to provide the following information, depending on whether the request is made online, by phone, or by mail:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if you are a victim of identity theft.

Should you wish to place a fraud alert or credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Additional Information

You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and 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. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.