An Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital patient, Yvonne Pratt, has launched a class action lawsuit in the wake of a data breach that has stirred up serious privacy concerns. According to a statement obtained by WKRN, the cyberattack earlier this month slapped the healthcare system, resulting in personal information such as birth dates and social security numbers being nabbed by hackers.
The Nashville-based Ascension, one of the nation’s top nonprofit hospital groups, is accused in the lawsuit of failing to implement industry standards for data security and properly educate its employees on cybersecurity protocols. As reported by WSMV, the lawsuit slammed the healthcare system for not adequately safeguarding sensitive patient info despite promising to protect such data as an ironclad condition for treatment.
In response to the crisis, Ascension has put up a dedicated website to provide updates to affected patients, something emphasized by FOX 17 News coverage. Yet, Pratt’s legal filing contends that Ascension’s online 'Cybersecurity Event Updates' neither confirms nor denies whether patient data was individually compromised, leaving those affected in a haze about their privacy status.
Adding fuel to the fire, a retired FBI Special Agent, Scott Augenbaum, in an interview with WKRN, criticized the healthcare sector for perceiving cybersecurity as an expense rather than an essential investment. Despite lacking magic wand to reverse the theft, he laid out preventive tips for patients like freezing credit and two-factor authentication.
Ascension now grapples with the fallout of the data breach, keeping its doors open and care provision ongoing, all under challenging conditions. They extended their thanks to the clinicians and staff for their resilience and rigor in maintaining care "under the challenging circumstances," a sentiment echoed on their website, as per WSMV.
