Joplin hospital reporting some records stolen

July 25, 2005

Associated Press

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/local/12218201.htm



JOPLIN, Mo. - St. John's Regional Medical Center has notified 27,000 patients that two computers containing some of their personal information were stolen from a microfilming company.

The computers contained patients' names, dates of birth and some medical account numbers, but did not include their Social Security numbers, medical records, insurance or credit card numbers, said Bree LaFerla, a spokeswoman for the hospital. The records included information from 2002 to 2004.

The computers were stolen July 7 from KC & Associates in Joplin, a company that converts the hospital's patient records to microfilm for easier storage.

The hospital has received more than 200 calls since it notified patients and set up a toll-free number for them to call with questions, LaFerla said.

St. John's has removed all other documents and property from the Joplin company and is cooperating in the investigation, according to the letter patients received. The hospital also is installing a new system that will track patients' medical records electronically without the need of an outside microfilming company.

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