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The HIPAA Journal is the leading provider of HIPAA training, news, regulatory updates, and independent compliance advice.

Erie Family Health Centers Data Breach Affects 570,000 Individuals

Erie Family Health Centers, a Chicago, IL-based network of health centers providing primary medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare services to individuals regardless of their ability to pay, has experienced a major data breach affecting up to 570,000 individuals.

Suspicious activity indicative of unauthorized access was identified within its computer network on January 27, 2026. Immediate action was taken to secure its network, and third-party digital forensics experts were engaged to investigate the incident and determine the nature and scope of the activity. They confirmed that an unauthorized third party first accessed its network on December 10, 2025, and retained access until its network was secured on January 27, 2026.

The exposed files were reviewed and confirmed to contain personal and protected health information. The types of data involved varied from individual to individual and may have included names in combination with one or more of the following: address, phone number, email address, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license/state ID number, taxpayer ID number, passport number, financial account information, payment card information, online account credentials, digital signature, biometric data, medical treatment or diagnosis information, prescription information, date of service, patient ID number, encounter ID number, , medical record number, Medicare/Medicaid number, provider name, patient account number, health insurance information, and/or treatment cost information.

Erie Family Health Centers has taken steps to strengthen network security to prevent similar incidents in the future, and the affected individuals have been offered complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services as a precaution against data misuse. No threat group appears to have claimed responsibility for the incident.

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This is the second data breach to be announced by Erie Family Health Centers this year. Erie Family Health Centers was also affected by a data breach at its business associate, TriZetto Provider Solutions, a provider of revenue cycle management and claims clearinghouse services.  That breach affected a currently undisclosed number of patients of Erie Family Health Centers.

Author: Steve Alder is the editor-in-chief of The HIPAA Journal. Steve is responsible for editorial policy regarding the topics covered in The HIPAA Journal. He is a specialist on healthcare industry legal and regulatory affairs, and has 10 years of experience writing about HIPAA and other related legal topics. Steve has developed a deep understanding of regulatory issues surrounding the use of information technology in the healthcare industry and has written hundreds of articles on HIPAA-related topics. Steve shapes the editorial policy of The HIPAA Journal, ensuring its comprehensive coverage of critical topics. Steve Alder is considered an authority in the healthcare industry on HIPAA. The HIPAA Journal has evolved into the leading independent authority on HIPAA under Steve’s editorial leadership. Steve manages a team of writers and is responsible for the factual and legal accuracy of all content published on The HIPAA Journal. Steve holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Liverpool. You can connect with Steve via LinkedIn or email via stevealder(at)hipaajournal.com

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