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

Almost 26,000 Individuals Affected by Data Breach at Methodist Homes of Alabama & Northwest Florida

Data breaches have recently been announced by Methodist Homes of Alabama & Northwest Florida, Rockhill Women’s Care, and Sierra Vista Hospital & Clinics.

Methodist Homes of Alabama & Northwest Florida

Methodist Homes of Alabama & Northwest Florida, a provider of affordable homes, senior living, and healthcare services, disclosed a data breach on October 8, 2025, involving unauthorized access to the personal and protected health information of almost 26,000 residents, employees, and other individuals. The breach occurred almost one year previously, having first been detected on October 14, 2024.

An investigation was launched to determine the cause of suspicious network activity, which confirmed that an unauthorized actor had access to its network between October 2, 2024, and October 14, 2024. During that time, sensitive data may have been accessed or acquired. All exposed files were reviewed, and that process was completed on September 2, 2025. Notification letters have now been mailed to all individuals with valid contact information, and regulators have been notified, including the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights.

The Maine Attorney General was informed that 25,579 individuals have been affected in total, although the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights was informed that the protected health information of just 1,406 individuals was compromised. The information involved varies from individual to individual and may include names in combination with one or more of the following: Social Security number, driver license or state ID number, health insurance number, and clinical information, including medical record number, medical history, diagnosis and treatment information, patient number, Medicaid/Medicaid number, date of discharge, and date of birth.

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Individuals who were neither patient nor resident had their first and last name exposed, plus one or more of the following: Social Security number, driver’s license number, state ID, health insurance number, and medical history information. Credit monitoring services have been offered free of charge to individuals whose Social Security numbers were involved.

Rockhill Women’s Care

The OB-GYN medical practice, Rockhill Women’s Care, which has locations in Overland Park, Kansas, and Lee’s Summit, Missouri, has started notifying patients about a security incident that affected its IT systems and exposed patient information. Suspicious network activity was identified on or around February 26, 2025, and third-party cybersecurity experts were engaged to investigate the activity and assist with remediation. The substitute breach notice does not state when its network was first accessed or for how long hackers had access to the network.

The file review concluded on August 13, 2025, when it was confirmed that the information compromised in the incident included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, treatment information, and, for some patients, also health insurance information. The HHS’ Office for Civil Rights breach portal indicates 70,129 individuals have been affected.

Sierra Vista Hospital & Clinics

Sierra Vista Hospital & Clinics in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, has identified unauthorized access to its computer network and the exposure of patient information. The unauthorized access was identified on January 29, 2025, and working with third-party digital forensics specialists, it was determined that a threat actor had access to its network from January 14, 2025, to January 31, 2025.

A comprehensive review was conducted to determine whether patient data had been exposed, and on August 13, 2025, it was confirmed that sensitive patient data may have been accessed or acquired, including first and last names, addresses, state identification numbers/driver’s license numbers, medical information, and health insurance information. Network security has been strengthened, and additional cybersecurity measures have been implemented to prevent similar breaches in the future. Those measures include strengthened email filtering and malware monitoring, and additional cybersecurity awareness training is being provided to the workforce. The HHS’ Office for Civil Rights breach portal indicates 75,054 individuals have been affected.

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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