Riverview Health is taking the appropriate steps to notify approximately 2,610 patients about a mailing error that may have exposed patient names. No Social Security numbers, financial information or bank account numbers were exposed.
Riverview Health engaged its printing-mailing vendor, Priority Press, to send out patient notification letters. On Jan. 14, Riverview Health discovered that the patient notification letters were sent to the correct patient addresses, but with a different patient’s name. As a result, a letter intended for one patient may have been sent to another individual. These letters were sent on approximately Jan. 6.
These letters did not include any Social Security numbers, financial information, including credit or debit card numbers or bank account numbers. The letters were intended only to notify Riverview Health patients about a potential change to two primary care providers. These letters also did not include any medical information other than the fact that you may be a patient of one of Riverview Health’s primary care providers.
Riverview Health is taking this matter very seriously and is identifying internal and external processes to prevent future recurrences. This includes reviewing methods in which Riverview Health and its vendors mail notifications to patients. Riverview Health believes that due to the very limited information contained in the patient notification letters, the risk of compromise or harm to patients is very low.
As required by federal law, Riverview Health is also notifying the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. Riverview Health patients impacted by this disclosure are also expected to receive letters in the mail notifying them of this incident within the next few days.