In an Athens Banner-Herald article, Athens (Ga.) Orthopedic Clinic's Charles Ogburn, III, MD, noted all AOC employees are "frustrated, concerned, angry, upset and tired," with regard to the fall out from the data breach at the practice in June. However, the staff remains "committed" to patient privacy.
Here are seven takeaways:
1. In June, a hacker gained access to the practice's system through a third-party contractor's credentials. The data breach exposed the information of around 397,000 patients, of which 500 records have surfaced on the black market.
2. Hospital officials found a hacker group, known as the Dark Overlords, to be offering the patient records for sale on the black market.
3. According to Dr. Ogburn, AOC has strict standards with regard to IT security and has "always taken patient privacy very seriously."
4. Dr. Ogburn notes he is upset about comments made on social media decrying the practice for being negligent and even complicit with the hackers.
"We are upset with the potential mark this leaves on the credibility and integrity of our clinic," writes Dr. Ogburn.
5. All AOC employees are "distraught" about the incident and are committed to winning back the communities trust and continuing to provide the highest level of quality care.
6. Dr. Ogburn also urges community members to leave messages for the AOC team only if they are constructive and to give the team the "space and time" they need to complete the investigation.
7. Dr. Ogburn is an orthopedic surgeon focusing on trauma and reconstruction. He is also the orthopedic surgery chief and medical director of orthopedic trauma at Athens (Ga.) Regional Medical Center.