A recent disclosure by Psychiatry Associates of Kansas City (PAKC) reveals a concerning data breach incident that compromised sensitive consumer information. The breach, reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, involved an unauthorized party gaining access to entrusted data held by the company.
Limited details from PAKC’s filing indicate that the breach, classified as a “Hacking/IT Incident” of a network server, involved deliberate access by an unauthorized entity seeking specific information entrusted to PAKC. However, it remains uncertain whether the breach directly involved PAKC’s network or if it stemmed from a third-party vendor associated with the company.
Following the breach, PAKC conducted a review of compromised files to assess the extent of leaked information and identify affected consumers. While specific data compromised in the breach was not detailed in the filing, considering the breach’s reporting to the HHS-OCR (pertaining to protected health information of over 500 individuals), it is presumed that patients’ protected health information (PHI) might have been compromised.
PAKC initiated the distribution of data breach notification letters on November 17, 2023, to individuals affected by the breach. These notifications aim to inform victims about the compromised information pertaining to them.
Based in Leawood, Kansas, Psychiatry Associates of Kansas City offers comprehensive mental health services, including inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, addressing various conditions like depressive disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse disorder, autism, and anxiety disorders. Operating in two locations, Leawood and Lee’s Summit, Missouri (as PsychPros), PAKC employs over 28 individuals and generates an annual revenue of approximately $9.7 million.
