Legal Notice

 

The security, confidentiality, integrity and privacy of patient personal information are highly valued at our office.  Unfortunately, we are providing this notice to our patients due to a recent theft involving copies of several letters.  Our office received notice on Sunday, September 14, 2014, that there had been a burglary and that copies of several letters had been stolen, which contained patient personal information.  Specifically, the stolen letters contained patient names, dates of birth, and the names of the patients’ treating physicians.  The stolen letters did not contain any financial information or any information relating to specific treatment or diagnosis.  A police report was filed with the Modesto Police Department and the matter remains under investigation.  Regrettably, the stolen property has not yet been recovered. 

 

Our office is continuing to internally review the matter so that we can better understand the nature of the breach and how we may assist in mitigating potential harm and protect against potential breaches.  It is important to note that our office has received no reports that any of the personal information involved has been misused.  Although this incident did not compromise any financial information, patients may take the following additional steps out of an abundance of caution:
 

• Monitor Your Credit Reports.  You may monitor your credit reports to ensure that it is accurate and determine whether there are any signs of fraud or identity theft.  
• Contact the Local Police or Sheriff’s Office.  If you find suspicious activity on your credit reports, call your local police or sheriff’s office and file a police report of identity theft.  Get a copy of the police report.  You may need to give copies of the police report to creditors to clear up your records.
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission and Review Website Information for Additional Recommended Action.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website contains important additional information that can further assist you in protecting your identity and credit.  (FTC at www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft; 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY 1-866-653-4261.)
• Contact the Internal Revenue Service Identity Protection Unit.  You may contact the Internal Revenue Service Identity Protection Unit (IRSIPU) and file an Identity Theft Affidavit notifying them that you have been the victim or a potential victim of identity theft and requesting that they mark your account to identify any questionable activity.  The Internal Revenue Service Identity Protection Unit can be contacted at:  IRSIPU at www.irs.gov/privacy/article/0,,id=186436,00.html or call 1-800-908-4490.   

We apologize for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of this incident.  If you previously requested a copy of a letter regarding your return to work or time off of work, and planned to pick up a copy of that letter at our office, but had not picked up the letter, please contact our office as you may be affected by this incident.  If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Wu at: (844) 551-1888 or (209) 551-1888.

 

 

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