HealthSouth Rehab Hospital Warns of Potential Data Breach

ROUND ROCK, TX -- Officials at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Round Rock—formerly Reliant Rehabilitation Hospital Central Texas—disclosed a potential data breach of patient health records after the theft of a computer from an employee’s vehicle.

The computer theft took place in late October, but officials sent out a notice Tuesday to notify potentially affected individuals.

A laptop computer stolen from the trunk of an employee’s vehicle contained data on 1,359 individuals. While information varies by person, the data may have included individuals’ names; addresses; dates of birth; Social Security numbers; telephone numbers; insurance information; medical diagnoses; referral ID numbers or medical record numbers.

Officials said they discovered the theft on Oct. 26—five days after the laptop was stolen—and immediately filed a report with the Austin Police Department. The laptop was password-protected and, so far, there’s no evidence the information it contains has been accessed, HealthSouth Round Rock officials report.

On Oct. 1, the hospital at 1400 Hesters Crossing Rd. was purchased by an affiliate of HealthSouth, whose policies include the encryption of all laptop data. As part of that purchase, HealthSouth required all laptops used by Reliant Rehabilitation Hospital to be returned and exchanged or encrypted laptops issued by HealthSouth.

But the laptop in question was stolen before being returned for encryption, officials said.

Potentially affected individuals with questions on this matter are directed to contact the hospital system’s incident response provider at 1-800-545-2111.