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EXACTLY WHOSE VA DATA WAS LOST IN THE ALABAMA

HARD DRIVE THEFT? -- Jersey veteran gets "lost data"

letter. Wants to know what a Alabama researcher

was doing with his medical records.

 

 

Story below:

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Today I received the VA's "your data may be lost" letter from a veteran in New Jersey.  (All VA data theft info here...
 http://www.vawatchdog.org/
va%20data%20theft%20news.htm )

He asks a good question:  What was a researcher in Alabama doing with my medical records?

What, indeed?

We were told earlier that this information was "being used as part of a nationwide study."  That story here...
 http://www.vawatchdog.org/
07/nf07/nfFEB07/nf021207-8.htm

But, this begs a question that needs answering.  Does any VA researcher have access to a veteran's medical records?  It appears so.  The New Jersey vet informs me he has not signed on to any VA research projects.

And, exactly what type of research was being performed?  The VA has stated, "It's standard research into how best care can be improved."

That answer is not good enough.

The New Jersey veteran would like answers...and, we all deserve to know the answers.

The VA's letter is below with personal information removed:

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Dear Mr. Veteran,

I am writing to you, as the Director of the Veterans Integrated Service Network 7 in Atlanta, Georgia, to inform you that I have been notified that a portable computer hard drive used by an employee of the Birmingham VA Medical Center is missing. This portable hard drive was used to back-up information contained on a VA employee's office computer, related to research projects with which the employee was involved. One of the files on the portable hard drive may have contained your name, social security number, date of birth and health information such as diagnoses and lab test results.

The Birmingham VA Medical Center has conducted extensive physical searches and has involved local police and Federal investigative resources; however, the hard drive remains missing. To prevent further security breaches or losses, we have taken immediate measures to protect the integrity and security of all patient information including prohibition of the use of external drives and the required encryption of patient information when authorized distribution is required.

If VA determines that your information or you are at risk as a result of this incident, VA will contact you shortly to offer a credit monitoring service to you at no cost to you. If you are at risk, you will be notified in a follow-up letter how to obtain this credit monitoring service. In the mean time, one precaution we recommend is to request a free credit report from one or more of the three national credit bureaus by calling 1-877-322-8228. Information about this and other protections, including placing a "fraud alert" on your credit account, is available by calling the Federal Trade Commission at its toll free number, 1-877-438-4338, or by visiting its website, http://www.ftc.gov.

If you have questions concerning this letter, the Birmingham VA Medical Center has established a dedicated call center to answer your questions. Please contact us toll free at 1-877-894-2600 from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm CT, or e-mail us at Call.Center2@va.gov. 

We at VA take our obligation to honor and serve America's veterans very seriously. We apologize for any inconvenience or concern this situation may cause, but we believe it is important for you to be fully informed of any potential risk to you.

Sincerely,
Lawrence A. Biro
Network Director, VlSN 7

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Larry Scott  --