Estes Park, Colo.-based Elk Ridge Dentistry began notifying 2,793 patients March 2 that their information may have been exposed after a hard drive was stolen.
On Jan. 31, Elk Ridge Dentistry discovered that a backup hard drive that contained patient information had been stolen. The hard drive is password protected and requires proprietary program software to be read. However, some supporting documents on the backup hard drive could be viewable.
Information that may have been exposed included consent forms, referral letters, emails and a limited number of X-ray images. Specifically, names, addresses, dates of birth, healthcare information and a limited number of Social Security numbers were viewable.
Elk Ridge Dentistry said there is no evidence that patient information has been exposed. The dental practice recommends patients monitor any statements they receive from providers.