Backup tapes of patient billing records from the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics were recovered this week by the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The tapes, containing data on 1.5 million patients, were stolen from a car this month.
The tapes were recovered in their original condition and do not appear as if anyone culled data from them, the medical center announced on its Web page. In addition to billing records, the tapes contained patient names, demographic data, diagnostic information, and in some cases Social Security numbers.
Three people have been identified as suspects in the case, one of whom has been arrested, according to an article Wednesday in The Salt Lake Tribune. The article quotes the county sheriff, James Winder, as saying it is unlikely the suspects viewed any information on the tapes. “They’re not techies,” he said. “I don’t know if they could find their rear end with both hands.” —Andrea L. Foster
