Northeast Professional Caregivers alerts patients to potential data breach after unauthorized email access

Northeast Professional Caregivers, a personal care and homemaking service provider based in Canton, Ohio, has alerted patients to a potential data breach after discovering an unauthorized individual accessed an employee’s email account. On Monday, the Canton-based company, which operates in several Ohio counties, stated that the compromised email contained a marketing list with personal details of current and prospective patients seeking home healthcare services.

According to CEO Dale Wells, the information involved in the breach includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and the types of services sought by patients but did not include any sensitive medical, financial, or Social Security data. Wells emphasized in a prepared statement that there is no indication that the accessed information was misused or distributed.

"At this time, there is no evidence that any of the information related to potential patients was accessed, misused, or distributed as a result of this incident," Wells stated. He added that the company issued the notification to comply with federal regulations and to keep patients informed as a precautionary measure.

Following discovering the breach, Northeast Professional Caregivers launched an internal investigation with assistance from cybersecurity experts. The company implemented two-factor authentication to strengthen its security and notified relevant authorities, including the Department of Health and Human Services, in compliance with federal data protection guidelines.

Wells advised affected individuals to monitor their credit reports, consider a credit freeze, and report any suspicious activity to Northeast Professional Caregivers at 330-966-2311. "We regret any concern this incident may cause and want to reassure our community that safeguarding your personal information is a top priority," he added.