HHS OCR report · 2017
Dignity Health Medical Foundation data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Dignity Health Medical Foundation
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- California
- Individuals affected
- 2,189
- Submission date
- Dec 19, 2017
- Type of breach
- Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Location of breached information
- Paper/Films
- Business associate present
- Yes
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
Dignity Health Medical Foundation (DHMF), the covered entity (CE), discovered that it business associate (BA), Admail, mailed protected health information (PHI) to the wrong recipients due to a programmer’s error. This breach affected 2,189 individuals and the PHI involved included names and addresses. DHMF’s investigation revealed that Admail failed to use appropriate quality control measures and did not follow its policies and procedures. DHMF required Admail to revise its standard opera...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Dignity Health Medical Foundation data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 2,189 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Dec 19, 2017.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Unauthorized Access/Disclosure, with the breached information located in: Paper/Films.
Is the investigation still open?
No. The report is in the OCR portal archive, which holds reports where OCR has closed its review.
Is a breach notice letter from Dignity Health Medical Foundation legitimate?
This site cannot verify letters. Check the sender against the organisation's official website and the HHS OCR breach portal, and avoid calling numbers or clicking links only listed in an unexpected message. See our guide on what to do after a data breach notice.
Source: HHS OCR Breach Portal, OCR export October 2026. Network USA is not affiliated with HHS or Dignity Health Medical Foundation.