HHS OCR report · 2015
Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- California
- Individuals affected
- 845
- Submission date
- Apr 2, 2015
- Type of breach
- Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Location of breached information
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
The covered entity (CE) reported a breach of 845 individuals’ electronic protected health information (e-PHI), as a result of a workforce member e-mailing information regarding logging into CE’s health care portal, without blind copying the patients, and encrypting the e-mails. This action, or lack thereof, left every patient’s e-mail address exposed. The CE provided breach notification to HHS, affected individuals, and the media. Following the breach, the CE improved safeguards by changing ...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 845 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Apr 2, 2015.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Unauthorized Access/Disclosure, with the breached information located in: Email.
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 Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency 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 Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency.