HHS OCR report ยท 2018
Thielen Student Health Center data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Thielen Student Health Center
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- Iowa
- Individuals affected
- 599
- Submission date
- Nov 30, 2018
- Type of breach
- Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Location of breached information
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
Thielen Student Health Center, the covered entity (CE), sent patient survey invitation emails to the wrong patients on November 5, 2018, due to a human coding error. Initially, the CE reported that 599 individuals were affected by the breach; however, the information in 594 of the erroneously addressed emails implicated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), rather than HIPAA. Additionally, the CE was able to successfully recall one of the five emails containing electronic p...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Thielen Student Health Center data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 599 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Nov 30, 2018.
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 Thielen Student Health Center 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 Thielen Student Health Center.