HHS OCR report · 2020
Brigham and Women’s Hospital data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- Massachusetts
- Individuals affected
- 882
- Submission date
- Dec 8, 2020
- Type of breach
- Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Location of breached information
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
The covered entity (CE), Brigham and Women’s Hospital, reported that an employee sent a newsletter via email to 882 recipients and failed to use the blind copy function, thereby, exposing the email addresses of all recipients. The CE notified HHS, affected individuals, and the media. Following the breach, the responsible employee was sanctioned and retrained to prevent future incidents of this nature. In addition, the CE implemented additional administrative, technical, and security safegu...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 882 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Dec 8, 2020.
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 Brigham and Women’s Hospital 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 Brigham and Women’s Hospital.