HHS OCR report ยท 2017
MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- Michigan
- Individuals affected
- 1,900
- Submission date
- Dec 19, 2017
- Type of breach
- Loss
- Location of breached information
- Paper/Films
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
On November 18, 2017, a physician employee removed patient files from the covered entity (CE), MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena, and left them in a public parking lot in an unsecured container, which spilled out into the parking lot, and the wind subsequently scattered the records over several blocks. With the assistance of law enforcement, the CE attempted to retrieve the paper files. After the retrieved paper files were returned to the hospital in the broken storage container, the physici...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 1,900 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 Loss, 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 MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena 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 MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena.