HHS OCR report ยท 2015
Merit Health Northwest Mississippi data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Merit Health Northwest Mississippi
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- Mississippi
- Individuals affected
- 846
- Submission date
- Aug 26, 2015
- Type of breach
- Theft
- Location of breached information
- Electronic Medical Record
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
An employee of Merit Health Northwest Mississippi, the covered entity (CE), impermissibly obtained protected health information (PHI) for identity theft and fraud purposes by photographing documents with a personal mobile device, writing patient information in a notebook, and removing paper medical records from the facility. After working with law enforcement and conducting an internal investigation, the CE determined that the stolen patient information included the names, dates of birth, add...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Merit Health Northwest Mississippi data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 846 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Aug 26, 2015.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Theft, with the breached information located in: Electronic Medical Record.
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 Merit Health Northwest Mississippi 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 Merit Health Northwest Mississippi.