HHS OCR report · 2017
Western Health Screening data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Western Health Screening
- Entity type
- Business Associate
- State
- Montana
- Individuals affected
- 15,326
- Submission date
- Apr 14, 2017
- Type of breach
- Theft
- Location of breached information
- Other Portable Electronic Device
- Business associate present
- Yes
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
Western Health Screening contracts with hospitals to provide onsite blood screenings at hospital-sponsored health fairs. On February 7, 2017, while one of the its employees was en route to a health fair, a portable electronic storage device (a "jump drive") containing unsecured electronic protected health information (ePHI) and five laptop computers were stolen from the employee’s car. The laptops were encrypted, but the jump drive was not. The types of ePHI involved in the breach included...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Western Health Screening data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 15,326 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Apr 14, 2017.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Theft, with the breached information located in: Other Portable Electronic Device.
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 Western Health Screening 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 Western Health Screening.