HHS OCR report · 2018
Catawba Valley Medical Center data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Catawba Valley Medical Center
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- North Carolina
- Individuals affected
- 20,000
- Submission date
- Oct 12, 2018
- Type of breach
- Hacking/IT Incident
- Location of breached information
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
In August 2018, the covered entity (CE), Catawba Valley Medical Center, discovered that an unauthorized person gained access to the email accounts of three employees via a phishing attack. The CE scanned all the emails potentially affected and determined that 22,952 individuals’ protected health information (PHI) may have been compromised, including demographic and health insurance information. Following the breach, the CE changed the passwords on the affected accounts and set up additional...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Catawba Valley Medical Center data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 20,000 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Oct 12, 2018.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Hacking/IT Incident, 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 Catawba Valley Medical 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 Catawba Valley Medical Center.