HHS OCR report ยท 2020
Meharry Medical College data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Meharry Medical College
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- Tennessee
- Individuals affected
- 20,963
- Submission date
- Dec 4, 2020
- Type of breach
- Hacking/IT Incident
- Location of breached information
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
The covered entity (CE), Meharry Medical College, reported that an employee was the victim of an email phishing attack that affected the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of 20,976 individuals. The ePHI involved included names, health insurance information, and other treatment information. The CE notified HHS, affected individuals, the media, and posted substitute notice on its website. In response to the breach, the CE sanctioned the responsible employee and retrained its sta...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Meharry Medical College data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 20,963 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Dec 4, 2020.
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 Meharry Medical College 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 Meharry Medical College.