HHS OCR report ยท 2021
Summit Behavioral Healthcare data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Summit Behavioral Healthcare
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- Tennessee
- Individuals affected
- 70,822
- Submission date
- Feb 26, 2021
- Type of breach
- Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Location of breached information
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
The covered entity (CE), Summit Behavioral Healthcare, reported that an employee impermissibly emailed the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of 70,822 individuals to his personal email account. The CE notified HHS, affected individuals, and the media. In its mitigation efforts, the CE implemented additional administrative, technical, and security safeguards to better protect its PHI.
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Summit Behavioral Healthcare data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 70,822 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Feb 26, 2021.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Unauthorized Access/Disclosure, 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 Summit Behavioral Healthcare 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 Summit Behavioral Healthcare.