HHS OCR report · 2018
UT Physicians data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- UT Physicians
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- Texas
- Individuals affected
- 2,793
- Submission date
- May 18, 2018
- Type of breach
- Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Location of breached information
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
On May 7, 2018, University of Texas Physicians, the covered entity (CE), discovered one of its workforce members sent an email disclosing the protected health information (PHI of 2,793 patients to other patients listed on the email. The workforce member inserted multiple patient email addresses into the “to” field rather than the “blind carbon copy” or “bcc” field, which allowed the patients to see each other’s email addresses. In response to the incident, the CE implemented technical safegua...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Other reports by UT Physicians
| Covered entity | State | Entity type | Individuals | Submitted | Type of breach | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UT Physicians | TX | Healthcare Provider | 596 | Aug 28, 2013 | Theft | Archive (closed) |
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the UT Physicians data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 2,793 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on May 18, 2018.
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 UT Physicians 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 UT Physicians.