Stolen computer contains patient information

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A laptop computer stolen from a health care vendor contains the personal information of close to 10,000 patients of Hartford Hospital and VNA HealthCare, a home health care group.

Hospital officials say they learned of the theft on June 26, after it was reported in San Mateo, Calif. by an employee of Greenplum, a vendor that was performing some data analysis related to hospital readmissions.

Hospital spokeswoman Rebecca Stewart says the data on the laptop includes names, Social Security numbers, Medicaid and Medicare numbers, diagnosis and treatment records and other information.

She says the data was not encrypted, but there is no indication that any of the information has been misused.

The hospital has set up a call center and the patients involved are being offered free credit monitoring.