Health group target of burglary in April

Patient data not accessed, CEO says

Offices for Health Resources of Arkansas, which specializes in behavioral therapy, were burglarized in April, resulting in a “potential breach of confidentiality” for about 1,900 patients, the Batesville-based nonprofit said in a news release on Thursday.

Tommy Mitchum, chief executive officer of Health Resources, said in a telephone interview that there is no evidence that anyone’s personal records were accessed in the break-in, which was discovered April 14 at 115 W. Clinton St. in Heber Springs.

Mitchum said that two laptops, neither of which had patient information, and less than $100 were stolen. Mitchum said that someone carried out the break-in by knocking a hole into the wall of the adjacent Heber Spring Revenue Office.

The news release states that “HRA has no knowledge as to whether your information was actually accessed or viewed.”

Such information includes a patient’s name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, diagnosis, type of treatment and court information.

Mitchum said that “nothing” regarding patient records was accessed in any fashion.

People whose confidential information might have been accessed have been notified, Mitchum said. There have been no complaints of stolen information, Mitchum said.

Health Resources is required by federal law to notify anyone affected within 60 days. The state Personal Information Protection Act also requires prompt notification.

Title 42 of the U.S. Code Annotated, Section 17932 requires that “prominent media outlets” be notified after such an incident.

Heber Springs Police Chief Bobby Walker said that the Batesville Daily Guard published an article after the break-in. The paper operates behind an online pay wall, which prevented access to the story on Thursday.

“I didn’t even think we needed to send it in [to the news media],” Mitchum said.

Craig Balderee of Quitman in Cleburne County was arrested at his residence on April 19 on two counts of commercial burglary, according to Detective Keith Douglas of the Heber Springs Police Department. Both laptops were returned to the clinic, Douglas said. Balderee is in the Cleburne County jail in lieu of $50,000 bond, Douglas said.

Health Resources serves 22 counties and was founded in 1969 as North Central Arkansas Mental Health Clinic, according to its website. Its alcohol-abuse treatment program is known at the Wilbur D. Mills Treatment Center.

The organization, which adopted its current name in 2003, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.

Business, Pages 27 on 06/07/2013

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