The City of St. Joseph, Missouri on behalf of the Health Department (“the Health Department”) will be notifying certain current and former patients limited medical information may have been compromised. The Health Department takes the privacy and security of information in its possession very seriously and sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience this incident may cause. This notice is intended to alert potentially impacted individuals of the incident, steps we are taking in response, and resources available to assist and protect individuals.
What Happened
The City experienced a network disruption on June 9, 2025. Upon discovering the incident, the City immediately took steps to secure the network environment and engaged cybersecurity experts to conduct an investigation. The investigation determined that certain files may have been acquired without authorization. The City then engaged a data mining vendor to review the data and determine whether personal information may have been involved. After extensive electronic discovery, which concluded on September 4, 2025, it was determined an unauthorized third party may have acquired certain individual health information from the Health Department during this incident. The City is providing written notice to individuals whose personal health information was impacted. The City has no reason to believe that any patient’s information has been misused as a result of this event.
What Information Was Involved
Again, the City has found no evidence that patient information has been misused. However, the following information could have been acquired and disclosed by an unauthorized third party: first name, last name, date of birth, driver's license number or state identification number, passport number, Social Security number, and medical diagnosis of treatment information. Notably, the types of information affected were different for each individual, and not every individual had all the above listed elements exposed. Rest assured that patients’ Social Security number and financial information were not impacted in this incident. Additionally, please note that the Health Department’s electronic medical records system and complete medical records were not impacted in this incident.
What We Are Doing
Security and privacy of patient data is among our highest priorities. Upon detecting this incident we moved quickly to initiate a response, which included conducting an investigation with the assistance of IT specialists and confirming the security of our network environment. We notified law enforcement. We have made immediate enhancements to our systems, security and practices. Additionally, we have engaged appropriate experts to assist us in conducting a full review of our security practices and systems to ensure that enhanced security protocols are in place going forward. We are committed to helping those people who may have been impacted by this unfortunate situation.
For More Information
For individuals seeking more information or questions about this incident, please call 1-833-844-5829, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Thank you for entrusting the City of St. Joseph Health Department with your healthcare needs. We value the security of the personal data that we maintain, and understand the frustration, concern, and inconvenience that this incident may have caused.