Notice of Data Security Incident
Anaconda, Montana – May 19, 2025 – Community Hospital of Anaconda (“CHA”) is providing notice of a recent data security incident that may have involved personal and/or protected health information. CHA is a privately owned, non-profit community hospital that provides healthcare services to the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County community. CHA takes the privacy and security of all information within its possession very seriously. CHA has sent notice of this incident to potentially affected individuals and provided resources to assist them.
On August 12, 2024, CHA became aware of unusual activity that disrupted access to certain IT systems. Upon discovering this activity, we took steps to secure our digital environment and engaged leading cybersecurity experts to assist with an investigation. The investigation revealed that an unknown actor may have accessed or acquired certain data from the CHA network between August 10 and August 12, 2024. CHA then worked with additional experts to conduct a comprehensive review to identify the individuals whose personal and/or protected health information was involved and gather contact information needed to provide notice. This process concluded in May 2025.
The personal and protected health information that may have been involved in the incident included: names, dates of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license or state identification numbers, U.S. military identification numbers, passport numbers, financial account information, patient account numbers, medical record numbers, Medicare and Medicaid numbers, treatment information, and health insurance information.
As soon as it discovered the incident, CHA took the steps referenced above. CHA also notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation and will provide whatever cooperation is necessary to hold the responsible parties accountable, if possible. CHA takes the security and privacy of personal and protected health information in its possession very seriously and has taken additional steps to prevent a similar event from occurring in the future.
On May 19, 2025, CHA mailed notice of this incident to potentially impacted individuals for which CHA had identifiable address information. In this notification letter, CHA provided information about the incident and steps that potentially affected individuals can take to protect their information.
CHA has established a toll-free call center to answer questions about the incident and to address related concerns. Call center representatives are available Monday through Friday between 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Mountain Time and can be reached at 1-877-674-2894.
The privacy and protection of personal and protected health information is a top priority for CHA. We deeply regret any concern this incident may cause.
We are providing the following information to help those who want to know more about steps they can take to protect themselves and their personal information:
What steps can I take to protect my personal information?
- Please notify your financial institution immediately if you detect any suspicious activity on any of your accounts, including unauthorized transactions or new accounts opened in your name that you do not recognize. You should also promptly report any fraudulent activity or any suspected incidents of identity theft to proper law enforcement authorities.
- You can request a copy of your credit report, free of charge, directly from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. To do so, free of charge once every 12 months, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting agencies is listed at the bottom of this page.
- You can take steps recommended by the Federal Trade Commission to protect yourself from identify theft. The FTC’s website offers helpful information at ftc.gov/idtheft.
- Additional information on what you can do to better protect yourself is included in your notification letter.
How do I obtain a copy of my credit report?
You can obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, directly from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. To order your credit report, free of charge once every 12 months, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228, or by completing an Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348 . Use the following contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting agencies:
| Equifax
P.O. Box 105851 Atlanta, GA 30348 1-800-525-6285 |
Experian
P.O. Box 9532 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com |
TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 1-833-799-5355 |
How do I put a fraud alert on my account?
You may want to consider placing a fraud alert on your credit report. An initial fraud alert is free and will stay on your credit file for at least one year. The alert informs creditors of possible fraudulent activity within your report and requests that the creditor contact you prior to establishing any accounts in your name. To place a fraud alert on your credit report, contact any of the three credit reporting agencies identified above. Additional information is available at www.annualcreditreport.com. For TransUnion: www.transunion.com/fraud-alerts.
How do I put a security freeze on my credit reports?
You also have the right to place a security freeze on your credit report. A security freeze is intended to prevent credit, loans and services from being approved in your name without your consent. To place a security freeze on your credit report, you need to make a request to each consumer reporting agency. You may make that request by certified mail, overnight mail, or regular stamped mail, or online by following the instructions found at the websites listed below. You will need to provide the following information when requesting a security freeze (note that if you are making a request for your spouse, this information must be provided for him/her as well): (1) full name, with middle initial and any suffixes; (2) Social Security number; (3) date of birth; (4) address. You may also be asked to provide other personal information such as your email address, a copy of a government-issued identification card, and a copy of a recent utility bill or bank or insurance statement. It is essential that each copy be legible, display your name and current mailing address, and the date of issue. There is no charge to place, lift, or remove a freeze. You may obtain a security freeze by contacting any one or more of the following national consumer reporting agencies:
| Equifax Security Freeze PO Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348 1-800-685-1111 www.equifax.com |
Experian Security Freeze PO Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com |
TransUnion (FVAD) PO Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 1-833-799-5355 www.transunion.com/credit-freeze |
What should I do if my family member was involved in the incident and is deceased?
You may choose to notify the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union, and request they flag the deceased credit file. This will prevent the credit file information from being used to open credit. To make this request, mail a copy of your family member’s death certificate to each company at the addresses below.
| Equifax
Equifax Information Services P.O. Box 740256 Atlanta, GA 30374 |
Experian
Experian Information Services P.O. Box 9701 Allen, TX 75013 |
TransUnion
Transunion Information Services P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 |
What should I do if my minor child or protected person’s information was involved in the incident?
You can request that each of the three national credit reporting agencies perform a manual search for a minor’s or protected person’s Social Security number to determine if there is an associated credit report. Copies of identifying information for the minor and parent/guardian may be required, including birth or adoption certificate, Social Security card and government issued identification card. If a credit report exists, you should request a copy of the report and immediately report ay fraudulent accounts to the credit reporting agency. You can also report any misuse of a minor’s information to the FTC at https://www.identitytheft.gov/. For more information about Child Identity Theft and instructions for requesting a manual Social Security number search, visit the FTC website: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0040-child-identity-theft. Contact information for the three credit reporting agencies may be found above.
