Over 1,000 hospital patients' records exposed in breach

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health says an employee of Tewksbury Hospital may have inappropriately accessed medical records for more than 1,000 patients.

The department says on Friday that it conducted a review after a former patient's complaint.

It says it determined records were exposed between 2003 and 2017. The records included personal information such as names, medical diagnoses and possibly Social Security numbers, although the department says there's no indication the information was misused.

MORE: Data Breach at Tewksbury Hospital

The employee was not publicly identified, but the department says the person is no longer employed there and no longer has access to the records.

The department says it has made changes to protect Social Security numbers and is reviewing its policies.

Tewksbury Hospital is one of four hospitals operated by the department.

Associated Press