Dr. Schwartz Data Breach: Patient Info Exposed For Several Months

On or about Aug. 25, 2025, Michael R. Schwartz, MD, FACS discovered a data breach had occurred, impacting their medical practice in Westlake Village, California. An investigation determined that an unauthorized actor gained remote access to a computer within the practice's network and accessed sensitive patient data..

According to Notice of Data Security Notice published on the medical practice website, the cybersecurity incident occurred over a period spanning from Jan. 30, 2023, to Aug. 26, 2023. The data breach compromised both personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI) belonging to patients.

Exposed information included names, Social Security numbers, addresses, emails, phone numbers, photographs and medical record numbers. Michael R. Schwartz, MD, FACS began notifying affected patients by mail on Oct. 23, 2025.

The number of individuals impacted by the data breach has not been disclosed, but may include thousands of current and former patients. The cyberattack was also disclosed to the California Attorney General on Oct. 23, 2025.

Michael R. Schwartz, MD, FACS's response

After detecting the breach, the practice replaced all office computers and servers, engaged cybersecurity experts and notified law enforcement. The plastic surgery practice is also offering affected patients 12 free months of Experian IdentityWorks identity restoration services.

If you receive a notice from Michael R. Schwartz, MD, FACS about this breach, you may want to:

• Sign up for the free Experian IdentityWorks identity restoration services by the Jan. 31, 2026 deadline.
• Monitor your credit reports and financial accounts for any unusual activity.
• Be alert for phishing emails or phone calls that may use your exposed information.
• Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with major credit bureaus.

The practice has also provided a dedicated phone number for patients with questions at 833-918-8973, Monday through Friday, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time.