Pediatric ENT Data Breach Affects 43,446 Patients: SSNs Exposed

On Feb. 24, 2025, Pediatric Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Associates, P.A. discovered unauthorized activity on its network, prompting an immediate investigation. The breach occurred between Feb. 19 and Feb. 24, 2025, and according to a disclosure to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it resulted in the exposure of sensitive information belonging to 43,446 individuals in the United States.

According to the notice posted on the company's website, the exposed information included names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, driver’s license or state ID numbers, financial account information, taxpayer ID numbers, digital signatures, and dates of birth. In addition, health-related data such as medical diagnoses, treatment information, prescription details, dates of service, patient ID numbers, provider names, medical record numbers, Medicare or Medicaid numbers, health insurance information, claim numbers, policy numbers, and treatment cost information were potentially accessed.

Pediatric Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Associates' response

Following the discovery of the breach, Pediatric Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Associates, P.A. took several immediate actions to secure its systems and protect affected individuals. The company reset passwords across its network and reviewed its policies and procedures related to data security. As a precaution, they are offering credit monitoring and identity protection services to potentially affected individuals.

Those who may have been impacted are encouraged to remain vigilant by regularly reviewing their credit reports, account statements, and explanation of benefits forms for any suspicious activity. The company has provided a dedicated phone line at 1-833-998-8167, available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET (excluding U.S. holidays), for questions or to enroll in credit monitoring and identity protection services. Additional guidance on placing fraud alerts or credit freezes with the three major credit bureaus—TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax—is also available.

Individuals are advised to take advantage of their right to a free annual credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, which can be ordered through AnnualCreditReport.com. Those concerned about identity theft can also contact the Federal Trade Commission for further resources and to report any incidents.