Barrie health team patient information compromised in data breach, email states

CTV News has learned some Barrie and Community Family Health Team (BCFHT) clients recently received emails claiming to outline a data breach that occurred earlier this year.

In March, the team did report there had been a data breach.

The email sent to some patients, which was shared with CTV News, notifies the recipients that the health team called in cyber experts to dive into the breach, and after several months of investigating, they are working to notify affected individuals as quickly as possible.

It states that personal information, such as names, addresses, health card information, and medical notes, may have been compromised.

The email concludes by urging those impacted to remain vigilant regarding threats of identity thefts or fraud by reporting any suspicious activity in the form of emails, letters, telephone calls, or text messages claiming to be from BCFHT.

Those patients who may have been impacted are advised to avoid clicking unknown links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails.

CTV News has not been able to independently verify the email's authenticity. Repeated attempts to contact the health team have gone unanswered.

BCFHT is one of 200 Family Health Teams created as part of the Ontario government's plan to reduce wait times and improve access to health care.