United Hospital District is committed to maintaining the privacy and security of patient information, according to a press release. United Hospital District said Monday it has notified a small subset of patients about a security incident involving a phishing scheme.

Upon learning of the situation, United Hospital District launched an investigation and engaged external cybersecurity professionals.

On Dec. 12, after devoting time and resources to determine what information was contained in the affected employee’s email account, United Hospital District discovered the email account, compromised between June 10 and June 27, contained certain patient information, including names, addresses, health insurance information and/or internal patient identifiers, the release states. A limited number of patients had medical treatment information, medical diagnostic information or Social Security numbers impacted.

United Hospital District is not aware of any reports of identity fraud or improper use of information as a direct result of the incident, the release states. United Hospital District said it has mailed letters to individuals whose sensitive personal and health information was contained in the affected email account.

For the few individuals whose Social Security numbers were contained in the account, United Hospital District is offering a credit monitoring and identity theft restoration service, which is being offered at no cost. Those individuals have also been provided with best practices to protect their information, including steps to obtain a free credit report, placing a fraud alert and/or placing a security freeze on their credit files. Those individuals have also been reminded to remain vigilant in reviewing financial account statements on a regular basis for any fraudulent activity. It is also recommended that affected patients review the statements they receive from their health insurance providers and follow up on any items not recognized.

United Hospital District has taken steps to minimize the risk of a similar incidents in the future, including implementation of additional employee training and security measures, according to the release.

For further questions regarding the incident or to determine if you may be impacted, United Hospital District patients may call a dedicated toll-free response line that has been set up at 877-209-9498. The response line is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.