Sutter Patient Records Stolen

A computer with unencrypted data on more than four million patients has been stolen from Sutter Medical Foundation's Sacramento offices, the healthcare provider reported Wednesday.

The password-protected computer contained names, addresses, birthdates and in some cases medical diagnoses for patients in the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay areas, according to a message on Sutter's website.

The data did not include patients' Social Security numbers or financial information, Sutter says.

While Sutter discovered the theft on Oct. 17, the medical network waited until Wednesday to notify the public. The Sacramento Business Journal quotes the company as saying it wanted to be sure of the extent of the damage first.

Sutter patients in Elk Grove who fear they may have been affected can call a toll-free hotline, 1-855-770-0003 and enter reference code 7637111511 for more information. For patients whose medical information was disclosed, Sutter says it will be contacting them individually by mail.

Sutter is currently as part of a major Elk Grove expansion.