News and Events

Notice of Data Security Incident 

Waco, Texas – December 6, 2023 – Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network (“HOTBHN”) notified certain current and former patients that their personal information may have been accessed as part of cyber security incident.  

What Happened On October 22, 2023, HOTBHN experienced a network security incident that involved an unauthorized party gaining access to our network environment. Upon detecting the incident, we immediately shut off all access to the network and engaged a specialized third-party forensic incident response firm to assist with securing the network environment and investigating the extent of unauthorized activity. HOTBHN’s network has been secured. HOTBHN is providing written notice to all impacted individuals. HOTBHN has no reason to believe that any individual’s information has been misused as a result of this event.  As of this writing, HOTBHN has not received any reports of misuse of information and/or related identity theft since the date the incident was discovered (October 22,2023 to present).

What Information Was Involved Again, we found no evidence that patient information has been specifically misused. However, the following information was potentially exposed to an unauthorized third party: first and last name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, medical record number, health insurance policy number, and medical and treatment information. Notably, the types of information affected were different for each individual, and not every individual had all the above listed types of information exposed.

What We Are Doing Data security is one of our highest priorities. Upon detecting this incident we moved quickly to initiate a response, which included conducting an investigation with the assistance of IT specialists and confirming the security of our network environment. We have also reviewed and enhanced our technical safeguards to prevent a similar incident.

The notification letter to the potentially impacted individuals includes steps that they can take to protect their information. In order to address any concerns and mitigate any exposure or risk of harm following this incident, HOTBHN has arranged for complimentary credit monitoring services and identity theft protection services to all potentially impacted individuals at no cost to them for a period of twelvemonths. HOTBHN recommends that individuals enroll in the services provided and follow the recommendations contained within the notification letter to ensure their information is protected. 

For More Information: For individuals seeking more information or questions about this incident, please call 1-855-590-2562, Monday through Friday, 7:00 am – 7:00 pm CT, excluding holidays.

Thank you for entrusting HOTBHN with your behavioral health needs We value the security of the personal data that we maintain, and understand the frustration, concern, and inconvenience that this incident may have caused. We look forward to continuing to provide high quality care to you, your family, and the Waco community.