LOS ANGELES, Kaiser Permanente has sent letters to 25,000 members who visited its South Bay Medical Center, warning them that two employees of a Kaiser vendor may have stolen their personal information.
Pamela Moore and LaShonda McKenzie, both 27, have been arrested for allegedly stealing personal information from patient records and using that information to apply for credit cards. They are suspected of running up thousands of dollars in charges.
Although medical center officials believe the number of members affected is small, they did indicate the victims of this scam could include patients who visited the facility’s emergency rooms and surgery departments. Patients who made specific requests for copies of their records might have also been victimized. Currently, six patients have been identified as having their information used inappropriately.
Moore and McKenzie worked for San Bernardino, Calif.-based QuestNine Inc., a photocopying company tasked with making copies of Kaiser patient medical records. When Moore and McKenzie were arrested, brand-name appliances, televisions, clothing and other items purchased with the credit cards were discovered at their homes.
Police began investigating on Oct. 26 when a patient began receiving collection notices for accounts opened in her name.
QuestNine said it will improve its employee background check procedures. Both suspects did not have criminal records.
