Horizon notifying patients after laptop stolen in Fredericton

The Horizon Health network is notifying patients of a privacy breach after a laptop was stolen from the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton.

Kathy Kowalski, a director for the respiratory clinic, said the laptop went missing on the evening of June 11.

She said there was a climate control problem and the door was left open.

Kowalski said the missing computer contained the names and Medicare numbers of 158 patients and it was not password protected.

"We have realized that there are laptops within Horizon that aren't used as you would normally use a laptop," she said.

"They are used to test patients or to house medical software because those laptops aren't networked, there are some of them that are not password protected.

Kowalski said Horizon is now adding password protection to all laptops that contain patient information.

And the department is now locked at all times

She said the network has recommended the affected patients get new Medicare numbers.