SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah revealed on Saturday that a laptop and external storage device stolen from a storage area at the Moran Eye Center two months ago could have put the personal information of hundreds of patients at risk.
The theft occurred on April 3, 2018. The laptop and storage device were in a locked area. An investigation into the theft is ongoing.
Both devices held retinal images created by Moran specialists during evaluations at Primary Children’s Hospital and the University of Utah Hospital. Those exams took place between the summer of 2014 and March, 2018.
The records also included names, dates of birth and references numbers used by the University of Utah Health system. The University said no financial records or social security numbers are affected.
The Moran Eye Center is notifying 607 patients of the possible breach. Most, 605 of them, were infants at the time the images were created. Only five of the patients are adults.
People affected by the records theft will be eligible to receive free credit monitoring services from the University. A toll-free help line is also available at 855-349-6456, staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.