We are posting this letter to the Lodi, CA community as part of Golden State Dermatology’s (GSD) commitment to patient privacy. We take patient privacy very seriously, and it is important to us that you are made fully aware of a potential privacy issue.

On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, we became aware of a potential privacy issue that impacted first and last names and mailing addresses.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. One of Golden State Dermatology’s contracted print vendors created a mail merge error when formatting a spreadsheet that contained personal information of first and last name and mailing address, resulting in a mismatch of 1,010 names with addresses. The data was then used to mail a standard letter to patients regarding Golden State Dermatology’s recent partnership with Fairmont Dermatology in Lodi, CA. This caused patients to receive a letter with their correct address but an incorrect first and last name. We can assure you that NO other personal information was part of the breached data.

We have taken several steps to investigate this incident and prevent any potential harm to you, including notifying the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights to investigate further as part of HIPAA. Furthermore, we are currently revising policies and procedures, and implementing new technical safeguards, so this does not happen again.

We are keenly aware of how important your personal information is to you and understand that this may worry or inconvenience you. We sincerely apologize and regret that this situation has occurred. Golden State Dermatology is committed to providing quality care, including protecting your personal information.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Privacy Officer at [email protected] or call (866)-480-4685