Private information of Owensboro-area patients found on Web

The private information of thousands of people who visited the Green River District Health Department has been mistakenly available for perusal online since October.

Owensboro's Messenger-Inquirer found 9,986 names and personal information, including birth dates and Social Security numbers, of Daviess County residents last week after receiving a tip by Mickey Franzman, who stumbled on the information while doing a Google search on one of her relatives. The information included a database of health department clients.

The problem was fixed immediately by Intregranetics after the company was informed of it. "The information that was out there from the health department, it was nothing they did," President Michael Hobson told reporter James Mayse. "It was my responsibility ... It wasn't anything done intentionally."

Debbie Fillman, health department director, said Thursday that steps were in place to inform people who could have been affected. (Read more)