Almeida Law Group is investigating a data breach at Erlanger Health. If you were affected, contact Almeida Law Group.
About Erlanger Health
Erlanger Health (also known as Erlanger Health System) is an independent, non-profit hospital system based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It operates seven hospitals, including Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, the region’s only pediatric specialty hospital, and functions as a Level I Trauma Center and academic teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Medicine. Erlanger serves a multi-state region covering southeastern Tennessee, north Georgia, north Alabama, and western North Carolina.
What Happened?
Erlanger Health was listed in an HHS Office for Civil Rights breach portal report submitted on July 1st, 2026. The filing describes the incident as an unauthorized access or disclosure involving electronic medical records. No business associate was identified as involved, which indicates that Erlanger’s own systems were directly affected. A total of 4,237 individuals were listed as affected. The specific types of information involved were not identified in the filing or in any public notice, and no consumer notification date was specified in available sources.
This appears to be a distinct incident from at least two earlier vendor-related breaches affecting Erlanger patients. A breach at debt collection vendor Nationwide Recovery Service involved unauthorized access between July 5th and July 11th, 2024, affecting approximately 3,371 Erlanger patients, with names, addresses, dates of service, and in some cases Social Security numbers potentially compromised. A separate incident involving billing vendor TriZetto Provider Solutions, disclosed to Erlanger on December 11th, 2025, involved unauthorized access between November 2024 and October 2025, affecting approximately 219 Erlanger patients. Erlanger also experienced a circa-2020 incident in which a third-party vendor misplaced backup CDs containing patient information for roughly 4,938 individuals. The July 2026 HHS filing represents at least the fourth known data security incident involving Erlanger patient data.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Company or Organization: Erlanger Health
- Industry: Healthcare Provider — Hospital System
- Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Incident type: Unauthorized Access/Disclosure
- Total persons affected: 4,237
- Prior breach: Yes — multiple prior incidents, including an NRS vendor breach (July 2024, ~3,371 individuals), a TriZetto Provider Solutions vendor breach (November 2024–October 2025, ~219 individuals), and a circa-2020 backup CD incident (~4,938 individuals)
- Litigation status: Shamis & Gentile P.A. has been reported as investigating the earlier NRS-related breach for a potential class action; no litigation specifically tied to this July 2026 filing has been identified
- Source: HHS Office for Civil Rights breach portal report (Record ID 1462767) — https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report_hip.jsf#1462767; supplemental sources: https://www.hipaajournal.com/vitruvian-health-erlanger-health-business-associate-breach/, https://www.erlanger.org/about-us/data-breach-notice, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/cybersecurity/erlanger-vendor-loses-backup-cds-containing-almost-5-000-patients-info-during-software-update/, https://www.claimdepot.com/investigations/erlanger-health-system-data-breach
What Should You Do?
If you believe you may have been affected, consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — and monitoring your financial accounts and credit reports closely. You can request free annual credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. Because the breached information was located in electronic medical records, you should also review your Explanation of Benefits statements from your health insurer and check your medical records for any services you do not recognize. If you discover signs of fraud or identity theft, you can report them and get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
Your Legal Rights
If your personal or health information was involved in this breach, you may have legal rights depending on the facts of the incident and the law in your state. Almeida Law Group represents consumers in data breach and privacy litigation and can help you evaluate whether you may have a claim. Contact us at (708) 529-5418 or through our contact page for a free case evaluation.
