Almeida Law Group is investigating a data breach at Oakdale Ear Nose & Throat PA d/b/a Minnesota ENT. If you were affected, contact Almeida Law Group.
About Oakdale Ear Nose & Throat PA d/b/a Minnesota ENT
Minnesota ENT (formerly Oakdale Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic) is a healthcare provider specializing in ear, nose, throat, and audiology services. Founded in 1969, the practice employs board-certified otolaryngologists and licensed audiologists and operates offices in Golden Valley, Maple Grove, and Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Because the practice provides medical care, it handles a range of sensitive patient information, including health records and personal identifying details.
What Happened?
Oakdale Ear Nose & Throat PA d/b/a Minnesota ENT was listed in a HHS Office for Civil Rights breach portal report filed on August 12th, 2026, classifying the incident as a Hacking/IT Incident affecting 99,714 individuals. The breached information was located in email accounts.
According to the company’s breach notice, an unauthorized third party accessed six employee email accounts and copied files contained within them. Minnesota ENT engaged cybersecurity professionals to investigate and determined on July 15th, 2026 that the compromised accounts may have contained personal information. The company has not publicly disclosed when the unauthorized access initially occurred. Notification letters were mailed to affected individuals on August 12th, 2026, the same date the incident was reported to the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. Per the breach notice, exposed data may include names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, email addresses, financial account numbers, medical information, and health insurance information, with specific data types varying by individual. Minnesota ENT is offering affected individuals complimentary Experian IdentityWorks credit monitoring. No business associate was involved, and no ransomware group or threat actor has been identified in connection with this incident. As of mid-August 2026, multiple law firms, including Hellmuth & Johnson and attorneys working with ClassAction.org, have announced investigations into whether a class action lawsuit can be filed, though no lawsuit had been filed as of the research date.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Company or Organization: Oakdale Ear Nose & Throat PA d/b/a Minnesota ENT
- Industry: Healthcare Provider – Otolaryngology (ENT) and Audiology
- Location: Golden Valley, MN (headquarters); additional offices in Maple Grove, MN and Robbinsdale, MN
- Incident type: Hacking/IT Incident (unauthorized access to employee email accounts)
- Date breach discovered: July 15th, 2026
- Date of consumer notification: August 12th, 2026
- Total persons affected: 99,714
- Identity theft protection offered: Complimentary Experian IdentityWorks credit monitoring
- Litigation status: Class action investigations announced by Hellmuth & Johnson and ClassAction.org attorneys; no lawsuit filed as of mid-August 2026
- Source: HHS OCR Breach Portal; Hellmuth & Johnson investigation; ClaimDepot breach summary; ClassAction.org investigation; Massachusetts Attorney General notification
What Should You Do?
If you received a notification from Minnesota ENT, enroll in the complimentary Experian IdentityWorks credit monitoring being offered and note any enrollment deadline stated in your letter. You should also consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—and regularly monitor your financial accounts and credit reports for any suspicious activity. You can request your free annual credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. Because medical and health insurance information was involved, review your Explanation of Benefits statements and medical records for any services you did not receive. If you discover signs of identity theft or fraud, report them at IdentityTheft.gov, which provides a personalized recovery plan.
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.
