Notice of Data Privacy Incident

If you were scheduled for an appointment or visited our Gastroenterology East Clinic at Gateway Medical Office from January 28, 2026, to February 12, 2026, please review this notice.

The Oregon Clinic (TOC) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of our patients’ information.  We are providing this notice to inform individuals of a recent incident involving certain personal and Protected Health Information (PHI).

What Happened?

On February 12, 2026, we discovered that several documents containing PHI at TOC’s Gastroenterology East Clinic at Gateway Medical Office, 1111 NE 99th Ave. Ste 301, Portland, OR 97220, were likely inadvertently collected and mixed with regular trash disposal, instead of being collected in TOC’s designated bins for shredding. We immediately began an internal investigation and learned that the building’s trash disposal is kept secure in a loading dock, and the trash is compressed and picked up daily (garbage trucks are equipped with hydraulic compaction systems). 

We estimate 200-250 patients were impacted in this incident.

What Information Was Involved?

If you had an appointment scheduled or visited the clinic between January 28, 2026, to February 12, 2026, you have been identified as someone who may have been impacted by the event.

While the information varied depending on the type of document, it may have included:

  • Name and contact information
  • Date of birth
  • Medical record number (MRN), insurance, provider name, clinic location, reason for visit, symptoms, medications 
  • No Social Security Numbers were involved

What We Are Doing

Upon learning of the incident, the clinic team members were retrained on HIPAA policies and procedures, and the clinic management implemented a new workflow to ensure all documents containing PHI are emptied  into the designated secure shred bins daily.  

For More Information

We have established a dedicated toll-free call center to answer any questions you may have. If you believe you may have been affected or if you have questions regarding his incident, please contact us:

  • Toll-free hotline number: 833-703-1384
  • Hours of operation: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PT

We sincerely apologize for any concern or inconvenience this incident may cause.

FAQ: Gastroenterology East Clinic at Gateway Medical Office (GI East clinic) HIPAA Breach event   

Below please find answers to questions you may have regarding this notice:

When did the event occur?

  • February 11, 2026, and February 12, 2026

Where did event occur?

  • The Oregon Clinic’s GI East Clinic location at Gateway Medical Office Gastroenterology East (GI East)
  • Address: 1111 NE 99th Ave. Suite 301, Portland, OR 97220

What happened?

  • Clinic staff kept some documents with PHI in their individual desks in a bin labeled “confidential.”  Some staff only had one-two days’ worth of documents, but two had about 1 ½-2 weeks’ worth of documents in their bins.  The types of documents were After Visit Summaries (AVS), patient profile sheets, procedure instructions, weekly or daily schedules.  On February 11, 2026, and February 12, 2026, the staff noticed that these bins were empty and presumed to have been taken by the building’s cleaning staff into trash bags and into the building’s locked trash bins.

If I was impacted, what information might have been involved?

  • Depending on the type of document involved, PHI may have included some of the following: name, date of birth, address, phone number, medical record number (MRN), insurance, provider name, clinic location, reason for visit, symptoms, medications. No Social Security Numbers were involved.

Is there a way to determine if I was specifically impacted by this?

  • As the documents were mixed in with regular trash disposal, there is no exact way to recall which patients were specifically impacted.
  • The clinic estimated that approximately 200-250 patients were impacted by this.

What happened with the PHI after disposal?

  • The documents were added in trash bags. These trash bags were then taken to the building’s main trash disposal which is kept in a secure loading dock located inside the building. The contents of the loading dock bin were compressed and picked up the next day (daily pickup as per routine). (Garbage trucks are equipped with hydraulic compaction systems.)

How will The Oregon Clinic prevent this from happening again?

  • The clinic team members were retrained on TOC’s HIPAA policies and a new workflow was implemented to ensure that all documents containing PHI are emptied daily into the designated secure shred bins.

What can I do?

  • We recommend that you remain vigilant by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports (more information below) for suspicious activity.  If you believe your information has been misused, you should contact your local law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission.
  • Check Your Credit Report frequently and Sign up for Credit Monitoring:
    • Credit monitoring will give you insight into changes on your credit report including any hard inquiries that are made, newly created accounts, high credit card balances, missed payments and more. You can request your credit report for free from each of the three reporting bureaus every week by visiting the Annual Credit Report website or by calling 1-877-322-8228.
  • Freeze Your Credit:
    • Consumers can request a security freeze be placed on their credit report by the three major credit reporting agencies in different ways: by phone, over the Internet through a form on each of the agencies’ websites, and by mail.
    • Freezing your credit can help protect against identity theft and fraud. Having a freeze on your credit report will not affect your credit scores, but it may prevent your credit report from being accessed until you unfreeze your credit report or credit file. It can take up to three business days to remove a security freeze. Remember to plan ahead if you are going to apply for new credit.
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