MAYVILLE — Chautauqua County, in compliance with the code of federal regulations, announces that on March 29, it discovered an email was sent out by the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services on March 26, to several individuals which accidentally made visible and listed the personal email account addresses of all the recipients in the subject line. The email sent by the Department of Health and Human Services contained an updated map for the second dose COVID vaccination clinic to be held on March 27, 2021; no other personal information or health information was included.

Chautauqua County is currently conducting an in-depth investigation of this situation. The Department of Health and Human Services is responding to this incident by sending letters to all of the March 26, 2021 email recipients informing them of this situation, conducting supplemental HIPAA and protected health information staff trainings in addition to its yearly mandatory trainings, and issuing email security and best practice reminders to its staff to ensure this type of accident does not occur again.

Chautauqua County and the Department of Health and Human Services recognize the unfortunate nature of this incident and assure the public that protecting the confidentiality and privacy of individuals’ personal and health information in our possession is among Chautauqua County’s highest priorities.

If there are any questions or concerns, please call Debra Zahn, Chautauqua County’s Compliance Officer, at 716-753-4714.