Michigan Medicine notifies patients of privacy incident

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Medicine is notifying approximately 1,015 individuals about a privacy incident that may have exposed a limited amount of their health information. 

On June 27, 2025, a Michigan Medicine research study mailed postcards to individuals to recruit the recipients of the postcards into the research study.  The postcards were sent without an envelope, and the body of the postcard included protected health information that was potentially exposed to anyone who may have come in contact with the postcard. 

As soon as Michigan Medicine was made aware of the error, the research study staff took swift action and immediately stopped sending the postcards to additional potential study participants. An investigation was initiated and found that the University of Michigan’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), a panel of staff that is responsible for human subjects research oversight, mistakenly approved the use of this postcard. 

The IRB is taking additional measures to ensure that a similar incident will not happen again, including staff-wide additional education about protecting PHI in communication materials.

Leaders at Michigan Medicine expressed regret that this incident has occurred. 

“We take patient privacy very seriously, and we regret this incident. Whenever situations like this occur, we immediately take steps to investigate,” said Jeanne Strickland, Michigan Medicine Chief Compliance Officer.

“We will analyze this incident and review our safeguards and make changes if needed to protect those we care for.” 

Notices were mailed to the affected patients or their personal representatives starting August 14, 2025. Those concerned about the breach who do not receive a letter may call the toll-free Michigan Medicine Assistance Line: 1-833-353-4105. Calls will be answered Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Eastern Time).

While Michigan Medicine believes the risk of identity or medical theft is very low, as a precautionary measure, all affected patients have been advised to monitor their medical insurance statements for any potential evidence of fraudulent transactions. Information about potential identity theft is available from the Federal Trade Commission at www.identitytheft.gov/#/Warning-Signs-of-Identity-Theft.

About Michigan Medicine and University of Michigan Health 

At Michigan Medicine, we advance health to serve Michigan and the world. We pursue excellence every day in our 11 hospitals and hundreds of clinics statewide, as well as educate the next generation of physicians, health professionals and scientists in our U-M Medical School. 

Michigan Medicine includes U-M Medical School and University of Michigan Health, which includes the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, University Hospital, the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Health-West, University of Michigan Health-Sparrow and the Rogel Cancer Center. The U-M Medical School is one of the nation's biomedical research powerhouses, with total research awards of more than $800 million. 

More information is available at www.michiganmedicine.org