Computer With Patient Info Stolen

Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore waited for five weeks before notifying patients that a computer containing their personal data had been stolen.

Hospital officials told The Baltimore Sun the desktop computer, which was taken from an office in mid-July, contained names, addresses, Social Security numbers and other important details for 5,783 patients.

Officials said there has been no sign that the information fell into the hands of identity thieves or has been misused in other ways. They said they believe the computer was probably sold as hardware.

Another computer and a projector were stolen the same night. Police have two suspects, a Hopkins employee and an employee of a vending company, a hospital spokesman said.