Notice of Data Incident
August 1, 2023

Dear Patients:
We post this Notice pursuant to the United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) to inform you about a data incident involving an unauthorized release of patient Protected Health Information (“PHI”), as that is defined by HIPAA, at Gary Motykie, M.D., a Medical Corporation and Gary Motykie, M.D. (“Practice”), a covered entity under HIPAA.

PHI, as defined by HIPAA, is information that is “created, received, maintained, or transmitted by or on behalf of the health care component of the Covered Entity.” § 164.105 (a)(2)(i)(D). Information that is created or received by a Covered Entity and that relates to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of healthcare to an individual is considered PHI. PHI is required to be protected when transmitted or maintained in any form by a Covered Entity. Individual identifiers (including but not limited to name, address, telephone number, fax, email address, social security number, medical record number, etc.) maintained in a designated record set along with health information (including but not limited to x-rays, images, scans, physician notes, diagnoses, treatment, eligibility approvals, claims, remittances, etc.) are collectively considered PHI.

Event Description:
On or about June 6, 2023, an initial technical analysis of the Practice’s information technology network determined an unauthorized release of PHI occurred to an unknown third party. The initial analysis determined that the unknown third party accessed the Practice’s network. It was further determined that the unknown third party acquired some of the Practice’s patient’s unencrypted PHI and that party was not authorized to do so and did so in an unlawful manner.

The information that may have been accessed or acquired during this unauthorized access included:

  • First and last name 
  • Social Security Number (if provided)
  • Address
  • Driver’s license or identification card number
  • Financial account or payment card number, in combination with any required CVV code
  • Intake forms, which may include medical information and history
  • Images taken in connection with the services rendered at our office
  • Health insurance information (if provided)
Steps Taken to Address:
Upon discovery, the Practice took the following immediate steps to address the situation:
  • Computers and servers replaced
  • Network passwords changed
  • Endpoint detection, virus, and malware detection tools and software installed on workstations and server
  • Limitations concerning Internet access
  • Access controls put in place for users based on role and responsibility
  • Server policies in place
  • Device locking mechanisms
  • Multi factor authentication enabled
  • Network segregation efforts
  • Encryption of devices
  • Additional workforce training
Risk Assessment:

The Practice conducted a risk assessment to evaluate the potential harm to potentially impacted individuals. Based on that assessment, it is determined that there is a high risk of harm. It is essential for potentially impacted individuals to remain vigilant in monitoring their personal accounts and data and promptly report any suspicious activity to law enforcement or their financial institutions.

Assistance and Resources:
Starting on or about June 22, 2023, letters were mailed to patients providing the following resources to assist the potentially impacted individuals, offering at no cost:
  • two (2) years of no cost Triple Bureau Credit Monitoring/Triple Bureau Credit Report/Triple Bureau Credit Score/Cyber Monitoring services.
  • the services also include reviewing whether Information appears on the dark web and alert the individual if such Information is found online.
  • proactive fraud assistance to help with any questions in event a potentially impacted persons becomes a victim of fraud.

Steps to Prevent Future Incidents: We deeply regret any inconvenience or concern this Incident may cause. The Practice is taking numerous steps to help prevent similar Incidents in the future. We will continue to review and enhance our security measures, policies, and employee training.

If you failed to receive your letter in the mail, and/or if there is a concern your mailing address has changed since you were a patient at the Practice, please contact 1-800-405-6108 or call our office immediately at 310-246-2355 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific time, Monday through Friday.

Common Areas of Liposuction

The most common areas where liposuction is performed are listed below along with some descriptive information about the technique used in each area.  Liposuction is about creating proportionate, healthy bodies with curves in all of the right places. It takes years of experience, technical skill and artistic talent in order to obtain consistently well-proportioned, beautiful results.

Outer Thighs – Also known as “saddle bags”, the outer thighs are one of the most common problem areas in women. This curve is essential to pay attention to during surgery because even small differences in the outer thighs can make a great improvement in a woman’s silhouette. When performed properly, liposuction in this area can give a smooth, gentle curve to the outer legs which can also enhance the shape of the adjacent buttock. The liposuction surgeon must be careful not to be overly aggressive in this area because even though most women desire “reduced” curves, they still want to have a feminine, “curvy” silhouette. Lastly, the outer thigh is a common “tight” spot in women’s clothing such as jeans, pants and skirts.  After the procedure, these “tight” spots are improved and oftentimes patients will decrease a size or two in their clothing after surgery.

Inner Thighs – This is a very common area for liposuction in women because most women never want their inner thighs to touch or rub together. A small gap between the inner thighs leads to a slim appearing silhouette of the lower body and it is therefore desired by many women. Some patients only need the upper, inner thighs contoured while others may require contouring of the entire inner thigh down to the medial knee in order to obtain a natural, well proportioned result.

Anterior Thighs – Most commonly this area is blended with the outer and/or inner thighs in order to achieve a well-balanced contour of the legs.

Waist/Flanks – Also known as the “love handles”, the waist is a very common problem area in men. In women, this area can begin to bulge out over the top of jeans or waistband resulting in a “muffin top.” Since this area is often well-defined with good skin elasticity, noticeable reduction in this area can be expected along with a possible decrease in your waist size

Hips – This area lies just below the waist toward the upper, outer area of the buttock. In most women, it gradually transitions into the waist area and it is very important to shape this area properly in order to create a rounder, more well-defined buttock as well as a “curvy” feminine silhouette.

Abdomen – The upper and lower abdomen are usually liposuctioned at the same time in order to achieve smooth blending of the central abdomen. One must also be careful in individuals with poor skin elasticity in this area because poor planning can cause loose, sagging skin. Overall, a very smooth result can be achieved in this area by having a lot of respect for the skin and staying in the deep fatty layer.

Back – The back is a common area for liposuction since the skin in this area is often thick and very forgiving. Many people complain of “back rolls” or “bra rolls” which can be improved through aggressive liposuction in this area.

Upper Arms – The posterior upper arms in women tend to become fuller and flabby overtime.  Excess skin or fat of the upper arms can make even the most confident woman feel self-conscious about her appearance in a sleeveless outfit or a swimsuit. In addition, thicker, flabbier arms or associated with the stigmata of aging and obesity in women. By reducing the amount of the fat in this area, the posterior upper arms will more likely stay tighter and more defined as time passes.

Calves / Ankles – This is one of the more challenging areas to do liposuction since the entire length of the lower leg needs to be re-shaped in order to achieve a smooth, continuous contour. In addition, there is little deep fat in this area so the risk of obtaining contour irregularities often outweighs the possible benefits of liposuction in this area.

Buttock – In general, the buttocks should rarely be liposuctioned directly because it can cause them to deflate, drop and/or flatten. To get a better buttock contour, the surrounding areas can be liposuctioned such as the outer thighs, hips and lower back. Oftentimes, the liposuctioned fat can then be purified and re-injected into the buttock in order to lift and reshape the buttock. This procedure is called a Brazilian Butt Lift and more information about this procedure can be found by following this link.

Neck – Fullness of the neck can make someone appear older and overweight whereas liposuction of the neck can often make someone appear much younger and fit. As long as there is minimal looseness of the skin and muscles of the neck, great improvement in neck contour can be achieved with liposuction alone. For men, a strong jawline is the goal of surgery whereas in women the goal is a longer, more elegant neckline. In the majority of patients three small incisions are used to achieve a well contoured, defined neckline. One incision is placed underneath the chin to remove fullness in the middle part of the neck and a second incision is also placed behind each earlobe in order to gain access to the side of the neck. This combined approach is important to achieve a well-blended, dramatic improvement in neck contour.

Chest – As men age, the chest becomes a common area for liposuction because it tends to become fuller and flabbier with a loss of muscle mass and decreased skin tone. If there is true gynecomastia (the chest tissue is a combination of both excess fat and glandular tissue), liposuction may need to be combined with direct excision of the breast tissue in order to be successful.  In women, liposuction can sometimes be employed as a means of “scar-less” breast reduction since the breast is commonly made of mostly fatty tissue.

To find out more about liposuction please contact us at 310-246-2355

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