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.

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Over the Counter Cures for Aging with Dr. Gary Motykie Featured on the Marie Show

What a terrific segment! This week on the Marie Osmond Show “Dr. G” shined some light with sound advice on learning how to listen to our bodies to eat healthier, tips on juicing to lose fat everywhere and news about the newest non-invasive treatment to lose those few extra inches- permanently.

After introducing Dr. M as an elite expert in the field of plastic surgery, and world renowned as a highly regarded author of various articles on the newest techniques in plastic surgery, the always lovely Marie Osmond started off the show saying that her friends daughter wanted to do some plastic surgery and went to see Dr. Motykie. A while later when Marie called to see how it went, the friends daughter said that Dr. Motykie told her she had to take better care of herself before he would do anything surgical! Meaning her health and nutrition wasn’t up to par. This is an important credo for Dr. Motykie: Health before beauty.

How to lose weight

According to Dr. M, counting calories is absolutely wrong- he doesn’t agree with it. Losing weight and staying healthy should be about nutrition and nutritional content. Unfortunately, the “Standard American Diet” is full of packaged foods and most packaged foods have virtually no nutritional value. As Dr. M pointed out, they are pretty packages housing calories.  If this is all you eat, then you are on the fast track to being overfed and under-nourished. The acronym for the Standard American Diet is SAD. And the standard American diet -it is actually Sad! It’s junk food and full of calories and not nutrition.

If you were to list the factors that increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, intestinal disorders – just about any illness – the standard American diet has them all:

  • High in animal fats
  • High in unhealthy fats: saturated, hydrogenated
  • Low in fiber
  • High in processed foods
  • Low in complex carbohydrates
  • Low in plant-based foods

The standard American diet is high in many things, most of which your body doesn’t really need.  It is full of hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, phytic acid, acrylamide, sodium nitrate, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lacking in basic essentials such as vitamins, minerals.

Got Back Fat? Eat better!

“Liposuction is not for weight loss, it’s for targeting trouble areas”… says Dr. Motykie. The standard American diet contains TOXINS & FAT – and all kinds of things you DON’T need in your body… and guess what? It all goes to your fat cells. “Fat cells are the garbage cans of our body,”  Dr. Motykie says. They store all the toxins and fat from our poor diet. We’re walking around toxic, fat and bloated.  If you have liposuction but go back to a poor diet, aren’t you just trading fat in one area for another? What you really want is to lose fat everywhere!

So what’s the answer? JUICING!

Once you start juicing and detoxing, your body starts to say ‘hey I’m healthy I don’t need all this stuff in me’ and OFF COMES THE FAT… also the nutrients that are in those vegetables and antioxidants are actually helping escort the toxins OUT.

What Dr. M likes to say about juicing is that “It’s like a spa treatment for your body –on the inside”. When you’re juicing you’re actually cleaning out the inside of your body- that’s going to dump those toxins (FAT!) and bring nutrients into your body. You’re going to lose weight!

Okay, so how long does it take to get the weight off? “Once you start juicing” Dr. Motykie says, “it’s going to happen quick- your body’s going to react very quickly, it’s used to this stuff.”

On a table spread with colorful organic vegetables like carrots, beets and spinach – Dr. Motykie whips up a detox cocktail for Marie that he calls “The Lean Green Machine” which is simply and deliciously celery and cucumbers in the juicer! It’s refreshing and tasty and takes less than a minute to make.

Final words on juicing are “Don’t eat with your mind, eat with your body. Your body is going to tell you what’s best for you if you listen”. I think we all know which voice he’s referring to. (Hint. Not the one that say ice cream right before bed is good for ya)

“I Don’t LOVE My “love handles”…

What can you do if you can’t lose those last few inches or have stubborn spots – even after juicing…

The answer: A non- invasive, non-liposuction procedure called Cool-Sculpting. It actually cools or freezes-the fat, so that it comes right off after freezing! It doesn’t hurt. There are no harmful effects. It takes about an hour, costs only about $800 dollars and get this- it’s PERMANENT.

Cryolipolysis, now popularly known as “Cool-Sculpting”, originated at The Wellman Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. Research proved that Popsicle panniculitis, a dermatologic condition, showed that exposure to low temperatures can selectively damage subcutaneous fat while leaving skin intact. The principle of Cool-Sculpting relies on controlled cooling for non-invasive local reduction of fat deposits to reshape body contours. The exposure to cooling is set so that it causes cell death of subcutaneous fat tissue without apparent damage to the overlying skin.

It really very simple the way Dr. Motykie explains it: Fat cells are more sensitive to freezing than the skin and the fat cells die and the body absorbs the fat. “If you ask”, me says Dr. Motykie, “that’s pretty COOL”. He’s so cute.

The most common areas to do Dr. Motykie says are the flanks or “love handles”, they’re just going to shrink slowly over the next couple of months effortlessly… remember to maintain your normal diet and exercise of course.

The Most Lovable Thing About Dr. M?

Well there are many things, but as Marie points out at the end of the segment, “Dr. G always gives the alternative- to do it smart, and to be healthy”.

Dr. Motykie’s response: “Live smarter not harder right?”

So, in summary…

1.  Go for lots of color on your plate!!! Start juicing.

2.  Leave “SAD” behind and be Happy! Build a foundation of healthy eating for a beautiful future.

3. Freeze the fat!  When you’ve done everything else, take those last few pounds off with Cool-Sculpting.

4. Keep those muffin tops where they belong- on muffins… But don’t eat them because they are usually high in fat and low in nutrient content!

To see more services and treatments provided by Dr. Motykie and his team please visit:

 

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