Two provider groups have moved closer to closing class action litigation over patient data exposures, one in rural Georgia and one in northern Louisiana.
Wayne Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, which runs a hospital in Jesup, Georgia, agreed to settle claims stemming from a 2024 incident. An intruder was inside its network from May 30 to June 3, 2024, and patients were not notified until late August 2025. Consolidated as Bates v. Wayne Memorial Hospital, the case reached a mediated deal in May 2026 and has now won preliminary approval. Class members may seek reimbursement of documented out-of-pocket losses up to $5,000, or a one-time pro rata cash payment estimated at $25. Objections and opt-outs are due November 7, claims by December 7, and a fairness hearing is set for January 27, 2027.
A Louisiana clinic found intruders in its systems in October 2025, and the resulting exposure of names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, and treatment details has now been settled. The provider, Regional Urology of Shreveport, practices under the Ochsner LSU Health banner. Cathy Cowden filed the first class action on October 17, 2025, three more followed, and the cases were consolidated as Clark, et al., v. Regional Urology. The clinic denies fault.
Both deals show how quickly an intrusion turns into years of litigation for providers of any size.
