About Watsonville Community Hospital
Watsonville Community Hospital, a healthcare organization located at 75 Nielson St., Watsonville, CA, experienced a data breach impacting its systems. The breach was discovered on September 22, 2025, and was the result of an external system breach, commonly known as hacking. While the total number of affected individuals is not specified, one Maine resident was impacted. The hospital has taken steps to address the incident and notify those affected.
What Happened
On November 29, 2024, WCH became aware of suspicious activity related to certain systems within its computer network. In response, WCH promptly took portions of its network offline, isolated the affected systems, and began an investigation into the activity. The investigation determined there was unauthorized access to a limited subset of its network between November 25, 2024 and November 30, 2024, and that certain files within the network were accessed or downloaded without authorization during that time.
The breach affected various individuals whose personal information, such as name, address, and driver’s license/government ID number, might have been accessed. The breach occurred on November 25, 2024, and was discovered on September 22, 2025.
Next Steps
Watsonville Community Hospital is advising affected individuals to remain vigilant for any signs of identity theft or fraud. It is recommended that individuals carefully review their account statements and monitor their credit reports for any unusual activity. The hospital has also notified federal law enforcement and is working on implementing additional security measures. Affected users should consider placing a fraud alert or security freeze on their credit files and contact the Federal Trade Commission or state Attorney General if they suspect any fraud.
Identity Theft Protection Services
To help protect impacted individuals, Watsonville Community Hospital is offering 24 months of credit and identity monitoring services through IDX, at no cost to those affected. These services provide individuals with guidance on protecting against identity theft and fraud, such as how to report incidents of identity theft or fraud to credit card companies and banks. Affected individuals are encouraged to utilize these services to ensure their personal information remains secure.