PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A spokesperson for Ortho Rhode Island said that a hacker shut down phone and computer services in September, causing disruptions for many patients. At the time, Ortho RI reported the phone outage lasted for three days in September, and online patient services were restored on Sept. 17. In a statement released Wednesday, spokesperson Evan Ernst said the hacker initially shut down the systems, and once Ortho Rhode Island regained control the orthopedic group kept its systems offline "until our third-party forensic specialists confirmed there was no further risk." Ortho RI would not provide the exact number of people potentially impacted, but Ernst said the hacker had obtained data for "a significant percentage" of patients. Ernst said data that may have been exposed includes names, addresses, billing and health insurance. Ernst said the breach could have also compromised medical information like X-rays, diagnoses, test results and other treatment information. However, Ernst said the hacker did not have access to entire patient files. Ortho RI said the suspicious activity was found on Sept. 7 and an investigation revealed that files were taken by the hacker between Sept. 4 and Sept 8. Ernst said they reported the hack to state and federal regulators, including the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services. At the time, several patients reached out to 12 Responds saying they were struggling to schedule new appointments and get in touch with the orthopedic group. Ernst wrote Wednesday that there has been "no evidence of misuse of any information or fraudulent activity as a result of this event or that this event extended to any system beyond those originally impacted at Ortho RI." Ernst said they will be sending letters all patients, as well as offering a dedicated hotline: 888-458-5614 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.  Patients will also be entitled to a year of credit monitoring, according to Ernst. In a statement, Ortho RI CEO Michael Bradley wrote, "I understand that this has caused frustration among our patients, community, and team, and I am grateful to everyone for their patience as we have worked diligently to continue operations while also addressing the attack." Ernst said Ortho Rhode Island has taken steps to enhance its security since the incident "to help prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future." Kate Wilkinson ([email protected]) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW