Wake EMS Laptop Missing

Raleigh, N.C. — A Wake County Emergency Medical Services laptop computer with patient information disappeared from the WakeMed Emergency Department Thursday night, officials said Monday.

The computer, which was being charged at the time of its disappearance, was not in use, and security measures make it unlikely that information would be accessed, according to a news release.

"We have no reason to believe that the computer was stolen with any intention of accessing the medical records stored in it," Wake EMS Chief Skip Kirkwood said.

EMS officials, however, said they were notifying any patients whose medical information might be on the computer's hard drive about the matter.

Paramedics use laptop computers to create medical reports for download into hospital computer systems when they transport patients to emergency rooms.

The Panasonic Toughbook laptop computer, model CF29, has silver and black casing and a handle and has a Wake County property label with the identification number DP 16096.

Anyone with information about the computer's whereabouts is asked to contact EMS's district chief, Jeffrey Hammerstein, at 919-625-3260.