A Second 2026 FQHC Data-Breach Settlement: Blackstone Valley CHC Agrees to $525K (Final Hearing June 23)

Blackstone Valley Community Health Care, a Rhode Island FQHC, reached a $525,000 class-action settlement over a 2023 data breach that exposed names and Social Security numbers of roughly 34,000 patients. A court granted preliminary approval March 3, 2026, with a final-approval hearing set for June 23, 2026; class members can claim up to $250 in ordinary losses.

It is the second 2026 FQHC breach-litigation data point alongside the Sandhills 169K-record case (still in litigation). Strategic implication for California FQHC leaders: although out-of-state, this reinforces a clear and costly FQHC ransomware-litigation pattern — re-audit cyber insurance against 2026 settlement floors, confirm OCR-style security risk analyses are current, and budget for breach-litigation exposure as a standing operational risk.