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The missing laptop was not reported until July, said Providence spokeswoman Becky Hultberg.

There was no evidence of theft, Hultberg said.

On Friday, the hospital began calling patients whose medical records may have been stored on the laptop.

"We are very sorry for the concern that this will cause these patients," Hultberg said.

Providence believes there wasn't any financial information on the laptop, she said, but the hospital is offering to pay for credit monitoring of the patients' financial accounts for a year.

Hultberg said the records may have included patients' names, birth dates, medical record numbers, referrals and diagnoses. In rare cases, she said, records on the laptop could have included a Social Security number or address.

The original medical records are still accessible, Hultberg said.

Providence is talking to employees who might have been involved in the laptop's loss, to see if hospital policies were followed.