Maine’s biggest healthcare network is apologizing after hundreds of living patients received letters telling them they were dead.

MaineHealth said a computer malfunction Oct. 20 caused 521 letters to go out through a third-party vendor system, each addressed to a patient and written as if the recipient had died.

"MaineHealth sincerely regrets this error," the organization said in a statement. "We have since resolved the issue and sent apology letters to every affected patient."

Officials stressed that no one was marked deceased in their medical records and that patient care wasn’t affected. 

The glitch was confined to an automated estate-notification process based at MaineHealth’s Portland headquarters, which oversees Maine Medical Center and eight other hospitals across Maine and New Hampshire.

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MaineHealth, which employs more than 20,000 people, recently updated its digital record and messaging systems and is now reviewing the automation tool that produced the letters.

Automation mishaps have plagued hospital networks nationwide, from billing statements sent to the wrong families to "deceased" alerts popping up in online patient portals. 

According to a 2022 Pew Charitable Trusts report, electronic health records complexity and usability problems can lead to wrong drug orders, missed test results or other patient-safety risks.

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Patients who received the erroneous letters can contact MaineHealth’s patient relations department to confirm their status — alive and well — and ensure their records remain accurate.

"It was pretty upsetting to open that," one woman told WGME. "Why would they say I was dead? So it was really shocking and upsetting."

"I mean, I've had some tests done, and my doctor is part of MaineHealth," the woman said. "But I haven't even been in the hospital for anything serious that I could have died from. So I don't even know where they got that information."

No protected health information was exposed, the hospital said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to MaineHealth for additional comment.

Starbucks has announced the drop of its 2025 holiday menu, including new items that are expected to sell out quickly.

The menu includes the return of seasonal favorites, such as the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulee Latte, Iced Sugar Cookie Latte and Iced Gingerbread Chai.

In addition to new pastries — plus a Hello Kitty collaboration, a Starbucks Reserve holiday menu featuring a holiday espresso martini flight and brand-new holiday cup designs — Starbucks also announced the drop of seasonal merchandise.

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Among all the items, the Glass Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup has become a standout item right out of the gate.

The cup is shaped like a bear, with its top designed to look like a green knit beanie.

The item has gone viral online, with fans praising the $29.95 collectible, while others anticipate the glass bear will be "sold out in the first hour," according to chatter on Reddit.

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In a thread posted by r/starbucks, Redditors commented on expectations the item would sell out quickly.

"Should I expect it to be sold out the first day? It's so cute I would hate to miss out!" the post's caption read.

"It'll definitely sell out within hours," one person wrote on Reddit. 

"[It'll] be sold out by the baristas before it hits the shelves," another commented.

Some alleged baristas have also joined in on the online conversation, suggesting just a small quantity of bear cups is arriving.

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One wrote, "Our store only got two Bear Glass Cups & I'd like one…"

A fellow Redditor commented, "My store got 1."

Another reported being a manager at a licensed store and receiving just six bear cups.

In a blog post, Starbucks confirmed these seasonal items will be available for a limited time while supplies last, starting Nov. 6.

This year's coffee cups from the chain include ribbon and textured designs and a space to write a message, following Starbucks' recent initiative requiring baristas to write notes on every cup.

Starbucks creative director Kristy Cameron said in a blog post, "We hope our coffeehouses feel warm and festive, a place where you want to come and sit with us a little while and enjoy the holidays together."

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Starbucks did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.