Cyberattack Disrupts Clinical Operations at Ascension Health System

Cyberattack Disrupts Clinical Operations at Ascension Health System in Illinois

A suspected cyberattack has caused disruptions to clinical operations at health system giant Ascension, which operates about 150 sites of care in Illinois, including 14 hospitals. The system, which has about 140 hospitals nationwide, detected unusual activity on select technology network systems on Wednesday, leading to interruptions in access to some systems and a disruption to clinical operations.

Despite the cyberattack, Ascension’s Illinois hospitals are still providing all patient care services as of Thursday afternoon. However, some medical procedures have had to be rescheduled, and there have been several IT service interruptions, according to Ascension Illinois spokeswoman Olga Solares.

“Our care teams are trained for these kinds of disruptions and have initiated procedures to ensure patient care delivery continues to be safe and as minimally impacted as possible,” Ascension said in a news release.

The health system is currently investigating the situation, including the extent of any potential information compromise. If any individuals’ personal information has been exposed, Ascension has stated that it will notify and support those individuals. The system is also working with Mandiant, a third-party expert, to assist with the investigation and remediation process.

This cyberattack comes on the heels of similar incidents in the healthcare industry, including a cyberattack at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago earlier this year and a cybersecurity incident at Change Healthcare in late February. These incidents highlight the increasing threat of cyberattacks on healthcare organizations and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect patient information and ensure uninterrupted care delivery.