Several Michigan Ascension hospital systems still down after cyberattack
(CBS DETROIT) – Leaders at Michigan Ascension say they have no update on when systems will be restored after a cyberattack was detected on Wednesday at Ascension hospitals nationwide.
The health care provider says they noticed unusual activity on their network, and after looking into it further, they found the hospital was victim to a cyber security incident.
According to Ascension, several systems are still down, which could impact patients.
However, the hospital says patient care remains the highest priority, and they're working around the clock to get systems back up and running and investigate what could be the root cause of the cyberattack.
Ascension says the team is trained for situations like this and have procedures put in place to work through those specific systems that are disrupted.
Those systems include MyChart which is the electronic health system patients use, phones, and certain systems used to order tests, procedures and medications.
In the meantime, the hospital is asking patients to bring notes on their symptoms, a list of medications, prescription numbers and bottles to appointments.
The hospital system has also created a website to share the latest updates following the cyberattack.
In a statement, Ascension goes on to say:
"Out of an abundance of caution, however, some non-emergent elective procedures, tests and appointments have been temporarily paused while we work to bring systems back online. Our teams are working directly with any patient whose appointment or procedure will need to be rescheduled. We understand the frustration this may cause and sincerely regret any inconvenience to our patients. Due to downtime procedures, several hospitals are currently on diversion for emergency medical services in order to ensure emergency cases are triaged immediately. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please contact 911 and your local emergency services will bring you to the nearest hospital emergency room."
Ascension says there is no timeline for when systems will be restored, and it's still unclear if any personal information has been compromised. If that turns out to be the case, patients will be notified immediately.
The hospital has brought in third-party company Mandiant and is working with authorities to investigate.
Ascension has 140 hospitals across 19 states, including Michigan.