CommonSpirit is still working to restore the EHR system after the ransomware attack was confirmed
A major ransomware attack at CommonSpirit Health disrupted medical operations in several states for nearly two weeks, forcing the Chicago-based health system to struggle to maintain care. individuals while conducting forensic investigations and working to bring their electronic health record systems back online.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
After days of cancellations and reports of shutdowns at CommonSpirit hospitals and medical facilities across multiple states, the country’s largest Catholic health system and second-largest nonprofit hospital chain have launched a announced this week of a widespread cybersecurity incident.
CommonSpirit officials said the attack affected a number of facilities and systems serving Dignity Health and Virginia Mason Medical Center are experiencing minimal impact on operations.
But local bulletins across some states provide more detailed information about lost access to medical records, delayed medical procedures, canceled appointments, lost access to portals, and more. patient information and other interruptions.
“Patients continue to receive the highest quality of care, and we are providing relevant updates on the ongoing situation to our patients, staff and caregivers. Patient care remains the same. is our top priority and we apologize for any inconvenience this issue has created,” CommonSpirit officials said.
One report indicated 140 health facilities across 21 states had been affected.
Kelsay Irby, nurse at St. Michael of Silverdale, Washington, said: “We’re doing the best we can. Bainbridge Island Review.
She said the shutdown is also affecting the pay system, and employees are complaining of illness or layoffs.
“Our facilities are following existing protocols for system outages, including taking some systems offline, such as electronic health records. In addition, we are taking steps to minimize disruption and maintain continuity of care,” the health system said in the statement.
CommonSpirit’s October 12 statement indicated that the system involved cybersecurity experts and reported the incident to law enforcement.
TREND TO BIGGER WOMAN
The ongoing ransomware attacks that are raging across all industries can have catastrophic consequences when it comes to healthcare operations – preventing access to millions of health records and disrupting patient care and already overburdened staff.
Endpoint attacks target security holes, and once ransomware takes ownership of data, it can take weeks to get the system back online.
Last year, more than 40 million patient records were compromised in reported incidents.
ON PROFILE
CommonSpirit officials in the health system statement said: “We continue to conduct a thorough forensic investigation and review of our systems and will also seek to determine if there are any. any data impact as part of that process”.
Andrea Fox is the senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.
