A cyberattack has disrupted clinical operations at Ascension, a major healthcare nonprofit organization, forcing it to take measures to minimize the impact on patient care. According to a statement from an Ascension spokesperson, the healthcare system, which includes 140 hospitals and 40 senior living facilities across 19 states, has experienced a disruption to its clinical operations.
Ascension has recommended that its healthcare clients temporarily sever network connections to the organization as the incident is being addressed. The nonprofit detected unusual activity on some computer systems on Wednesday, prompting an investigation and notification to the appropriate authorities.
Ensuring Continuity of Patient Care
Ascension has initiated procedures to ensure that patient care delivery continues to be safe and minimally impacted during this disruption. The spokesperson stated, “We continue to assess the impact and duration of the disruption.” If sensitive patient data was compromised during the cyberattack, Ascension has pledged to notify those affected.
Prevalence of Ransomware Attacks in Healthcare
The Ascension spokesperson did not immediately respond to follow-up questions on whether the incident involved ransomware, a type of malware that locks computers, allowing hackers to demand a ransom fee. Healthcare providers across the United States have suffered numerous ransomware attacks in recent years, some of which have disrupted patient care and cost healthcare providers millions, if not billions, of dollars.
In February, a ransomware attack on a subsidiary of the healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group caused billing disruptions at pharmacies across the country and threatened to put some healthcare providers out of business, highlighting the severe consequences of such attacks on the healthcare sector.
