“Data Security Alert!” Ascension, Owner Of Multiple Michigan Hospitals, Confirms Ransomware Incident
DEBARYLIFE – Last week saw the start of a cyberattack at one of the biggest hospital groups in the country. Ascension informed patients on Monday that its pharmacies are no longer able to accept credit cards.
For their appointments, patients are asked to jot down any health-related information, such as symptoms and prescriptions.
The Ascension healthcare conglomerate, based in St. Louis, advised patients on Monday night that its hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other locations are still “open and operational,” but they should anticipate delays.
Ascension announced that its pharmacies would no longer accept credit cards five days after it first became aware of the significant security compromise. It also admitted that, in the interim, it will be relying on “manual and paper-based systems” while working to fix the incident.
In addition, “certain” hospitals still send ambulances to noon-ascension hospitals when patients need prescription refills; patients should bring their bottles to the pharmacies.
Specialists: Ascension Michigan and Henry Ford’s collaboration is expected to affect expenses and care.
Prescriptions can be filled at retail pharmacies, “but also ask patients to bring their prescription bottles from a previous fill.”
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“Despite the challenges posed by the recent ransomware incident, patient safety continues to be our utmost priority,” the chain said in a statement on Monday night in an attempt to reassure patients.
scheduled medical appointments are “going as planned.”
It came when Ascension declared on Saturday that the cyberattack of the previous week was, in reality, a “ransomware” attack.
Fifteen hospitals in Michigan are operated by the system. It did not disclose information about the incident or the requests made by the hackers.
Ascension stated it is in “close contact” with the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in a statement that was made public on Saturday. According to a statement from the massive healthcare provider, Ascension is providing industry partners with information so they can defend against a similar attack.
It also said that it would take some time to restore the computer system.
The statement read, “We are making progress and systems are being restored in a coordinated manner at each of our care sites, even though we expect this process to take time to complete.”
What Patients Ought to Undertake
In order for medical offices to call in prescriptions, Ascension continued to advise patients on Monday to either write down their symptoms and a list of their current drugs or to hang onto their prescription bottles.
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Even though certain “nonemergency procedures, tests, and appointments have been temporarily paused,” Ascension has stated that patients are expected to maintain their appointments.
The chain of hospitals stated that it was attempting to fix the problem “around the clock,” but it was unable to provide an estimated time frame for when business would resume as usual.
Disruption In Health Record Access
The medical system in St. Louis “detected unusual activity on select technology network systems” on Wednesday, which is when the issues started. described the issues as a “cybersecurity event” on Thursday and as a “cybersecurity incident” later that same day.
The electronic health records system was rendered inaccessible due to the hack. This included patient data on MyChart, which enables users to view their data, make appointments, and communicate with healthcare professionals.
In addition, it caused scheduling, testing, and phone disruptions, necessitating the rerouting of at least some Michigan patients.