Ascension Hospitals Hit by Cyberattack in Michigan and Nationwide
Ascension hospitals in Michigan and throughout the United States fell victim to a cyberattack this week, causing disruptions in their computer network that affected clinical operations. The nonprofit health system issued a warning to its business partners to disconnect from its system as they investigate the cybersecurity incident.
Employees first noticed issues with the network early Wednesday morning, leading to difficulties in accessing medical records, labs, radiology, and placing orders. While patients in need of urgent care were still accepted by ambulance, others were redirected to nearby hospitals due to the network outage.
Ascension is currently working with Mandiant, a cybersecurity consulting firm, to investigate the attack and assess whether any sensitive information was compromised. Cyberattacks in the healthcare industry are becoming increasingly common, jeopardizing protected health information and other personal data.
Recent cyberattacks in Michigan have targeted organizations such as Cherry Health, Welltok Inc., McLaren Health Care, and the University of Michigan. Ascension, which is undergoing a process of spinning off some of its hospitals in Michigan, has had its operations impacted by the cyberattack.
Despite the disruptions, the health system is focused on ensuring that patient care delivery remains safe and minimally impacted during this challenging situation. Stay tuned for updates as Ascension continues to address the aftermath of this cyberattack.
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