California-based healthcare system experiences disruption due to ransomware attack

A cyberattack has occurred this week, impacting a California-based health-care system. As a result, some services at affiliated locations have been shut down, and reliance on paper records has been necessary.

Prospect Medical Holdings, which owns multiple hospitals and outpatient centers in California, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, confirmed the attack in a statement to The Washington Post. The company is currently working with the FBI and cybersecurity specialists to address the situation and stated that cybersecurity threats are a real risk for health-care organizations across the nation.

According to Eastern Connecticut Health Network, an affiliate of Prospect Medical Holdings, IT complications have resulted in the temporary closure of certain services, such as outpatient medical imaging and outpatient blood draw services. The network has also diverted patients from emergency rooms in response to the cyberattack.

CharterCARE Health Partners in Rhode Island has experienced computer system downtime, affecting both inpatient and outpatient operations. The staff is currently following downtime procedures, including the use of paper records, until the issue is resolved.

Waterbury Hospital in Connecticut, part of Prospect Medical Holdings, has also been impacted by the cyberattack. Certain outpatient services, including outpatient blood draw and diagnostic imaging, were unavailable on Friday and Saturday. The hospital had to rely on paper records during this time.

Crozer Health in Pennsylvania also experienced system downtime due to a similar attack in 2020.

Ransomware attacks, including those on medical systems, have become more common as organizations digitize patient records and upgrade to cloud-based servers. These attacks block an organization’s access to its own computer network and aim to extort a ransom.

Prospect Medical Holdings is focused on addressing the needs of its patients while investigating the cyberattack and working towards returning to normal operations.

Reference

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