Emergency Rooms Shut and Ambulances Diverted as Cyberattack Hits Multiple Hospitals

An California-based health care provider, Prospect Medical Holdings of Los Angeles, fell victim to a cyberattack that resulted in the closure of emergency rooms in various states and the redirection of ambulance services. The attack, which involved ransomware, affected hospitals and clinics in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Texas. Prospect Medical is currently working on resolving the issue, and has enlisted the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists to investigate the incident. In the meantime, the company is prioritizing the needs of its patients and aims to return to normal operations as quickly as possible.

According to the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, Crozer-Chester Medical System has resorted to using a paper system due to the majority of their computers being offline as a result of the data breach. The computers are not expected to be back online until the following week, as indicated by Prospect Medical.

Impact on Services

The emergency departments of Manchester Memorial and Rockville General in Connecticut had to be closed due to the data breach, with patients being redirected to nearby medical centers. All health care facilities owned by Prospect Medical are currently experiencing IT complications, leading to the closure of services such as elective surgeries and urgent care.

Waterbury Health inpatient and outpatient operations have also been affected by the computer systems outage, prompting Prospect Medical’s hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut to reassess their downtime capabilities and potentially reschedule appointments. Affected patients will be notified.

The extent of the attack in Pennsylvania impacted several facilities, including the Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park, Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, and Springfield Hospital in Springfield.

—The Associated Press contributed to this report