Ascension Diverts Emergency Patients, Postpones Care

Wednesday Cyber Incident Shakes America's Largest Healthcare System Marianne Kolbasuk McGee (HealthInfoSec) • May 10, 2024

The Ascension healthcare system is sending away emergency patients and postponing nonemergency procedures as it digs out from a cyber incident that knocked its electronic health record systems offline with no immediate timetable for restoration.

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Ascension - a nonprofit, Catholic healthcare system with 140 hospitals and 40 senior care facilities in 19 states - said systems including lab, test and medication ordering and some phone systems will stay offline "for some time" following its Wednesday detection of hackers inside its networks (see: Ascension Responding to Cyberattack Affecting Clinical Care).

Several Ascension hospitals are diverting emergency medical patients to other facilities to order to help ensure that such cases are triaged immediately, the organization said in an ...