Ascension St. John experiencing technology disruption

Asked to confirm reports that Ascension St. John Medical Center in Tulsa is currently operating without access to the internet, computer-based patient records or phone lines, a hospital spokesperson issued the following written statement: Published in Tulsa World.

“On Wednesday, May 8th, we detected unusual activity on some of our technology network systems. We responded immediately, began an investigation, and began remediation efforts. access to some systems has been interrupted.

“Our care teams are trained to prepare for this type of disruption and have initiated steps to ensure the delivery of patient care remains safe and to minimize the impact as much as possible.”

With the use of online technology across healthcare, hospitals are becoming increasingly common targets for thieves who seek to hold their systems' data and networks hostage in exchange for a ransom payment.

Last fall, Hillcrest Healthcare System was forced to reschedule or divert patients after its parent company, Ardent, suffered a ransomware attack.

Ascension, the faith-based medical organization that operates Ascension St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, says it will notify patients if an investigation into newly detected “anomalous activity” reveals that confidential information has been affected. Stated.

“We have notified the appropriate authorities and are working to thoroughly investigate any information that may have been affected by this situation. If we determine that sensitive information has been affected, we will will notify and support the affected individuals in accordance with all relevant regulatory and legal guidelines,” an Ascension St. John spokesperson said.