Ascension Wisconsin confirmed that access to some of its systems was interrupted due to what it called a “cybersecurity event.”
According to a statement sent to TMJ4 News, Ascension “detected unusual activity on some technology network systems” on May 8.
TMJ4 has received multiple reports from patients concerned about not receiving treatment due to this issue. At the same time, other patients were able to keep their appointments and the impact was minimal, he said.
One parent, who agreed to speak to TMJ4 on condition of anonymity, said she learned she had to reschedule her two children after arriving at Ascension St. Joseph's campus in Milwaukee.
“It's very unfortunate that we have so much baggage. Our children have to leave school early to attend appointments, and what we get is something that no one will see,” the mother said. Ta. “I'm trying to figure out if I should call another hospital or if I should wait because it's closer here. I don't have any plans to drive at the moment, so I'm just trying to figure out what to do. .”
Leaders with Ascension say they responded immediately, launched an investigation, and began working to resolve the issue. Access to some systems may be interrupted while Ascension staff work on the issue.
“Our care teams are trained for this type of disruption and have initiated steps to ensure the delivery of patient care remains safe and minimizes impact wherever possible,” Ascension said. told TMJ4 via email.
Ascension said it is working with “appropriate authorities” to determine what information may be affected by the situation.
Ascension Wisconsin's full statement is below.
On Wednesday, May 8th, we detected unusual activity on some technology network systems. This is currently believed to be due to a cyber security event. At this time, we are continuing to investigate the situation. We responded immediately, began an investigation, and began remediation efforts. Access to some systems has been interrupted as this process continues.
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. Clinical operations have been disrupted and we continue to assess the impact and duration of the disruption.
We engaged third-party experts, Mandiant, to assist with the investigation and remediation process and notified the appropriate authorities. We are working together to thoroughly investigate what information may have been affected by this situation. If we determine that confidential information has been affected, we will notify and support affected individuals in accordance with all relevant regulatory and legal guidelines.
Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that your business partners temporarily suspend their connections to your Ascension environment. We will notify our partners when it is appropriate to reconnect to our environment.
This is an ongoing situation and we will provide updates as more information becomes available. Click here for the latest information.
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