A cyberattack, causing unexpected downtime, has been discovered at The University of Rochester Medicine’s Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville, NY.
The attack is thought to have started on Wednesday December 27 and has lead to disruption to some of its information services. The specific nature of the cyberattack is still unclear and it has yet to be resolved. The cyberattack is restricted to Jones Memorial Hospital. No other locations have been affected.
While some systems are not accessible, Jones Memorial Hospital has revealed, on its website that the financial and medical details of its patients does not appear to have been compromised. If the investigation finds that there has been a breach of health information, patients will be alerted accordingly. Further details on the attack will also be posted on the hospital’s official website as and when new information is discovered.
The hospital alerted law enforcement and the New York State Department of the attack when its systems were compromised. Hospital IT employees are being assisted by the IT departments at the University of Rochester, St. James Hospital, and Noyes Health to restore all systems to their full functionality.
Jones Memorial Hospital is ready for incidents such like this. Emergency procedures are regularly reviewed, and employees are trained how to react to cyberattacks and system downtime. Due to this, medical services are continuing to be provided, with data being recorded manually on patient charts while its systems are not accessible.
However, without access to electronic patient health data, the hospital is asking all patients to bring their insurance card with them, as well as full lists of medications and, if available, details of their medical history.
Systems will be restored as soon as is possible, but in the meantime, the hospital is aiming to maintain patient safety and quality of treatment.
