Ascension Healthcare, a St. Louis-based company that owns 140 hospitals, including three in Jacksonville, has been hit by a cyberattack that disrupted clinical operations nationwide. The attack was detected on May 8, and it led to major disruptions in patient care that continued for several days.
The cyberattack affected various systems, including electronic health records, phone systems, and other systems that order certain tests, procedures, and medications. Patients of some of Ascension’s facilities had procedures delayed or were diverted to other hospitals. Doctors also lost access to some records.
In response to the cyberattack, Ascension implemented established protocols and procedures to address these disruptions and continue to provide safe care to patients. However, some non-emergent elective procedures, tests, and appointments were temporarily paused while the company worked to bring systems back online.
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