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Cyberattack leads to delays in medical results

Gillberg
Cyberattack leads to delays in medical results

INDIANAPOLIS — Ascension St. Vincent hospitals across Indiana are nearing their third week of dealing with a cyberattack. The problem first became apparent on May 8th.

It worries patients.

Amy Kupsick said a recent mammogram revealed two tumors in her breast. She said an ultrasound scheduled for this month was canceled due to technical problems and the results of her MRI were delayed.

“Today they told me they tried to get my documents but still couldn’t read them,” Kupsick said.

Messages from Kupsick’s medical portal show a response from the health system saying the medical records department couldn’t look anything up.

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WRTV

“It’s nerve-wracking waiting and not knowing, especially given my family history,” Kupsick said. “My family has breast cancer, not knowing that this could be something that needs to be treated in a timely manner, and I am not capable of doing that.”

An Ascension spokesperson said: “All hospitals, doctor’s offices and care facilities are using manual and paper-based systems during the ongoing disruption to normal systems and this will take some time.”

“I asked if the computer problems would affect my results. I was told this shouldn’t be the case. Therefore I couldn’t get any results and many answers. I called a lot,” Kupsick said.

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WRTV

Kupsick recognizes that a ransomware attack can impact services, but says patients need faster responses.

“It’s not just about me. It’s about all these women who have to go to the breast center. Delaying treatment could mean the difference between survival and non-survival,” Kupsick said.

On Tuesday, the hospital released a new announcement saying it was working to rebuild and restore affected systems.

The attack affects Ascension systems in 14 states and Washington DC

A spokesman said doctors, nurses and all staff are trained to deal with such situations to ensure high quality care.

Ascension said teams are working with patients who need to be moved. Unless instructed to do so, Ascension officials say patients should continue to go to their scheduled appointments and procedures.

All Ascension hospitals, physician offices and nursing facilities remain open and operational. Despite the challenges presented by the recent ransomware attack, patient safety remains a top priority. Our dedicated doctors, nurses and care teams are showing incredible thoughtfulness and resilience as we use manual and paper-based systems during the ongoing disruption to normal systems. Our teams work directly with any patient whose appointment or procedure needs to be rescheduled. Unless otherwise instructed by their care team, patients should continue to attend their appointments as scheduled. Our care teams are well-versed in dynamic situations and trained to maintain high-quality care during downtime. Our leaders, physicians, care teams and staff are working to continue patient care with minimal to no interruptions. We are also working diligently on our recovery efforts. We are making progress, but it will take time to return to normal operations. Once systems and services come back online, we will share these updates so our patients and communities can plan accordingly. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our communities. We announce any updates to our system and provide updates on healthcare services in specific regions on our dedicated website.

Ascension of St. Vincent

Ascension recommends visiting this website for the latest updates.

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