Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- Ascension hospitals in Central Texas experienced a cybersecurity incident disrupting clinical operations.
- The organization is investigating the issue with the help of a cybersecurity firm and authorities have been notified.
Summary:
Several hospitals in Central Texas operated by the national healthcare system Ascension were affected by a suspected cybersecurity issue. The disruption caused clinical operations to be impacted on Wednesday. Ascension reported that they were investigating unusual activity on select technology network systems with the assistance of a third-party cybersecurity firm. Care teams were taking necessary steps to ensure patient care delivery continued as safely as possible. Ascension is still determining the full impact and duration of the disruption, including the potential effect on patient data. The organization may notify individuals if any sensitive information is found to be affected. Business partners were advised to disconnect from Ascension technology systems until the issue is resolved.
An employee at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin reported being unable to access the hospital’s patient charting system and an internal mobile communications app. Aside from ASMCA, Ascension Texas also operates Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, Ascension Seton Northwest, Ascension Seton Hays, and Ascension Seton Williamson. The investigation into the cybersecurity incident is ongoing.
