Hospitals affiliated with Ardent Health Services, a prominent healthcare provider in the United States, have fallen victim to a critical cyberattack.
The Ardent Health Services cyberattack, which began late on the night of November 22 and persisted into the early hours of Thanksgiving morning, has resulted in a series of disruptions, diverting ambulances and causing system shutdowns.
The cyberattack has affected hospitals in East Texas, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Hospital representatives revealed that ambulances were rerouted on Thanksgiving Day by the cyberattack on the US hospital giant.
Ardent Health Services Cyberattack Affects Ambulances in the US
Ardent Health Services, known for its commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility through consumer-friendly processes and innovative technologies, owns and operates 30 hospitals and over 200 sites of care with more than 1,300 employed providers in six states.
However, the cyberattack on the US hospital giant affected all the impacted hospitals under the ownership or partial ownership of Ardent Health Services.
Among the affected institutions are a 263-bed hospital in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, a 365-bed hospital in Montclair, New Jersey, and a network of hospitals in East Texas serving thousands of patients annually.
According to Ardent Health Services’ cyberattack notice, the cyber incident was identified on the morning of November 23, 2023, and has been confirmed as a ransomware attack.
In response, Ardent promptly took its network offline, suspending user access to various information technology applications, including corporate servers, Epic software, the internet, and clinical programs.
Ardent Health Services Cyberattack: Response & Ongoing Investigation
Law enforcement has been notified of the Ardent Health Services cyberattack, and third-party forensic and threat intelligence advisors have been engaged to investigate the breach.
Ardent has implemented additional security protocols in collaboration with cybersecurity partners to expedite the restoration of its information technology operations.
While the extent of compromised patient health or financial data remains unconfirmed, patient care is assuredly being delivered safely and effectively in Ardent’s hospitals, emergency rooms, and clinics.
As a precautionary measure, some non-emergent, elective procedures are being rescheduled, and certain emergency room patients are being redirected to other area hospitals until systems are fully restored.
The investigation into the Ardent Health Services cyberattack and the restoration of access to electronic medical records and clinical systems are ongoing, with Ardent still evaluating the full impact and the timeline for resolution.
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