A New York-based healthcare has been found asking its incoming patients to seek medical assistance in other facilities due to a possible cyberattack scar. In a news release, Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) posted about the WMCHealth cyberattack impacting its hospitals. The attack was not claimed by any cybercriminal group so far.
The WMCHealth cyberattack impacted the HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley (HAHV) confirmed the news release by the healthcare. This included HealthAlliance Hospital, Margaretville Hospital, and Mountainside Residential Care Center.
Impact of the WMCHealth Cyberattack
In a press release addressing the WMCHealth cyberattack, it was noted that its hospitals were suffering a possible cybersecurity threat including an IT system outage. Although it said that patient care was not impacted, a local report said otherwise.
A report by Hudson Valley One addressing the HAHV cyberattack wrote that a candidate for Kingston Mayor Scott Denny said that WMCHealth hospital on Mary’s Avenue in Kingston had been turning away emergency patients since Sunday morning, 15 October.
However, the news release alerting users about the WMCHealth IT outage was published on October 16 which also stated that scheduled procedures and surgeries will proceed as noted earlier. The laboratory and radiology services were open, WMCHealth confirmed.
Addressing the impact of the WMCHealth IT outage on patient care, Scott said, “They’re diverting the people and the ambulances to go to other hospitals.” “The ambulance comes, they’re being told, you got to go Westchester, you got to try to go to Northern Dutchess,” Scott further said.
Meanwhile, the Northern Dutchess Hospital has been working on its toes treating its own residents and the overflow from Kingston, which has also created obvious work overload and problems.
A hospital employee at the Northern Dutchess Hospital addressed the enormous number of patients being diverted to it. She said, “We are packed. It’s completely full. But you are still welcome to come in.”
The HAHV IT outage and cyberattack have been under investigation by the New York State Department of Health, and Ulster County officials.
To prevent exposure of data related to its facilities and network, local facilities had been temporarily disconnected from the WMCHealth systems.
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