Ascension cyberattack: Patients, nurses frustrated as problems persist
MILWAUKEE - Unanswered questions – and the problems that come with them – seem to be growing nearly a week since a cyberattack hit the Ascension hospital system.
"I took out my own IV, left it on the hospital bed," said Ascension patient Crystal Love.
Love recently had a cyst burst, followed by kidney issues. The problem is she's not sure what exactly is going on because she can't get in to see her doctor.
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"The biggest frustration is the fact that I can’t be seen, and I need to be seen. I need follow-up care," she said.
The health care provider said it experienced a ransomware attack last week, which has disrupted access to patient records.
While it is a national cyberattack, FOX6 wanted to hear from patients in Wisconsin. One patient wrote that they can't get their sister's death certificate signed, another said they cannot get chemotherapy. The list of complaints went on.
"One of my friends had surgery. Can’t even get pain medication for her surgery because there’s no record," Love said.
An emergency room nurse told FOX6 the cyberattack has caused dangerous delays in getting lab and imaging results. Another employee said they are slammed with non-stop calls from patients – and have few answers themselves.
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"What are you supposed to do as a patient? You want care, you need care, but where are you supposed to go?" said Love.
Connie Smith, president of the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses, said they have to work off paper records. The biggest challenges are outpatient care and radiology.
"When you’re comparing exams, that’s where we’re going to have our biggest issue, because you don’t have the comparison there to look at," she said.
For patients, patience is likely running thin. The same goes for all parties involved.
"All we want to do is be able to give the best care we can, and we can’t," Smith said.
Ascension said, if anyone's information was leaked, it will notify those individuals. Meanwhile, workers suggest showing up early for appointments.
