Ascension health care systems still down. Here's what we know about cyberattack

Brandon Girod and Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal
Updated ·3 min read

Ascension, the largest non-profit Catholic health system in the United States, confirmed on Wednesday that it had detected "unusual activity on select technology systems."

The health care system called the disruption a "cyber security event." Investigations into how widespread the cyberattack was and whether personal data was breached are still ongoing.

Here's everything we know about the Ascension cyberattack so far.

Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital hacked: Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital facing disruptions after cyberattack

When did the Ascension cyberattack happen?

The Detroit Free Press reported that employees began noticing computer network problems around 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

How many people are impacted by the Ascension cyberattack?

Ascension has not released details about the potential widespread impact of the attack. News outlets in Wisconsin, Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Michigan and Florida have confirmed that area Ascension hospitals were facing the same disruptions.

Ascension posted an updated statement Thursday morning but did not provide any new details.

Was there a patient data breach in the Ascension cyberattack?

It's not clear if any personal information was collected during the cyberattack. In its statement, Ascension said it was still investigating what information, if any, was affected by the situation. If a data breach is found, the company said it would notify and support anyone impacted "in accordance with all relevant regulatory and legal guidelines."

What has Ascension done since the cyberattack?

According to its statement, Ascension immediately reacted to the cyberattack and partnered with Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm and Google subsidiary, to assist in the investigation and remediation process.

What is happening to Ascension patients?

Ambulances are diverting patients to other hospitals. Escambia County spokesperson Davis Wood confirmed to the News Journal that Escambia County EMS is "on a bypass" for Sacred Heart and is currently transporting patients to other area hospitals.

"Access to some systems have been interrupted as this process continues. Our care teams are trained for these kinds of disruptions and have initiated procedures to ensure patient care delivery continues to be safe and as minimally impacted as possible."

Employees told the News Journal that charting, scheduling and prescription writing systems were down.

Three workers, who spoke to the Detroit Free Press on the condition of anonymity, said they didn't have access to medical records, labs, radiology, X-rays or the ability to place orders.

"We have to write everything on paper. It's like the 1980s or 1990s. You go to the X-ray room to look at the X-rays on film, you call the lab they tell you what the results are over the phone. So it's just much more cumbersome, but we do have training for these moments."

Nationwide Ascension cyberattack: Cyberattack hits Ascension hospitals' computer networks: 'It's affecting everything'

When are Ascensions systems expected to be running normally again?

Ascension is still assessing the impact and duration of the disruption.

How many Ascension hospitals are there in Florida?

  • Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, 5151 N. Ninth Ave., Pensacola, FL

  • Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Emerald Coast, 2300 Mack Bayou Loop #11, Santa Rosa Beach, FL

  • Ascension Sacred Heart Bay, 615 Bonita Ave. A, Panama City, FL

  • Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Gulf, 3801 U.S. 98, Port St. Joe, FL

  • Ascension St. Vincent's Clay County, 1670 St. Vincents Way, Middleburg, FL

  • Ascension St. Vincent's St. Johns County, 205 Trinity Way, St. Johns, FL

  • Ascension St. Vincent's Southside Hospital, 4201 Belfort Road, Jacksonville, FL

  • Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside Hospital, 1 Shircliff Way, Jacksonville, FL

How many Ascension hospitals are there in the US?

Ascension employs approximately 134,000 associates, has 35,000 affiliated providers and 140 hospitals that serve communities in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Contributor: Kristen Jordan Shamus - Detroit Free Press

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Did Ascension get hacked? Yes, here’s what we know