Manchester, Conn.: Hospitals and clinics in several states last Friday began the time-consuming process of recovering from a cyberattack that disrupted their computer systems, forcing some emergency rooms to shut down and ambulances to be diverted.
Many primary care services at facilities run by Prospect Medical Holdings remained closed last Friday as security experts worked to determine the extent of the problem and resolve it.
John Riggi, the American Hospital Association’s national advisory for cybersecurity and risk, said the recovery process can often take weeks, with hospitals in the meantime reverting to paper systems and humans to do things such as monitor equipment and run records between departments.
“These are threat-to-life crimes, which risk not only the safety of the patients within the hospital, but also risk the safety of the entire community that depends on the availability of that emergency department to be there,” Riggi said.
The White House has been monitoring the cyberattack, said Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the National Security Council.
