A cyberattack has disrupted hospital computer systems in multiple states, forcing some emergency rooms to close and ambulances to be diverted, and many primary care services remained closed on Friday as security experts worked to determine the extent of the problem and resolve it. The data security attack began Thursday at facilities operated by Prospect Medical Holdings, which is based in California, and has hospitals and clinics there and in Texas, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania, the AP reports. "Upon learning of this, we took our systems offline to protect them and launched an investigation with the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists," the company said in a statement Friday.
In Connecticut, the emergency departments at Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospital were closed for much of Thursday, and patients were diverted to other medical centers. "We have a national Prospect team working and evaluating the impact of the attack on all of the organizations," Jillian Menzel, chief operating officer for the Eastern Connecticut Health Network, said in a statement. The FBI in Connecticut issued a statement saying it is working on the case but did not comment further, saying it's an ongoing investigation.
Elective surgeries, outpatient appointments, blood drives, and other services were suspended, and while the emergency departments reopened late Thursday, many primary care services were closed on Friday, according to the Eastern Connecticut Health Network.Similar disruptions were reported at other facilities. In Pennsylvania, the attack affected services at facilities including the Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park, Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, and Springfield Hospital in Springfield, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. In California, the company has seven hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
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