AUSTIN, Texas — Ascension is investigating after a cybersecurity incident on Wednesday, May 8, working "around the clock" to restore functions. In an update on Saturday, Ascension said the incident was a ransomware attack.
Currently, there is not a timeline for when that will be finished.
Some systems that are currently unavailable are Ascension's electronic health records system; MyChart, which helps patients look at their medical records; some phone systems; and other systems that help with certain tests, procedures and medications.
Adam Muery is a patient at Ascension Seton Williamson Hospital. He got his leg crushed, breaking three bones in his ankle, and said care is slower than usual.
"They're having to chart everything with just pieces of paper and pens like it was 30 years ago. And, unfortunately, they didn't have systems in place to be able to do things correctly," Muery said. "Every doctor, PA [physicians assistant] has expressed how frustrating it is. Just, nothing's working, nothing's getting done."
Kellen Gildersleeve is a registered nurse at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin. She said she shares that frustration.
"What worries me about this kind of situation is it really just increases the risk for a problem to occur or for an error to be made," Gildersleeve said. "It can be a really, really big deal whenever we make medical errors in general, and we have all of these systems in place that are supposed to help us avoid making them."
KVUE reached out to Ascension for an on-camera interview. The hospital system declined, but a spokesperson referenced a statement that said Ascension is working with a third-party expert to help investigate the security issue and has notified authorities.
"It's frustrating and scary and, frankly, I would not have come to this hospital if I knew that this is what I was going to be going through," Muery said.
Ascension said it responded immediately, initiated an investigation and activated remediation efforts. Access to some systems has been interrupted as that process continues, Ascension said.
"We're really treading water, and it does not feel like a safe situation," Gildersleeve said.
“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,” Ascension said in its statement.
The security event caused a disruption to clinical operations, and the hospital system said it is assessing the impact and how long it would last.
“Together, we are working to fully investigate what information, if any, may have been affected by the situation,” Ascension said. “Should we determine that any sensitive information was affected, we will notify and support those individuals in accordance with all relevant regulatory and legal guidelines.”
Business partners have been asked to temporarily suspend connection to the Ascension environment.
More information for patients about Ascension operations can be found here.