A severe cyberattack on Ascension, one of the largest healthcare systems in the United States, has disrupted patient care significantly. The ransomware attack, which began on May 8, has locked medical providers out of critical systems that coordinate patient care, including electronic health records and medication ordering systems. This disruption has led to alarming lapses in patient safety, as reported by health care professionals across the nation.
Marvin Ruckle, a nurse at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph in Wichita, Kansas, highlighted the chaos, recounting an incident where he almost administered the wrong dose of a narcotic to a baby due to confusing paperwork. Such errors were unheard of when the hospital’s computer systems were operational. Similarly, Lisa Watson, an ICU nurse at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis, narrowly avoided giving a critically ill patient the wrong medication, emphasising the risks posed by the shift from digital to manual systems.
The attack has forced hospitals to revert to outdated paper methods, creating inefficiencies and increasing the potential for dangerous mistakes. Watson explained that, unlike in the past, current systems for timely communication and order processing have disappeared, exacerbating the risk of errors. Melissa LaRue, another ICU nurse, echoed these concerns, citing a close call with a blood pressure medication dosage error that was fortunately caught in time.
Health care workers at Ascension hospitals in Michigan reported similar issues. A Detroit ER doctor shared a case where a patient received the wrong medication due to paperwork confusion, necessitating emergency intervention. Another nurse recounted a fatal delay in receiving lab results for a patient with low blood sugar. These incidents highlight the dire consequences of prolonged system outages.
Justin Neisser, a travel nurse at an Indiana Ascension hospital, chose to quit, warning of potential delays and errors in patient care. Many nurses and doctors fear that these systemic failures could jeopardise their professional licences, drawing parallels to the high-profile case of RaDonda Vaught, a nurse convicted of criminally negligent homicide for a fatal drug error.
The health sector has become a prime target for ransomware attacks. According to the FBI, health care experienced the highest share of ransomware incidents among 16 critical infrastructure sectors in 2023. Despite this, many hospitals are ill-prepared for prolonged cyberattacks. John Clark, an associate chief pharmacy officer at the University of Michigan, noted that most emergency plans cover only short-term downtimes.
Ascension's response to the attack included restoring access to electronic health records by mid-June, but patient information from the outage period remains temporarily inaccessible. Ascension has asserted that its care teams are trained for such disruptions, though many staff members, like Ruckle, reported receiving no specific training for cyberattacks.
Federal efforts to enhance health care cybersecurity are ongoing. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has encouraged improvements in email security, multifactor authentication, and cybersecurity training. However, these measures are currently voluntary. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are expected to release new cybersecurity requirements, though details remain unclear.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) argues that cybersecurity mandates could divert resources needed to combat attacks. They contend that many data breaches originate from third-party associates rather than hospitals themselves. Nevertheless, experts like Jim Bagian believe that health systems should face consequences for failing to implement basic cybersecurity protections.
The cyberattack on Ascension calls for robust cybersecurity measures in health care. As hospitals consolidate into larger systems, they become more vulnerable to data breaches and ransomware attacks. Health care professionals and patients alike are calling for transparency and improvements to ensure safety and quality care. The situation at Ascension highlights the critical nature of cybersecurity preparedness in protecting patient lives.
