INDIANAPOLIS — Ascension St. Vincent hospitals across Indiana are about to enter a third week dealing with a cyber attack. The problem first came to light on May 8th.
It's causing concern for patients.
Amy Kupsick said a recent mammogram revealed two masses on her breast. She said an ultrasound scheduled for this month was canceled because of technology issues and the results for her MRI have been delayed.
"Today they told me they were trying to get my records and were unable to read them still," said Kupsick.
Messages from Kupsick's medical portal shows a response from the health system saying the medical records department can't look anything up.
"I's nerve racking to wait and not know especially with my family history," said Kupsick. "I have a family history of breast cancer not knowing this could be something that has to be taken care of in a timely fashion and I'm unable to do that."
An Ascension spokesperson said, "all hospitals, doctor's offices and care sites are using manual and paper based systems during the ongoing disruption to normal systems and that it's going to take time."
"I asked if the computer issues would effect my results they told me it shouldn't, so I haven't been able to get results and many answers. I've called a lot," Kupsick said.
Kupsick understands a ransomware attack can impact services but says patients, need quicker answers.
"It's not just about me. It's about all these women that have to get at the breast center. It's delaying treatment that could be the difference between surviving and not surviving," Kupsick said.
Tuesday, the hospital released a new announcement saying it is working to rebuild and restore affected systems.
The attack is impacting Ascension systems across 14 states and Washington D.C.
A spokesperson said it's doctors, nurses and staff are trained for these types of situations to provide quality care.
Ascension says teams are working with patients who need to be rescheduled and unless you're told not to, Ascension reps say patients should continue to go to their scheduled appointments and procedures.
All Ascension hospitals, physician offices, and care sites remain open and operational. Despite the challenges posed by the recent ransomware attack, patient safety continues to be our utmost priority. Our dedicated doctors, nurses, and care teams are demonstrating incredible thoughtfulness and resilience as we utilize manual and paper based systems during the ongoing disruption to normal systems.Our teams are working directly with any patient whose appointment or procedure will need to be rescheduled. Unless instructed otherwise by their care team, patients should continue to attend appointments as scheduled.Our care teams are well versed on dynamic situations and are appropriately trained to maintain high quality care during downtime. Our leadership, physicians, care teams, and associates are working to ensure patient care continues with minimal to no interruption. We are also working diligently on our restoration efforts. We are making progress, however, it will take time to return to normal operations. As systems and services come back online, we will share those updates so that our patients and communities can plan accordingly. We appreciate our communities' patience and understanding.We have a dedicated website to share any updates we have across our system and provide updates related to healthcare services as they relate to specific regions.
Ascension says to visit this website for the latest updates.
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